CLAIRE Oaten, Headteacher of Ilminster Herne View Church of England School, welcomed members of the town-based Nyanza Lodge on campus to receive a donation of £2760.

The money was raised to help further develop the two Sensory Rooms for their children who benefit from individual sensory input when they need to self-regulate with specialist staff. 

Ian Pamplin, Master of Nyanza said: “It was a massive pleasure to  raise the money from the members of such a bright and  vibrant school many of whom have or have had their children benefit from such a great start to the world of education”.  

Most of the money was raised at the Lodge Summer Lunch, attended by Abby Coe, the school’s SENCO, along with a few people from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset. 

A spokesperson for the school said: “Here at Herne View we recognise that children need support beyond classroom learning and our core provision supports more holistic learning where it is required for sensory and communication development. Children can use these areas as well as their classrooms and we have already seen positive benefits for the children’s development.”

A thankful response was echoed by both children and their families who had the opportunity to use the new Core space, one such child said: “The core is important to me in case I get overwhelmed as I find it a good place to go and calm down.”

A parent said: “The core has been a critical part of my child's school experience. The core provides this space for them and being a sensory seeker, there are great options to choose from in the Core and they especially love the spinning seat.”

Nyanza Lodge, formed in 1867 and named after Lake Victoria Nyanza in Africa, has its own Lodge Rooms in Berryman’s Lane and welcomes new members as it continues to play a part in the local community and fund raising.

Other recent donations from Nyanza Lodge have been to the Ilminster Food Bank, Ferne Animal Sanctuary and the RNLI at Lyme Regis.