We want to be able to take 19 of our special needs students skiing. Skiing is a tremendous activity for anyone - helping develop physical skills and abilities as well as dramatically increasing confidence – and more so for young people with learning and additional needs including physical disabilities. For the last 3 years, The Abbey School, a special school for just over 100 students aged 11-16, has been offering an annual ski trip and can attest to the huge, probably life-long, benefits to those who take part.

Few of them have ever flown before and some have never even stayed away from their families, yet, according to their parents, they return more self-assured and independent than they had perhaps ever considered possible. Many of our students appear more able than they are to people who do not know them and this makes them generally more vulnerable in the wider community than their mainstream peers. The success of being part of a larger group, mixing socially with others who are not members of their own family circle, rests heavily on the fact that the group is accompanied by school staff who best understand the students’ needs, as well as the professional ski instructors and tour leaders.

Students with the most complex needs require additional levels of supervision and specialist equipment in order to take part. All these factors add to the overall cost but the school is determined that the opportunity should be accessible to all who want to take part. For this reason we are appealing for your support to make sure that the trip is fully inclusive for the less well-off and those who need additional provision. All families are meeting at least 50% of the costs for their own child which represents a very significant financial commitment for most of them; some are sacrificing family holidays with siblings in order to make sure a child with learning and other needs gets this wonderful opportunity. We are also organising fund-raising events in school including a Christmas disco to help reach the total we need and would be really grateful to anyone who can chip in with a donation to help us get there. Thank you.

To help raise funds Mr Jackson took on the challenge of running the Hog's Back Road Race on Sunday 2nd December - a very hilly 11.4km route! After completing the course he said:

"If I’d known in advance that this involved running right up to the top of The Mount in Guildford, I might not have been as quick to volunteer for the challenge! But I was really encouraged to keep going by the thought that we are already halfway to our target. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation".