The Milestone special school has been awarded a £1,488,000 grant to build the new pool by the charitable arm of Cirencester-based wealth management company St James’s Place. It is a significant boost to Milestone’s hopes of opening the facility, named the Chamwell Centre, in September 2018 as the school now has raised £2.8million towards the project.

Construction work on the Centre will begin in a few weeks time, with all the essential infrastructure changes to the Milestone campus, a new sports pitch for all-ability rugby and basketball, and the new Pied Piper outdoor play area expected to be completed by the end of October.

Commenting on the recent donation to the Chamwell Centre project, Chairman of the Pied Piper Appeal, Nick Broady said: “The Pied Piper has pledged £500,000 towards the soft play, rebound therapy, climbing wall and outdoor play facilities. This two-storey therapeutic play area will provide an exciting safe area for children and young people to develop at the Milestone School state-of-the-art therapy centre. We are pleased to announce that we gave the Chamwell Centre £220,000 last year to give them a start and have just paid another £100,000 to enable them to start the ground work for the play area.”