<p>The Mendip School near Shepton Mallet caters for children age 4-19 with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other speech, language, communication needs. The School opened its doors in September 2015 and in September 2016 moved to its purpose built permanent premises in Prestleigh, Somerset. The school worked with the architects to design the building around the needs of children and young people with ASD. Funding from the Free Schools programme for the new premises stopped short of a planned swimming pool complex.</p><p>The Friends of the Mendip School PTA began life in March 2017. In April 2017, we held our first sponsored walk and raised almost £700 towards the swimming pool project. The school has grown again this year and our second sponsored walk in Spring 2018 raised over £2000.Swimming is an important life skill for all children, but for children with learning disabilities swimming is particularly important. 9 out of 10 people with an autism spectrum disorder also suffer from sensory problems. Swimming can help to give relief to these and also to the high level of anxiety people with autism often experience. This school, more than most, needs to have its own swimming pool, &nbsp;but at the moment it relies on hiring external swimming pools and transporting the children to them. On one occasion, a group of pupils arrived at a swimming pool only to discover it had&nbsp;been double-booked. For any child this would be disappoint, but for children with ASD the unexpected change to plans was very distressing.</p><p>It will take some time to raise the necessary funds for the swimming pool and the PTA reserves the right to use the funds raised for other PTA priorities if for some reason the project doesn't reach completion. We take great confidence from the fact that our sister, the Fosse Way School was able to raise the funds for its swimming pool and we plan to do the same. Latest news at https://www.facebook.com/MendipSchoolPTA/.</p>