NEW medical equipment and additional space are among the improvements that have been unveiled at The Shrubberies School thanks to a £6,000 charity grant.

The Stonehouse special school now benefits from extra storage space, new therapy toys and games and improved lighting in the speech and therapy room after receiving the funding from Gloucestershire children’s charity The Pied Piper Appeal.

Fundraisers Wendy Fabian and Tamara Leah from the charity visited the school on Thursday, July 22, to witness first hand how the improvements are benefiting students.

An adjoining medical room also has new equipment and a specialist couch and new desks and chairs have been brought in to make better use of the twin rooms.

The generous grant was applied for by school doctor Marie Owen, who initially hoped it would update facilities just in the medical room, which is used frequently for pupil check-ups and by visiting NHS staff.

Inspectors from the Pied Piper Appeal visited the school and it was agreed that such a grant should also pay for improvements to the speech and therapy room.

Headteacher Jane Jones said: "We are thrilled to bits – both rooms have so much more potential now.

"It will be very beneficial for us because we are so short of space.

"Now we have more room for speech therapy groups, parents and NHS doctors when they are working at the school."

The Shrubberies School caters for children and young adults between the ages of two to 19-years-old with severe or profound learning difficulties.