During February 2022, Silverdale Lodge No 6926 WM John Gunson, accompanied by charity steward Alan Thompson and Peter Mason presented a cheque for £1,000 to Bleasdale School Business Manager Joel Beal.
This donation from the lodge was to assist with the sourcing of a £16,000 replacement vehicle with disabled access equipment.
The vehicle will have a tailgate and a number of removable seats which will give plenty of space to take out young people that are in wheelchairs and will accommodate bigger groups, negating the hire of expensive taxis. The minibus will be used to take the children to a variety of destinations such as local parks, museums, travel points, stations and shopping centres. Other educational visits also include local farms, the seaside, theatre and sensory centres.
Bleasdale School is an outstanding special school in North Lancashire, teaching 34 children aged two to 19 years, many with profound and multiple learning difficulties and others with physical disabilities; and some with additional complex needs such as autism. It is a specialist day school that also provides residential care in an area of outstanding beauty.
The school motto, ‘Learning Together, Achieving Together’, is foremost in all their work. Teachers are extremely skilled at finding ways to engage and inspire pupils in their learning. Bleasdale School’s primary aim is to re-integrate the children into social areas to work upon their communication skills and gain valuable experience in a community setting.