Siemens Mobility has given £3,000 to a fundraising campaign by Roverside School in Goole, which is trying to buy a new minibus for its pupils with profound learning disabilities to go on trips.
It launched a fundraising campaign earlier this year for a new minibus with electric wheelchair access to take classes on off-site enrichment trips to leisure centres, museums, galleries and other attractions.
The school needs £47,000 for the 17-seater vehicle. It currently has to hire a minibus with the required specifications every time staff want to take pupils that require a wheelchair on a trip.
Siemens Mobility, which is developing a pioneering rail facility in Goole, has now donated £3,000 to the cause, bringing the current fundraising total to £38,000.
It has been supporting Riverside and 12 other schools through the Primary Engineer programme, which is designed to ignite interest and curiosity in exciting careers in engineering among local children from a young age.
Designated STEM Ambassadors from Siemens Mobility have supported hundreds of pupils with rail-themed engineering projects and concepts such as design, problem-solving and testing and evaluation.
Pete Parker, Director of Asset Management and Assurance at Siemens Mobility in Goole, has been the STEM Ambassador for Riverside and heard about the fundraising appeal for the new minibus. He said: “Riverside is a wonderful school and the staff there go above and beyond to give the pupils there the best possible opportunities they can, including taking them out on enrichment trips.
“It’s so important that the less advantaged people in society don’t get forgotten about and Siemens Mobility was more than happy to come forward with this contribution.
“I’d like to think we could see some of the pupils from Riverside working at our factory in Goole at some point in the future.”
Andy Hall, Headteacher at the 136-pupil school, said: “This donation from Siemens Mobility is absolutely brilliant and we’re incredibly grateful, as we’ve been to everyone who’s supported our fundraising efforts.
“The enrichment trips we take our pupils on make a massive difference to them and we’re now well on our way to reaching our target.”
