In a bid to raise money to build a new swimming pool at the Mendip School in Prestleigh, the staff at the Horse and Jockey, Binegar, and The Barber Company in Midsomer Norton are taking on a 26.2 mile challenge.

With almost a year of closure and missed fundraising opportunities, the staff and customers at the Horse and Jockey are supporting the appeal to raise £1.1 million for the new swimming pool at the special school. The appeal is close to landlady Nikki's heart as Jack, her son, attends the Mendip School.

She said: "We will be completing our Marathon Walk from Bristol to Bath to Frome on Sunday 18th April and hope to finish within 10 hours with a well deserved drink outside the pub!

"It's going to be a challenging walk, we've put in some preparation during the past couple of weeks and hoping that the time we spend working on our feet in the pub and in the barbers will help us to keep going!"

When the school was built in 2015 there was no funding in place to include a pool.

The school has now been running for six years and would like to increase the facilities available to students and the community. Plans are in place and the appeal is over half way towards its total.

Students currently are able to swim for one term a year if they can cope with the hour-long round trip to another pool.

The Mendip School are keen to increase access to swimming for all students, just like their mainstream peers.

The pool will provide a much needed community resource for other local schools, groups and swimming lessons, making it more possible to walk or have a short drive to local facilities.

Codie at The Barber Company said: "We wanted to take on a challenge, having spent so much time in lockdown during the past year, to be able to support such a great local cause for our community will give us the motivation to keep going until the very end!"

Natalie Hannah, headteacher at the Mendip School, said: "We are so grateful for the support from the Horse and Jockey and Barber Company.

"We hope to start building in the autumn so every bit of support helps. The school are excited about the opportunity to offer the community a pool for lessons, health, fitness and private hire.

"This will create another community hub and much needed recreational opportunity for all local residents as well as all our students."

If you are able to help in anyway you can make a donation HERE or email Lucy Beattie for more detail about sponsorship, donations or supporting the appeal in any way at [email protected].