Thanks to the generosity of the St James's Place Charitable Foundation and Somerset Community Foundation, a new resource is now in place at the special school on the Bath and West Showground near Shepton Mallet.

Donations totalling more than £15,000 enabled a room to be transformed into a stimulating and exciting sensory space.

The room provides a fully cushioned and accessible space with tactile media including lighting tubes, UV responsive areas, and colour and sound projection.

It is already really popular with the children and young people. It will be used as a chill out space, for small group work and to provide a contained and stimulating area.

Head teacher, Natalie Hanna, said: "This amazing new resource will encourage the development of motor and communications skills, movement, engagement, relaxation, regulation and play.

"It adds another amazing resource for us to personalise the education for all our young people with special needs."

When the school was built there was not funding in place to include a sensory room, and the whole school community are delighted to have this new space.

The school caters for children from four to 19 with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Speech Language and Communication Needs. The aim is for young people to be successful and prepared for their lives beyond school.

The room will encourage physical mobility and communication development, allowing physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy to take place without it feeling like a medicalised or rigid process that the children might resist. It makes the process fun and play led.

Kirsty Campbell, programmes manager at the Bath and West-based Somerset Community Foundation, said: "It is so great to see what a difference this funding has made to school.

"A small space which is well equipped can make such a massive difference to the students and staff. We could all benefit from some time in spaces like the sensory room."

Rhiannon Gogh, governor, parent and St James Place chartered financial adviser, said: "St James's Place Charitable Foundation is so pleased to support such an amazing space.

"The opportunities a sensory room brings for all areas education and therapy are immense, and it was wonderful to see the young people enjoying it today."

The room will be well used in school time and with holiday playschemes, after-school clubs and for local support groups.

The Mendip School continues to seek support for other fundraising projects, and contact Lucy Beattie if you would like to fundraise in any way on [email protected].