Help Henshaws Specialist College recover from water damage

Henshaws Specialist College has launched a £10,000 water damage appeal after water badly affected one of our student bedrooms over the weekend.

The incident damaged the bedroom, bathroom, furniture and essential specialist equipment. Most importantly, water has damaged the ceiling hoist that the student relies on every day. As a result, we now need to replace it.

We are asking our supporters and local community to help us restore the room and replace this essential equipment.

Why the damaged hoist is so important

For the student who uses this bedroom, the ceiling hoist is essential. In particular, it allows them to access their bed safely.

The hoist enables the student to move between their wheelchair and bed with the support they need. Therefore, it plays an important part in their everyday routine, comfort and dignity.

Without a working hoist, the student cannot safely access their bed in the way they normally would.

More widely, specialist equipment like this is vital for many students at Henshaws Specialist College. It helps students with physical disabilities and complex support needs access their environment safely. At the same time, it supports their independence, dignity and comfort.

What has been damaged?

In addition to the hoist, the water has damaged several areas of the bedroom and bathroom.

We now need to:

• replace damaged ceiling tiles
• repaint the bedroom ceiling
• remove and replace damaged bathroom tiles
• replace a wardrobe
• replace a chest of drawers
• replace a desk
• replace the damaged ceiling hoist

Together, these unexpected repairs and replacements will come at a significant cost.

Help our Henshaws College water damage appeal reach £10,000

We want to raise £10,000 to help cover the cost of replacing the hoist, repairing the bedroom and replacing furniture damaged by the water.

Stephen Tongue, Charity Director at Henshaws, said:

“This happened very suddenly and our priority is making sure the student affected can safely access their bedroom and the facilities they rely on as quickly as possible.

“For this student, the hoist is their means of safely accessing their bed. It is not simply a piece of equipment we can manage without. Instead, it is fundamental to their daily life, safety and dignity.

“Alongside replacing the hoist, we also need to repair the room and replace the furniture damaged by the water. Every donation, whatever the amount, will help us restore the bedroom and give the student access to the specialist equipment and environment they need.”

Can you help us raise £10,000?

A donation of any size will help us respond to this unexpected damage.

By supporting our appeal, you will help us replace essential specialist equipment and restore the student’s bedroom. Ultimately, we want to make the room a safe, comfortable and accessible space again as soon as possible.

Thank you for supporting Henshaws Specialist College. With your help, we can respond when unexpected situations like this happen and continue providing the specialist environments our students need.

About this appeal

We will use donations to this appeal towards the repairs, replacement equipment and associated costs resulting from the water damage at Henshaws Specialist College.

If we raise more funds than we can reasonably spend on these repairs and replacement equipment, we will use any remaining funds to support Henshaws services with a similar purpose to that intended by this appeal.