Preston businessman enables outdoor play for pupils with complex needs

Jon Price, head of marketing at Complete Care Shop - which offers disability, mobility, therapeutic and daily living aid products online - responded to an appeal from the parents of Castle School in Cambridge.

Having funded an indoor soft playroom through events including raffles and sponsored bike rides, the school's parents' association was seeking companies to help with further essential support for their outdoor activities. With proven benefits for the children, damp weather often left wheelchair users missing out.

Jon responded and Compete Care Shop supplied 30 bright, colourful bespoke wheelchair ponchos from their online range. These now enable all the children to participate together in safe, fun outdoor activities.

Jon, who was born in Lancaster, said: “Headmaster Chris Baker, his team, and the amazing parents form a wonderful community that tirelessly work miracles, every day.

"You can see the difference it makes to these children, which makes it outrageous that schools like these have to juggle and fight for even basic equipment.

"We’re looking at our product range to see what else fits, and it’s already been brilliant to enable everyone to take part in this valuable activity, whatever the good old British weather!”

The registered charity provides care for children with complex physical, mental, behavioural and learning disabilities but long-term school budget cuts have been putting even basic services and routine maintenance at risk, especially in the specialist schools sector.

With a higher ratio of specially trained staff to pupils, little is left for essential disability equipment such as wheelchairs and sensory aids.