It’s so hard to capture in words, the feeling I get from being at Beatlie, but i'll do my best... On my very first visit I walked through the door and instantly felt welcome. I was a stranger coming to visit the school and as I was shown around, it was clear that the environment wasn’t suitable for the specific needs of the young people and staff but they didn’t complain and in each room there was something positive going on and there was joy and happiness.

Whilst walking in the corridor we met a boy who had the biggest smile and cheekiest face and was doing a great job navigating the corridors, dodging the obstacles, in his walker. Most of us would complain but he just smiled and got on with it.

In the next room there was a pamper session for a young lady lying in the bed who unfortunately, because of her condition, couldn’t go to the dining area with everyone else but did enjoy getting pampered – who doesn’t! So pampering it was and it was done with such care and she was loving it…..not something you see in every classroom you visit.

In the next class it was storytime about an owl and her babies in a nest. There were 5 young people in the room, each of them in a mobility chair/ standing frame or bed and the story was read with such enthusiasm and the classroom assistant used simple things like leaves, twigs, blankets, puppets etc. to bring the story to life. The expressions of joy and happiness on the faces of the young people were just incredible and so special to watch. If this is what simple sensory equipment can do imagine what their new immersive sensory school will do? This was story telling with a difference.

I could go on about the activities in each of the rooms but it was just such a happy school where you could feel the care and love that you find in families. Yes there were challenges, either personal challenges due to the complex disabilities or challenges presented because of the building that the school is in currently, but everyone just gets on with them and makes the best out of what they have and doesn't complain. I left Beatlie full of admiration for every single person in it and it did make me realise how fortunate I am and at that moment I wanted to do something for the Beatlie community.

I thought long and hard about what to do and decided that it had to be personally challenging for me – to push myself out of my comfort zone. Those who know me, know that I am terrified of heights so of course the logical thing to do would be to jump from a plane! When I raised this idea with the team at Hub South East, they thought I was mad, but we're all about delivering local community benefits, so what better a way to give back as part of the Beatlie project. Hub South East has paid for the jump itself so that all money raised can go to Beatlie - we're hoping to kickstart the new year by raising at least £2022! . I'm determined to raise as much as possible and put even more smiles on the faces of Beatlie's young people.

Thanks for any support you can give!