Corby Red Kite Academy's £3,000 outdoor play equipment boost from Freemasons

A Corby special school has become the latest community group in the town to be gifted a £3,000 funding boost from the local lodge of Freemasons.

Red Kite Special Academy was chosen by members to receive support after members of Corby's Masonic Lodge heard about the work of the school after a site visit.

The Corby Masons have already donated money to town organisations including the Pen Green Centre, the Autumn Centre, Home Start and the Lakelands Hospice at Home service.

Pupils and staff met members of the lodge to thank them for the gift that will be used to develop outdoor play equipment.

Jim Spence, senior group officer for Corby Masons, said: "This is a belated Christmas present. We want to support the Corby community.

"We visited in 2018 and the visit made a lasting impression on Freemasons in the town when I reported back and they saw pictures of the incredible work the school undertakes.

"We made a substantial donation then. This past year we had a discussion about people we had helped locally before and the conversation came back to helping Red Kite Academy."

Red Kite Academy's school places are commissioned by the local education authority for children with an Education, Health and Care Plans.

The school in Purbeck Drive on the Beanfield estate will open their new 20-place, three-classroom sixth form provision at the end of May.

Headteacher Donna Luck said: "We would like to say thank you for the ongoing support of the Corby Freemasons.

"Every penny will be spent on the children and go to good use to develop outdoor play equipment for everyone.

"We are only three years old and donations like this make a huge difference to the pupils to offer them those extra bits."