(UK) Oldham: Special school to open sensory garden for students who need 'calm, outdoor area'

Sept 23, 2022, Oldham Times: Oldham school to create sensory garden https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/22571081.oldham-school-create-sensory-garden/

N. central England

A special education school in Failsworth has received close to £900 [$977] for a new sensory garden that will help students manage stress and anxiety.

New Bridge School in Hollinwood received the donation from the team at the estate agents Ryder & Dutton in Oldham who raised the funds by completing a sponsored walk….

Emma Brooks, branch support manager at Ryder and Dutton, said: “We heard about the school’s vision for a sensory garden and immediately wanted to help. New Bridge has such a wonderful school community and does so much to improve the lives of its pupils and their families, and we just knew how much a sensory garden would add to the school.

“We’re delighted to be able to hand over some money that will help get this dream off the ground, and we’re now looking forward to donating our time to help create the garden.”

The sensory garden will provide a space for the school’s pupils, who all have special educational needs, to participate in a range of therapeutic activities and sessions that will support them with managing stress, anxieties, and mental health issues in an outdoor space….

New Bridge School headteacher Alison Toothill, said: “On behalf of the school, we would like to thank Ryder & Dutton for their fantastic fundraising efforts. The school needs a sensory garden, for our children and young people who need a calm, outdoor area, with ramp access, but we will also use this area to create an installation for the children whom we have lost, giving us a place to remember them and celebrate their life.”