A Magic carpet for riverwalk School

23/01/2018 General

It was my absolute pleasure to attend the presentation of a 'Magic Carpet' to Riverwalk School on Monday 22nd January, which was paid for by proceeds from a charity auction we held back in June 2017 alongside other charity fundraising events.

A 'Magic Carpet' is an interactive sensory projection system which can stimulate and engage children of all ages and abilities. They are a wonderful tool for learning, therapy and play; unfortunately, they also come with a £5000+ price tag and are therefore out of the reach of many schools. For that reason, alongside GeeWizz Charity headed up by indomitable local fundraiser and OBE Gina Long, we decided to try and raise funds towards buying one of these devices for Bury St Edmunds' Riverwalk School. Riverwalk provides SEN support for over 100 pupils aged 2 -19 who have severe, profound and complex learning needs. They do a fantastic job providing a safe and supportive environment and individual focus to enable children with special educational needs reach their full potential. However, as a local authority school in these trying times, funds are short and extra equipment is often seen as a luxury.

The charity auction was held as part of the 'Grand Opening' of our new offices and extension. Ten lots were donated by local businesses, including meals at award-winning restaurant Maison Bleue, a day at GoApe, a pheasant shoot and the opportunity to win your weight in wine! With such great prizes we hoped for a good response, but were overjoyed to raise almost £7,000 - the bulk of which going towards the Magic Carpet for Riverwalk and the remainder being shared between other GeeWizz Charity partners.

If I was in any doubt as to its value, my morning at Riverwalk demonstrated to me just how much the Magic Carpet will be appreciated by staff and pupils. It was also an honour to be there alongside footballing legend Terry Butcher who attended our charity auction and Corinne from Maison Bleue, who have all pulled together with GeeWizz Charity to raise funds for Riverwalk and other local charities supporting vulnerable children.

We look forward to our next fundraising project with GeeWizz and wish many happy hours using the Magic Carpet to all the lovely people at Riverwalk!