THE Guardian’s £10,000 donation to a cash-strapped school is set to provide new play equipment for blind and visually impaired children.

Joseph Clarke School for the Visually Impaired would be able to completely revamp its nursery playground after receiving our grant.

The school in Highams Park hopes to have the equipment in place in time for the new year and said it is delighted at getting the money.

Head-teacher Peter Falconbridge said: “It’s a great Christmas present for the school. [The council] won’t pay for the equipment so this would be a fantastic help towards that project.

“We’re desperately short of nursery play equipment. The children are blind and have multiple needs so it’s important they have the right play tools to make their breaks enjoyable.”

The money enables the school, in Vincent Road, to purchase a fireman’s pole climbing frame, a small bridge and a large bench the eight nursery pupils can use during playtime.

Mr Falconbridge, 55, said the school’s playgrounds are in a poor state, having last been tarmaced around 1975, but the council have agreed to pay to resurface the nursery and primary school playgrounds, which will begin on December 5.

He added the school is still seeking further funds for a variety of projects with which the school needs help.

“We’re so financially strapped for cash,” said the head-teacher. “We’re currently bidding to Barclays: all our ICT servers for pupils and staff are going down and we can’t afford to replace them.”

The money was provided by the Gannett Foundation, owned by the Guardian’s parent company, Gannett.

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