Local community raises £6,000 for Cambridgeshire special autism school
The Cavendish School, Cambridgeshire’s first state-maintained special free school for autistic students, is celebrating the success of a campaign to raise money for student equipment and experiences. The Friends of The Cavendish School, an independent charity which helps raise funds for students at The Cavendish School, has raised £6,000 to support the school this year.
The money was raised through a combination of community events, parent fundraising, and corporate and private donations. Businesses that have contributed to the campaign include the Co-Op, Tesco, The Holiday Inn Impington, Gin House Flowers, Kingsway Golf Melbourn, Extreme 360, Shepreth Wildlife Park, The Cambridge Flower Shop Milton, South Angle Farm Ely, Raptor Foundation and Bury Lane Fun Barn. Students also took the opportunity to get involved by running Christmas decoration stalls, a summer jumble sale and a ‘guess the name of the stick insect’ game throughout the year to raise funds.
Since receiving the funds, the school has been able to purchase new outdoor gym equipment to enable students to self-regulate throughout the day, end of term treats for students such as ice cream, and seasonal gifts for them including Christmas presents and Easter eggs. Donated equipment like laptops, sensory toys, games and craft supplies are being used to strengthen students’ daily learning and welfare.
Stephanie Smith, Head of The Cavendish School, said: “We’ve been blown away by the generosity of our community throughout this ambitious campaign. Whether people have made a financial or physical donation, they have helped enhance the educational experience of our students and provide a school environment where our students feel secure and know their needs will be met. With the continued help of our community, I hope that we can raise more funds to provide more much-needed sensory equipment and items that help our students to access learning that meets their individual needs.”
To find out more about The Cavendish School and how you can support the fundraising campaign, visit: https://thecavendishschool.org.uk/fundraising