Children at a specialist complex needs school in Norwich can now enjoy a spot of crazy golf during the school day, thanks to a donation by Castle Quarter shopping centre. Here, Headteacher Rebecca Wicks explains what the donation means
As Headteacher of the specialist Clare School in Norwich puts it, ‘our children’s worlds have shrunk’ over the past 18 months. Which is why Rebecca Wicks is more than delighted that the team at shopping centre Castle Quarter in Norwich, no longer needing its indoor crazy golf set, put a call out on Facebook, asking people to nominate local schools and community groups who could benefit from it.
The Clare School was nominated by a parent, and word quickly spread, with the specialist physical and sensory complex needs school receiving 52 per cent of all the Facebook votes. The school has just accepted delivery of the course, complete with clubs and golf balls.
A setting which provides specialist care and education for pupils aged three to 19, The Clare School, located on South Park Avenue, is already making plans for using the golf course in PE lessons. The course will also be rolled out for extracurricular days and open sessions, when friends and family members will be invited in to enjoy a game of crazy golf with children and staff in the playground.
Rebecca explains why the donation means a lot: ‘It’s not always easy or straightforward for our children to access fun activities like crazy golf, so we are really excited and extremely thankful to have won the competition. During Covid times, our children’s’ worlds have shrunk; even more so than in normal times, and it has been a real struggle for them to get out and about to relax and have fun with friends and family outside school or home. It has just been too unsafe.
‘It’s really important that we give our children, and their families, the same experiences as others, and we know this donation will spark a lot of enjoyment and smiles. We can make it fully accessible for our visually impaired children and those in wheelchairs too. Thank you to Castle Quarter for passing it on, and to everyone who nominated us. We know our pupils and school community will get so much from playing with it, year after year.’
Gemma Hyde, marketing manager at Castle Quarter adds: ‘The golf set needed a worthy new home as it seemed a huge waste for it to sit in a cupboard gathering dust when children could be having fun with it. We couldn’t think of a better place to pass it on to than The Clare School where we know the course will be well-loved and used by all the children there.’
Visit Castle Quarter and The Clare School
Featured image: Scarlett, enjoying a game of crazy golf at Clare School
Well deserved, these kids are amazing and deserve so much more to make their lives easier and as fun as possible 💜