Warrington special school, Fantastic Fox Wood PTA, is celebrating after it was named the winner of the national Certas Energy Community Bloom Fund.
The award secures the final £30,000 needed to transform the school’s outdoor play area into a fully wheelchair-accessible playground.
The project was one of four finalists shortlisted from across the UK and secured the most public votes. The win completes the PTA’s fundraising target and enables building work to start on the transformative project.
The existing playground at Fox Wood Special School in Woolston, doesn’t offer equipment suitable for children who use wheelchairs or need sensory or physical support. The transformation will include a wheelchair accessible playframe, sensory tunnel, bell tower, mesh swing and features for children with visual and hearing impairments, creating a play space where all children can participate equally.
Rachael Penn founded the PTA alongside Laura Simms and the pair lead it as co-chairs. Rachael is also a mum to a pupil at the school who uses a wheelchair, she knows first-hand the difference this win will make. She said: “I feel absolutely elated to have won the Community Bloom Fund. We’ve only been running as a charity for less than a year, so to receive this level of support is just incredible. I’m so proud of our community for rallying behind us – even people we’d never met were voting and sharing our story.”
Fox Wood Special School supports 132 pupils, and 40% use wheelchairs. The new equipment will support pupils during the school day and will also be open to children from across Warrington through local SEND groups and holiday clubs.
Rachael added, “This has been a true community effort and we’re beyond grateful to everyone who voted for us. To hit our target and know the playground can finally go ahead is overwhelming. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in us – these children are finally going to get the playground they deserve.”
To mark the win, the PTA is planning a school-wide celebration with music, bubbles and plenty of excitement. Every pupil will be included in the party, where staff will begin the countdown to construction.
The Community Bloom Fund was launched by off-grid energy distributor Certas Energy to support meaningful projects that bring communities together.
Richard Billington, Managing Director of Energy Solutions at Certas Energy said: “We are absolutely thrilled to announce Fantastic Fox Wood PTA as this year’s Community Bloom Fund winner. The team’s passion and determination has been a real inspiration to us all. This project is a shining example of how community spirit, when backed by the right community support, can spark real and lasting change. We can’t wait to see this wonderful playground bring joy to so many children and their families.”
Rachael added, “We need to clear the area before building begins and would love to call on our wonderful community once again for any volunteers who might be able to help.”
“We hope this win inspires others. Accessible play should never be seen as a luxury. We want to show other schools, councils and funders what is possible and help raise expectations for children with additional needs. Every child deserves to be included, and we are so excited to share this state-of-the-art accessible playground with the children in our community and beyond.”
