Member Article

School Receives New Lords Taverners Mini Bus

Representatives of the Lord’s Taverners presented staff and pupils at Collingwood School and Media Arts College in Morpeth, Northumberland, with a new specially adapted minibus last week. The minibus was provided with support from the Lord’s Taverners, a charity that gives young people a sporting chance.

Collingwood School and Media Arts College is a special needs school catering for 130 pupils aged 4-19, all with a range of disabilities including autism, Down’s syndrome, Fragile X syndrome and Moyamoya disease. The new 17-seat Lord’s Taverners minibus, costing over £48,000, will be used on a daily basis to allow pupils from all year groups to connect with the local community, going on recreational and educational trips while remaining safe.

Since 1976, the Lord’s Taverners has placed over 1,100 accessible minibuses across schools in the UK. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first minibus giveaway, and to celebrate this, the charity will be giving away a record 40 minibuses in 2016.

The iconic Lord’s Taverners minibuses provide young disadvantaged and disabled people with the chance to engage with their local community by getting more access to the facilities on offer and build important life skills in the process.

Jamie Graham, chairman of the Northumberland and Durham Lord’s Taverners, said: “The Lord’s Taverners believes that sport and recreation are essential for all young people, regardless of ability or background. This minibus will help the Collingwood pupils to get out and enjoy new places and experiences in Morpeth and beyond. We are proud to support the staff, parents and young people of Collingwood School and Media Arts College”.

In total, the Lord’s Taverners will donate over £3 million this year to help give disadvantaged and disabled young people a ‘sporting chance’ enabling over 200,000 young people with disabilities to enjoy new places and experiences.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Leigh Chelton .