A visit to the new accessible minibus for Clarendon Secondary School

Published: 30 June 2024

The Victoria Foundation is delighted to have awarded a grant of £17,707.50 to match funds from Clarendon School, a Special Academy in the London Borough of Richmond-Upon-Thames, towards a 17 seat lightweight accessible minubus. 

TVF's grant was possible due to the support from so many including funds the charity received from the main auction at TVF's Winter Ball 2021, Petersham Open Gardens 2021, TVF's Special Wheels Appreal, The Richmond Charities Grant 2021, and TVF London Community Foundation Fund 2021-2022 after a number of issues and long delays with the order and delivery the minibus finally arrived in June 2023! We were so delighted to hear about the massive  difference the minibus will make to so many young lives now and for many years to come. 

'On behalf of the whole Clarendon School community, I'd like to say an enormous "thank you" to The Victoria Foundation and its supporters for their generous grant towards our new school minibus. .....our new bus will allow our pupils (all of whom have learning difficulties and additional complex needs) to access the full range of curriculum-supporting trips, school journeys, enrichment and extracurricular activities.   

Your support will directly improve the day-to-day experiences of our vulnerable young people and enable us to provide the rich and varied opportunities beyond the school environment which are such a valuable part of what we do.' 

The 17 seat lightweight accessible minibus  will meet the needs of the pupils and class groups and help to provide the rich and varied cultural, sporting and artistic experiences which the pupils of Clarendon both love and deserve. Clarendon’s goal is to ensure that pupils leave the school as independent as they are able to be and to this end place huge value on ensuring visibility and participation in the wider community - the new accessible minibus is helping the school to reach its goal.