Pinewood School in Blackburn is the only school in West Lothian which caters for children aged 5 to 18 who have a range of additional needs such as autism, Down’s syndrome and children with physical disabilities.
In May 2008, two parents decided to embark on an ambitious project; to raise enough money to install a fantastic playground for the children that attend the school. At this stage they were hoping to raise £100,000, and anticipated that this would take anything from one to two years. They recognised that the playground is a fundamental part of a child’s education, where they can think for themselves, devise their own rules and encounter endless opportunity. Due to their varied disabilities, the children at Pinewood school do not get the same opportunities to access community play parks, and by replacing the schools tired playground with a safe, stimulating one, the children would really benefit.
This is where the hard work really began! Through a combination of applications to funders and contacting local businesses seeking donations, over 150 letters and applications were sent out in the space of a couple of months. Alongside this, several fundraising events were held, involving the whole school in the project.
Despite all the hard work and commitment of the Parent Association, it was beginning to look like hitting the target of £100,000 was going to take longer than anticipated, as many of the funders rejected their application as the project was not community based. However, after August, they received many successful acknowledgements and the funds began to rise rapidly, to £60,000!
By the end of August the school were informed that they had been short-listed for the Big Lottery Peoples Millions awards. Peoples Millions is a joint venture between The Big Lottery and ITV that funds projects that benefit local communities and those most in need.
The next stage in securing this potential £50,000 was to create a short film on why their project deserved the funding which would be aired on ITV alongside another project selected as a finalist. On the 25th of November, the viewers voted, with Pinewood School receiving over 12,800 votes, significantly more than any other appeal featured in the Scottish Finals, showing the overwhelming public support for their project.
Only 5 months after beginning the journey to raise £100,000, Pinewood School had exceeded this target by £15,000 and they were able to go ahead with the playground they had dreamed of!
Pinewood School first contacted Jupiter Play when they started out on their fundraising journey back in May 2008. The design brief was ‘to create a safe and stimulating play area for children aged 5-18 with a range of additional needs and physical disabilities.
At this stage they were seeking advice and design ideas that would help them when applying to funders. Jupiter Play were only too happy to help and created different options using equipment from a wide variety of equipment suppliers.
Once the Big Lottery had confirmed the funding, Pinewood School contacted the 3 original play provision companies and issued a tender requesting amendments to their original designs. Working to a tight deadline, Jupiter were able to source equipment meeting all the needs highlighted in the tender and create a truly inclusive, stimulating and challenging play area for all of the children to enjoy.
The equipment selected offers a wide range of play opportunities, for example: musical play with the drums, chimes and rain stick; creative play with the wheelchair accessible sandpit; balancing circuits to improve co-ordination and motor skills; an outdoor classroom for enjoying the fresh air while learning about the natural environment; play panels and blackboard for challenge and education; and the Inclusive Play Exosphere for competitive and interactive play.
These play opportunities are important for all children but can be a lifeline for children with learning difficulties or physical disabilities to give them a sense of self, boost their confidence and allow them to make their own choices.
‘Jupiter Play’s design, costs and understanding of our requirements exceeded anyone else who had been invited to tender. Their design was carefully thought out and the equipment had been specifically chosen to meet the needs of the children. We are thrilled with the final design.’
Lynsey Findlay- Treasurer, Pinewood School Parents Association
Jenny Templeman,
Marketing Manager
jtempleman@jupiterplay.co.uk 0131 445 7989
