Royal School for the Deaf Derby gets brand new play area thanks to support from rail company

Deaf children have been making the most of the great outdoors in a brand-new £10,000 play area created at a specialist Derby school with money donated by the rail industry.

Headteacher Paul Burrows explained that the playground will also be open to deaf children who do not go to the school as a place where they can play and learn how to communicate with others in a weekly ‘Stay and Play’ group aimed at deaf children who are zero to three years old.

The area has been funded by Mainspring, a company specialising in working with the railway industry, through money raised at last year’s Dinner at the Roundhouse, staged at Derby Arena. The event, where Mr Burrows was a guest speaker in front of 700 people, raised nearly £12,000 through a silent auction with all the money donated to the school.

Mr Burrows said: “We are absolutely delighted with the new play area. Derby is the heart of the rail industry so to be Mainspring’s chosen charity is a great privilege and we have a lovely relationship with them.

“It is a huge amount of money and I wanted to take the opportunity to refurbish part of the primary and early years area of the school. It also allows us the opportunity to invite young deaf children up to three years old that have not yet started at the school. This will enable them to be around other deaf children and show parents that being born deaf is not the end of the world, but the beginnings of a new world.

“Research shows that approximately 90 percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Communication is so vital through these early years. We are proud to be able to support new families with deaf children and help signpost them for further support and guidance.

Melissa Turnbull, whose children previously attended the school, welcomed the new play area. She said: “This provides so much more engagement for the children. They are very lucky.”

Jacinta Barnicoat, senior marketing executive of Mainspring, said: “Mainspring is delighted to be supporting Royal School for the Deaf Derby in its endeavours to build a place to inspire and encourage students.

“We’re thrilled the students have a lovely playground that will be around for years to come. We hope to raise just as much again this year with the Dinner at the Roundhouse as it is our honour to support such a fantastic charity.”