A school in London that supports pupils with complex and special educational needs has been awarded a £25,000 technology package.
St Ann’s School in Hanwell has won the technology from the charity Lifelites, which will enable the school to bring joy, connectivity, and inclusion into its classrooms.
The Lifelites 25 programme was launched to extend the charity’s reach to organisations that have not previously worked with Lifelites. Lifelites currently provides assistive and sensory technology to every children’s hospice in the UK and Ireland. At the end of last year, the charity announced an ambitious three-year programme aiming to deliver 21 new assistive technology packages and transformational grants, reaching more children and families through a £1.6 million campaign.
Following a thorough application process, 10 inspiring finalists were shortlisted. From 10th March, the public was invited to vote for their preferred projects, resulting in over 4,500 verified votes. The three projects with the most votes were selected for funding, while the remaining four winners were chosen by an independent panel.
Timothy Holdsworth, headteacher at St Ann’s School, said: “Thank you Lifelites for your incredible generosity in supporting our pupils. We are excited to see how your donated equipment will bring joy, connection and inclusion into their learning experience. It will undoubtedly create a fun and engaging environment, opening up the world around them.”
Rob Lightfoot, CEO of Lifelites, said: “We are delighted to announce the first seven Lifelites 25 Community Projects. We are grateful for the engagement of all 10 shortlisted projects and humbled by the vital support they are delivering in the community for children and families. The public response to voting has been amazing, the depth of support for these important services is clear. We are very excited about delivering the next phase of the programme and bringing the incredible power of assistive technology to a new cohort of children and young people and their families, through these innovative new partnerships.”
Image source: Lifelites
