£8,500 donation helps create new sensory room for pupils at Clough Primary School

An £8,500 donation is helping Clough Primary School and Nursery Unit create a dedicated sensory room where children can find a calm, supportive space during the school day.

The new facility at the Ballymena school will support pupils who benefit from additional emotional and sensory support, helping them to regulate their emotions, reduce anxiety and return to the classroom more settled and ready to learn.

The funding has come from the St. James’s Place (SJP) Charitable Foundation, with the grant sponsored by Ahoghill-based Mitchell & Wilson Financial Planning Ltd.

A calm space when children need it

Rather than simply providing another room within the school, the facility is intended to give pupils a dedicated environment where sensory experiences can be tailored to their individual needs.

It will also provide somewhere children can develop coping strategies and receive additional support during transitions throughout the school day — periods which can be particularly challenging for some pupils.

The school believes having that support available can improve children’s focus and readiness for learning as well as their wider emotional wellbeing.

Principal Mr Hutchinson said the £8,500 contribution would make a significant difference for pupils.

He said:

“We are incredibly grateful to Mitchell & Wilson Financial Planning Ltd and the SJP Charitable Foundation for this generous donation. The creation of our new sensory room will make a significant difference to many of our pupils by providing a calm, supportive environment where they can regulate their emotions, reduce anxiety and return to the classroom ready to learn.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and this facility will help us better meet the individual needs of our pupils while supporting their emotional wellbeing alongside their education.

“On behalf of our entire school community, I would like to sincerely thank Mitchell & Wilson Financial Planning Ltd and the SJP Charitable Foundation for their kindness, generosity and investment in the future of our children.”

Local firm backs school project

Mitchell & Wilson Financial Planning Ltd, established in 2006 and based in Ahoghill, sponsored the school’s application for support from the SJP Charitable Foundation.

Director Liam Wilson, who moved to the Ballymena area from Australia just over a year ago, said the willingness of local people to support one another had made a particular impression on him.

He said:

“Since joining the Ballymena community from Australia just over a year ago, one of the things that has stood out most is the willingness of people to support one another.

“We believe businesses have an important role to play in giving back, and when we learned about the school’s plans for a sensory room, we knew it was something we wanted to help make happen.

“We hope this space will provide children with the support they need to feel calm, confident and ready to engage in learning. It’s a privilege to be able to contribute to something that will have such a lasting impact on pupils, staff and families.”

Supporting children and young people

The SJP Charitable Foundation was established in 1992 and supports charities and community projects, with a particular focus on children and young people experiencing disadvantage through circumstances including illness, disability, poverty or abuse.

Charitable giving from the St. James’s Place community of advisers and businesses is matched by the company’s corporate operations.

For Clough Primary School and Nursery Unit, the result is a significant investment in a facility designed to remain useful long beyond its creation — giving children who need additional support somewhere they can step away, regulate and prepare themselves to return to learning.