Cannock based special needs centre receive funding from M6toll

Staff from Midland Expressway Ltd (ME), operators of the M6toll, recently visited the Special Needs Adventure Playground (S.N.A.P) in Cannock to present a cheque for £500.

The centre relies heavily on donations of craft materials which are regularly used throughout the year. The £500 donation will be put towards bolstering supplies this year so that visitors can continue to enjoy more art, craft and messy play sessions.

S.N.A.P is a purpose built adventure play and recreation facility offering a range of indoor and outdoor play opportunities for children and adults with special needs. The centre is regularly visited by adult organisations and carers with adult users in order to provide them with more stimulation. Parents visiting with their children are safe in the knowledge that their children are accepted whatever challenging behaviour they may exhibit.

The centre offers a great local resource, with a soft play area, sensory room, computer and gaming room and appropriate toilet facilities. Also offering an extensive secure outdoor play area with trampoline, trikes, sand pit and wheelchair accessible swings.

Samantha Scrimshaw, S.N.A.P Life Skills Worker said: “On behalf of S.N.A.P. and the children and adults who visit our playground, I wish to express our sincere thanks to the M6toll for their donation of £500. The funds will help to purchase much needed arts and craft items for use during our play sessions.

S.N.A.P. provides the opportunity for children and adults to play in a secure setting. They are able to build relationships whilst learning about themselves and exploring their capabilities. The additional arts and craft items will make a big difference throughout the year to the charity”.

MEL Social Committee Member, Catherine Griffith said:  “We were delighted to receive the application for support from S.N.A.P, and more than happy to offer funding to a centre that provides a safe and fun space for both children and adults with special needs”.

More information about S.N.A.P can be found here www.cannocksnap.com.

MEL’s donation forms part of a wider initiative to support local schools and community projects. MEL’s Social Committee work closely with members of staff to choose those community projects close to their hearts which will benefit from a donation from the Drive for Charity fund.

MEL’s Social Committee is always on the lookout for local charities and community projects to support. To register your charity or community project with MEL for consideration to receive fundraising or practical (volunteering) support now or in the future, visit Drive for Charity. You can also discover more of the Great Work Funded By Drive For Charity Here.

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M6toll support RAF cadets with trip to World War One battlefields

Staff from Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL) visited 1200 Polesworth RAF Cadets, after responding to a plea from Squadron Instructor and MEL staff member, Racheal Cooper for funds to support the cadets on a trip back in time.

MEL donated £600 to support Polesworth RAF Cadets on an educational tour of the WW1 battlefields, which will take the group to France and Belgium. The trip will last for four days, ending in a service at the Menim Gate Memoriam in Belgium.

The cadets, aged between 13 and 18 have been learning about the war as part of their syllabus, preparing themselves to mark 100 years since the end of the war.

The Air Cadets are a UK wide cadet force with over 40,000 members who have a practical interest in aviation. 1200 (Polesworth) Squadron is within the Staffordshire wing where cadets enjoy learning important skills such as teamwork and leadership whilst taking part in a wide range of activities such as flying, kayaking, sports, camping and field craft.

The donation from MEL has enabled two cadets to benefit from the trip. The Squadron have raised additional funds by holding a charity raffle, sponsored walk and by packing bags at a local supermarket, to ensure that all 28 cadets will be able to attend the tour.

Racheal Cooper said “Both myself (as an employee of Midland Expressway), all staff and cadets at 1200 squadron are overjoyed by this fantastic donation and cannot thank Midland Expressway enough. It has given two young cadets the chance to go on the battlefield tour which they may have missed out on. Regardless of their background we think all our cadets should have the opportunity to attend this incredible tour and enjoy this experience with their friends.”

Colin Haynes, Squadron Leader & Sector Commander added: “I am so grateful to the M6toll on behalf of the cadets at 1200 squadron. Without the funds raised by the Civilian Welfare committee, the squadron would not be able to deliver the rich programme of activities to our cadets. This donation will greatly enhance the squadron’s ability to give experiences to the cadets, which they would otherwise be unable to afford”.

More information about 1200 (Polesworth) RAF cadets can be found here: www.polesworthaircadets.co.uk/

MEL’s donation forms part of a wider initiative to support local schools and community projects. MEL’s Social Committee work closely with members of staff to choose those community projects close to their hearts which will benefit from a donation from the Drive for Charity fund.

MEL’s Social Committee is always on the lookout for Local Charities and Community Projects to Support. To register your charity or community project with MEL for consideration to receive fundraising or practical (volunteering) support now or in the future go to Drive for Charity.

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M6toll announce school projects set to benefit from its £6k school initiative

Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL), operators of the M6toll road, are delighted to announce that the winners of this years’ School Foundation Scheme are: St Anne’s Catholic Primary School in Streetly, Moat Hall Primary School in Great Wyrley and St Luke’s Church of England Primary School in Cannock.

The scheme’s objective is to provide primary schools with the opportunity to access funds for projects and activities that normal school funding cannot provide. All primary schools located within a five-mile radius of the M6toll corridor were invited to complete applications for a substantial grant from MEL to help them deliver a chosen project. The three chosen schools will each benefit from a £2,000 cash boost for their project.

St Anne’s will use the funding to create a nurture room within the school for their Rainbow group (established to help the most vulnerable children in the school). The room will offer these children a safe, calm and comforting space.

Trish Johnston, Headteacher at St Anne’s Catholic School said, “We are thrilled and delighted to receive this cheque for £2,000. It is going to make a real difference to the pupils of St. Anne’s. Nowadays, children often face pressures and difficulties in their lives. The nurture room will provide them with a place where they can ‘chill out’ talk to an adult; receive advice and strategies to help them to deal with their troubling situations. It will be fantastic for us to be able to let the children have access to a comfortable and reassuring setting that hopefully will help as they explore often challenging and complex feelings”.

School Council pupils at Moat Hall Primary School believe everyone should be prepared for potential emergency situations. Their project will see the School Council receive First Aid training from St John’s Ambulance, which will enable the children to share their knowledge with other pupils and the wider community.

Jane King, Headteacher at Moat Hall Primary said, “The funding from the M6toll is gratefully received and will be used to establish our own first aid club which is something our children have requested themselves. This will add to the monies already raised by the children, through their own fundraising initiative, as they are passionate about learning how to help people in an emergency. This club will become an integral part of school life, empowering the children with the skills and confidence they need to become leaders of first aid in the community”.

Pupils at St Luke’s CE Primary School identified a business opportunity and will be setting up their own free range egg business. Shaun Miles, Headteacher said, “The children are thrilled after being selected for a grant from the M6Toll School Foundation. During the past few months pupils have been exploring the possibility of creating their own business with the ‘Funky Free Rangers’ becoming a much talked about project within school. The funding will allow us to kick start our business by purchasing our chickens, housing and landscaped areas. We have plans to sell shares in our business to our parents and we hope to begin selling our eggs from September 2018. Pupils will reap the benefits of managing their own business, caring for poultry, managing marketing and hygiene. We look forward to a flourishing future!”

As part of the School Foundation Scheme all Secondary Schools, Special Schools, Colleges and Sixth Form Academies in Staffordshire and Stoke, who own and maintain their own mini-bus, were encouraged to apply for free use of the M6toll road for the next school year. The Foundation received a large uptake on the scheme, processing over fifty applications.

Maxine Estevez head of MEL’s School Foundation said, “This year’s project applications were of an extremely high standard. The Foundation found it difficult to choose, but we’re very pleased with the projects that were chosen. Over the years we’ve seen what a huge difference this funding can make. We’re aware that schools can find it difficult to fund these additional projects, and we’ve seen some fantastic project ideas that will have huge benefits for local children. We were also pleased to offer our Minibus Scheme again this year. We know the schools really value this scheme, which allows teachers and pupils to spend less time travelling to their activities and more time enjoying them”.

This is the sixth year that the Schools Foundation initiative has been in operation. To date MEL have donated a staggering £60,000 which has helped schools fund a range of Different Projects.

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M6toll fund specialist clothing for charity triathlon adventures

Staff from Midland Expressway Ltd (operators of the M6toll) recently caught up with Stephan, Diane and their disabled daughter Chloe from The Ladybugs Trust of Atherstone to present the dad and daughter triathlon team with a cheque for £500.

Midland Expressway Limited’s (MEL) timely donation was put towards purchasing insulated clothing for Chloe, which included down Jackets, salopettes, gloves and thermals so she could remain warm whilst competing during the colder months. The clothing, which the Trust received in January, has already been put to good use in various UK competitions and during a recent trip to Poland where they completed the GFNY Polska 80km route.

The Ladybugs Trust aims to give disabled children and children with special needs, the opportunity to have experiences that they may not otherwise have. Through using money raised from donations the Trust purchase specialist equipment and finance activities for children who would not normally have access to them.

Stephan Couture, Founder of The ladybugs Trust said: “It’s really important to keep Chloe warm whilst we compete, as much of her time is spent sitting in her chair, so we were very grateful to have the clothing during the bad weather at the start of the year. We want to prove that Chloe and other disabled children can be involved in these amazing experiences. In order to do this we rely heavily on donations to fund the specialist equipment needed to allow Chloe to compete”.

MEL Social Committee Member, Stuart Spence, met Stephan and his family at a local sporting event in 2017 and suggested Stephan apply to the Social Committee for funding. Stuart added: “I could see the passion both Stephan and Chloe had for the Ladybugs Trust. They spend their weekends either racing or organising to attend these events in the UK and abroad. It takes a lot of time and effort and our MEL social committee were delighted to help them buy the specialist clothing needed to keep Chloe warm during these events. We’re pleased to know they’ve been used several times already”.

More information about the Ladybugs Trust can be found here www.ladybugstrust.org.uk.

MEL’s donation forms part of a wider initiative to support local schools and community projects. MEL’s Social Committee work closely with members of staff to choose those community projects close to their hearts which will benefit from a donation from the Drive for Charity fund.

MEL’s Social Committee is always on the lookout for local charities and community projects to support. To register your charity or community project with MEL for consideration to receive fundraising or practical (volunteering) support now or in the future, visit 142.93.39.117 for further information or email d4c@m6toll.co.uk.

You can also Read Another Drive for Charity Article Here.

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