The Lord’s Taverners has presented two Sheffield schools, Rowan School and Freeman College with a new accessible minibus each. The minibuses were presented by representatives of the Lord’s Taverners and Investec Wealth & Investment as a direct result of the Investec Ashes 2015 Cycle Challenge which raised over £200,000 for the Lord’s Taverners and other beneficiaries.
Rowan, is a primary school specialising in educating children with complex speech, language and communication difficulties including Autistic Spectrum Conditions. Freeman College caters to a range of complex learning, mental health and behavioural needs and provides day and residential education and care for young people aged 16-25.
Francesca Meynell, Principle at Freeman’s College, said: “We’re delighted that the Lord’s Taverners and Investec have given us a new 17 seater minibus. Minibuses are vital to our work and enable our students to access all our sites and the wealth of opportunities the College has to offer, ranging from horticulture and metalwork to drama and music. The new minibus is a wonderful opportunity to build on our relationship with the Lord’s Taverners and Investec who have provided us with consistent help and support and are making a major contribution to the success of our work.”
Since 1976, the Lord’s Taverners has placed over 1,050 accessible minibuses across schools in the UK and, as a result of the success of the 2013 and 2015 Investec Ashes Cycle Challenges, ten new minibuses will be put on the roads for disadvantaged and disabled youngsters throughout the UK.
This summer, former England cricketer Darren Gough and over 100 cyclists conquered a 300-mile ride from Manchester to London between the 2005 Ashes venues, to raise further funds for the Lord’s Taverners and local charities. The iconic Lord’s Taverners minibuses provide young disadvantaged and disabled people with the chance to engage with their local community and build important life skills in the process.
James Bedingfield, Senior Investment Director at Investec Wealth & Investment, said: “It was extremely humbling to see the culmination of our fundraising efforts over the summer to contribute towards minibuses for the Rowan School and Freeman College. It was fantastic to have so many of our local cyclists take part in the presentation – it really brought it home to us how much this means to the young people.”
Paul Robin, Chief Executive of the Lord’s Taverners, said: “The Lord’s Taverners is delighted to present two new minibuses to Rowan School and Freeman College. The minibus scheme is deep-rooted in our values to enhance the prospects of young disadvantaged and disabled people in the UK through the medium of sport. Thanks to the fantastic work of Investec and the participants of the Investec Ashes Cycle Challenge we are able to support more schools across the UK and create even more sporting chances.”
The Lord’s Taverners will donate over £3 million this year to help give disadvantaged and disabled young people a ‘sporting chance’ enabling over 200,000 young people with disabilities to enjoy new places and experiences every year.
