Construction work takes shape on The Rainbow Hub specialist school at Mawdesley following £5 million donation

The Rainbow Hub has been given a £5 million donation by north west property company Wain Foundation which will help fund the construction and fit-out of the school in Lancashire for children with special educational needs.

Based at Mawdesley, near Chorley, The Rainbow Hub which provides therapeutic services for children and young people with physical disabilities as a result of a neurological condition or child brain injury, currently offers six places to children aged 5-11 years who have physical needs but can follow an academic curriculum. The donation will allow the provision to be significantly extended offering places to approximately 21 children aged 5–16 years.

Once established the proposals are to extend the school, in Salt Pit Lane, to be able to offer spaces for young people up to 16.There will be several therapy rooms, a ground level rebound therapy trampoline and an accessible life skills room. The building has been designed with shared spaces which will be used by all the services across Rainbow Hub with a room available for parents as a social area.

The donation to Rainbow Hub marks the launch of the Wain Foundation, through which the family-owned company will distribute a percentage of its profits each year to benefit the communities in which the Group operates.

The new charitable Foundation celebrates the company’s 50th year in business and Wain Group founder, Bill Ainscough, who will chair the Foundation, said: “We wanted to make a powerful statement of the Foundation’s intent by supporting a charity that does incredible work and makes a significant difference to the quality of life for many families.”

Rainbow Hub chief executive, Lyndsay Fahey, added: “This is such a significant moment for us and we never expected to have the new school funded in its entirety by one single, generous, donation from the Wain Foundation. It is absolutely wonderful and we are all so very thankful.

“Building work is now underway and we cannot wait to see the building take shape.”

In the past 12 months, 141 children and young people from across the north west benefitted from services by Rainbow Hub, with more than 30 children travelling from

within a 15- mile radius.

Designed by Seven Architects and being built by TMT Construction, the new building is scheduled for completion in June 2024, ready for opening in September 2024.