A SPECIAL school in Thornbury is celebrating a new level of freedom following the tremendous donation of a new minibus.

The donation of the £27,000 minibus has been made to New Siblands School by St James’s Place Wealth Management, and charity the Variety Club, following a visit by Kim Fowler, one of the charity's ambassadors last February.

"I was just in awe" said Mrs Fowler. "The passion and caring nature of the staff and the wonderful premises just touched me."

Mrs Fowler's husband David works in the St James's Place office in Bradley Stoke, and when she learned that the office had been given money to put towards a minibus for a special school in the area, she said she made sure it would go to New Siblands.

Pupils and staff were on hand to enjoy a special presentation ceremony of the bus yesterday at their site on Easton Hill Road in Thornbury, with everyone clearly very excited by the new delivery.

"It has made me very happy to be back here today,” said Mrs Fowler. “It is great to see so many smiling faces and to know this minibus will make a difference. With the amazing work they do, they really deserve it!"

New Siblands head teacher Andrew Buckton said: “It is wonderful to be given something particularly in this climate when a lot is being taken away from children with disabilities.

“The key thing for us is having a minibus enables us to belong to our community, we can access things and go on trips, and keeps us connected between our two sites, with the school having expanded rapidly in the past few years.

“A huge thank you goes to the Variety Club and St James’s Place for such an amazing gesture, especially to Kim and David Fowler, who were instrumental in putting forward New Siblands to have this fantastic gift.”