One of the north-east’s wealthiest families has boosted funds for an autism-friendly centre at a local school.
The Wood Family Trust (WFT), run by retired oil magnate Sir Ian Wood and his wife Lady Helen, has pledged £3,000 for the creation of a sensory room at Peterhead Academy.
A team from the school took part in the charity’s annual Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), which offers financial support to grassroots charities.
Pupils Olivia Stephen, Brittany Smith, Danielle Lorimer, Joel Robertson and Richard Pollock, who were in S5 at the time, discovered there was insufficient provision in their school and wider community for autistic pupils.
They got in touch with the National Autistic Society which suggested SensationALL – a Scottish charity which provides a multi-sensory play centre in Westhill for children and adults with multiple support needs.
After pitching their idea against those from other schools in the initiative, the team came out on top, getting £3,000 from the trust.
Peterhead Academy match-funded the award, resulting in a £6,000 total.
Jonathan Christie, YPI Scotland manager, applauded the team.
“They are creating a service that will be an asset to the school and will leave behind a lasting legacy of their hard work long after they have left the school,” he said.
Alison MacLachlan, UK manager for WFT, added: “What these pupils have done is a real showcase for what the project is all about.
“We are immensely proud of them and congratulate them on their hard work.”
Maureen Stout, a guidance teacher at the academy who led the team, said: “This is very much an ongoing project and we are currently waiting for planning permission from the council to knock the two rooms together.
“However, I am hopeful that the work will be done by the summer as I really would love it if the pupils were able to see their hard work come to fruition before they leave the school.”
The team are still accepting donations of items for the sensory rooms or funds for the project. Anyone who thinks they can help is asked to contact the school.