Member Article

Leo Group's £273k Ravenscliffe School Christmas Present

A Yorkshire-based environmental company has given a special school a £273k early Christmas present.

Leo Group chairman Danny Sawrij was the guest of honour at Ravenscliffe High School’s end of term assembly, where he handed over a cheque for £273,284.09, which will go towards the equipping of its new sixth form and community centre – Spring Hall.

It is the only special school in Calderdale.

The money was raised in under one week via a sponsored run and a summer ball, which was held in a marquee near its Swalesmoor Road headquarters.

Hosted by TV personality Christa Ackroyd and attended by 200 people with the entertainment provided by Ravenscliffe High School pupils, it raised an astonishing £250,000!

Mr Sawrij was joined at the assembly by representatives from Mazars, AWM and Iqbal Poultry, who all helped support the Leo Group’s charitable efforts.

Ravenscliffe Spring Hall – planned to open in September 2018 – will be a fully accessible, purpose-built learning centre for those over 16, and an out of hours community centre located approximately one mile away from the current school site.

The sixth form centre is an important addition to a school that is rapidly expanding having doubled the number of its pupils in the last year. It will provide new and exciting opportunities for up to 70 young people aged 16-19.

Mr Sawrij said: “It was my absolute pleasure and honour to present this cheque to Ravenscliffe School at its final assembly of the year.

“This is a wonderful school, doing superb work and the new Spring Hall will be a superb asset to the local community. It will provide an amazing space for young adults with special needs to thrive.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported our efforts to raise this significant amount for the school, and we are all very much looking forward to Spring Hall’s opening next September.”

Ravenscliffe headteacher Martin Moorman said: “We are indebted to the Leo Group for their incredible efforts in raising this money.

“Thanks to them, and all their friends and business associates who have given so generously, Christmas really has come early for us.

“Work on Spring Hall is now well under way and we just can’t wait for its opening in September. It’s going to make a huge difference to a large number of young people with learning and physical difficulties.

“It will allow us to deliver an even better provision of specialist teaching whilst also being a great community asset.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Watts .