17 Dec Upminster Special School Welcomes Act of Generosity by Local Builder
A local builder has made an astonishing charitable commitment to build a double storey extension for £1,000 to help a special school in Upminster continue to support their pupils’ physical, social emotional and learning needs.
Jim Taylor, owner of MixIt Concrete Ltd, visited Corbets Tey School in 2016 and after hearing that their dilapidated soft play room may have to be demolished immediately made a decision to help. He commissioned and paid for a fundraising video to be filmed and pledged to support fundraising towards a replacement building. Jim also had more ambitious plans for the school and the project quickly developed into a double storey extension including a new soft play area, therapy rooms, new toilet facilities and two classroom spaces.
Corbets Tey School caters for pupils with a wide range of complex and severe learning, physical and communication needs. Over 50% of pupils have Autism and therefore find it difficult to interact and communicate with others. There are also a growing number of pupils with physical difficulties in the school.
Susan Cumbers, Business Manager, explains, “Many of our children have autism and communication difficulties so facilities that encourage interaction and communication with their peers or adults through play is so important, but sometimes impossible to fund from within the school budget.”
So far Jim has held two fundraising Boxing Nights raising over £40,000 and will have donated a further £200,000 in materials and labour costs to build the extension.
Work continues at an astonishing pace and the facility is expected to be complete by February 2018.
