A number of Edinburgh schoolchildren with special needs recently enjoyed an exciting end-of-year activity camp, which wouldn’t have possible without support from Aberdeen Asset Management.
The donation from Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charitable Foundation enabled primary seven pupils from Redhall School to take part in a four day activity camp at the Calvert Trust Centre in Kielder, Northumberland.
Through a variety of outdoor activities, the activity camp helped to boost the children’s confidence, independence and provided an opportunity to learn new skills, before they make the daunting transition from primary to secondary school.
Redhall School is located adjacent to Longstone Primary in Edinburgh and looks after 64 children who all have moderate to severe learning disabilities. Friends of Redhall School (F.O.R.S) is a charity which was set up by parents and staff of the school in 2009. The charity is dedicated to fundraising and providing resources and social opportunities for pupils at Redhall School.
Organising extracurricular activities for the pupils is extremely difficult and expensive, due to the level of support and supervision needed for the children. This led Aberdeen Asset Management employee Colin Burrow to apply for funding from their Charitable Foundation, which would allow F.O.R.S to organise the end-of-year trip for the primary seven pupils.
Anyone is eligible to apply for funding from Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charitable Foundation for local causes and projects in their area, including employees of Aberdeen Asset Management.
F.O.R.S is a charity very close to Colin’s heart, as his 12-year-old son Alec has Fragile X Syndrome - a genetic condition which causes a range of developmental problems – and has attended Redhall School for seven years. F.O.R.S is committed to ensuring that pupils at Redhall School are able to enjoy similar activities as those who attend mainstream schools.
Colin, senior investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, said, “The main focus of the Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation is to provide support for small and local charities which have difficulty with fundraising, especially those which help children with limited opportunities. That’s what inspired me to apply for funding for the primary seven end-of-year activity camp.
“Organising trips for the children at Redhall costs a lot more than it does for those at mainstream schools. This is because they need to go to places which are equipped to look after children with special needs properly. One of the kids in this year’s class is in a wheelchair, so that’s why we chose the Calvert Trust Centre in Kielder. It was more expensive than other centres, but it allowed him to take part in activities alongside his classmates.”
“Without the funding from Aberdeen Asset Management, we wouldn’t have been able to take the pupils to the Calvert Trust Centre and we’re all very grateful for the support we’ve received. Changing from primary to secondary school is very disruptive for children with special needs, so the end-of-year camp gave them all something to look forward to before they leave Redhall. The kids all had a lot of fun and it was a great bonding experience for them all.”
Lynda Affleck of Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charitable Foundation says, “Aberdeen Asset Management is dedicated to helping causes which provide guidance and support to young people. This is reflected in the Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation’s contributions and donations towards local causes, many of which are children’s charities.
“We’re very proud to be supporting a cause which means so much to an Aberdeen Asset Management employee, as well as the parents, staff and pupils at Redhall School. The activity camp organised by F.O.R.S helped to create valuable, lifelong memories for the children, and allowed them to understand the big move from primary to secondary school.”