Next Step Trust -Halifax

On 8th February Sale, England and Lions fly-half, Charlie Hodgson opened the Sensory room at the Next Step Trust facility in Halifax. It was appropriate that Charlie was able to be present as he grew up in the area and played his first senior rugby just down the road at Old Brodleians.  The Yorkshire region of Wooden Spoon spent £26,000 on the project to provide young people with severe learning difficulties a variety of sensory equipment including a heated water bed. The equipment can provide both stimulation and relaxation depending on the needs of the young person. The Next Step Trust has been recently established by the parents of youngsters that previously attended Ravenscliffe, a secondary school in Halifax that caters for children with special needs. The trust aims to help young people aged 18 to 25 as they start to face the challenges of life after school.

Martin Moorman, the deputy head of Ravenscliffe School, was seconded to Next Step Trust on a part-time basis to help establish the new facilities. Martin welcomed everyone attending the opening and thanked all those people that were instrumental in establishing the Trust and its new facilities. After a few words from Yorkshire region chairman, Richard Smith, the ribbon was cut by Charlie Hodgson. Charlie thanked the Trust for the invitation to officially open the new sensory room. Charlie indicated that he should be ready to start playing rugby again in June after recovery from his ACL injury with the intention of being available for selection for the World Cup squad and the chance to add to his 29 caps for England.

Woodthorpe Primary School in York

That wasn’t all for Yorkshire in February…there were two project openings in a month! On Wednesday 21 February the Wooden Spoon Intervention Strategy Room was opened by former British and Irish Lion, John Bentley.  Wooden Spoon provided Woodthorpe Primary School, York with an additional room to enable special educational needs children to learn in a quiet environment. Before Wooden Spoon stepped in with £25,000 for the building the children who needed to spend time outside the normal hurly-burly of the classroom were forced to sit at desks in a school corridor. Jonathan Hodge, the Woodthorpe Head teacher was delighted when Spoon stepped in to provide funding for the room and also furniture and cushions. John Bentley cut the ribbon with the aid of two schoolchildren, Keelie and Emily.

It is 12 months since the Yorkshire region chairman, Richard Smith first contacted Sally Firth, the school’s SENCO co-ordinator to discuss the potential project. The Yorkshire committee were keen to do a project in York in advance of a new fundraising dinner to be held in the city on 26th April. In addition Cargill International, a major supporter of Wooden Spoon is keen to see support given to suitable projects in towns and cities where they have a business presence. Cargill own a cocoa production facility in York.