7 March 2018

Work to transform the warm-water pool at specialist school, St Paul’s College, Kew, finished mid-February, giving hundreds of children and adults with disabilities a fantastic start to the new year.

The unique and much-loved pool was built in the 1970s and was in desperate need of renovation when St Paul’s set about campaigning to raise funds in 2016.

Money raised through a Charity Golf Day, Art After Dark event, a co-campaign with the Progress Leader newspaper, individual donations, bequests and trusts, has seen some huge changes take place, including a vibrant digital sea-life feature wall, new pool seating and sound system, safety features, tiling and painting.

The pool at St Paul’s College is special because it is accessible to people of all abilities and has equipment that assists people with even the highest needs get into the water.

For parents like Carla, the changes are great to see. Her 12-year-old son Orlando, who has autism, has always loved the water. He even learned to swim in the warm-water pool. And last week, during his first session back in the new pool, he achieved another milestone.

‘His teacher Nicky said he was an absolute star in the pool. Without any prompting, he lay on his back and swam beautifully…just gliding through the water, something he’s never done before,’ she said.

‘You only achieve firsts and milestones when you’re comfortable and happy and having such a nice new environment is conducive to learning and improving his skills. We’re all so happy with this fresh, bright and modern-look pool.’