A SOUTH Belfast school's campaign for a new playground for each of its two Belfast campuses has been backed by Oscar winner and former pupil James Martin.
Harberton Special School is located in South and North Belfast – but neither has a playground for its pupils that's fit for purpose.
The playground in the South Belfast campus has deteriorated badly in recent years and has now been closed.
Principal James Curran explained: “Our pupils have a wide range of learning needs, and many have medical conditions that impact every aspect of their day, so a playground isn’t just about getting exercise and having fun.
"For a child with very complicated needs, the opportunity to get outside in a safe and supervised space is built into their daily routines, often as a reward system and as an incentive for learning.
"So not having a playground for these pupils is hugely damaging to their development. In fact, a safe, working playground is as important to me as the teachers and classroom assistants or any other resource in the school, that’s how vital it is.
“Time in our playground allows children to regulate their emotions and senses in a way that being in a classroom cannot.
"That means they’re more settled and calmer for their families when they get home as they will have been stimulated in a way that lessens frustration. So it is vital for our parents as well as the pupils that we have a place for them to play."
Mr Curran said he has exhausted all revenue streams for the new playgrounds and so the school have decided to try and raise the money needed themselves.
“When I informed the Education Authority about the state of the playground in our South Belfast campus and pleaded with them to have it repaired, their advice was to close it off as there was no money for maintenance," he added.
SUPPORT: Harberton Principal James Curran with Oscar winner James Martin
"I was dumbfounded at the response, to be honest, at the coldness of the comments and the total lack of empathy.
“The story isn’t any better at our North Belfast campus where our pupils range in age from 4 to 17 years old. We’re located on the former Castle High School site and when we moved in we had a tarmacked space which we added equipment to over the years but the pupils and young adults deserve better.
“With funding in education at an all-time low, what our school campuses need cannot be provided via Stormont, the Department of Education or the Education Authority so we – the school, its pupils and parents – are taking up the challenge ourselves.
“The lack of government here is, quite frankly, an embarrassment. Chronic underfunding is the issue and I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, which means the most vulnerable people in our society will continue to suffer.
“We are planning to hold some events later in the year to raise funds with some really great things to come.
"We already know that if people are able to help us that they will, I just wish we weren’t in the position that we had to ask as life is tough enough for everyone right now."
The fundraising drive for the £100,000 needed has been backed by Oscar=winning ex-pupil James Martin, who was the first person with Down Syndrome to win an Academy Award.
“I loved my time at the school, it helped me become the man I am today," said James.
"A playground is a basic need for a child so I hope I can help raise awareness of Harberton’s plight and get word out there.
"Who knows – maybe we could even help the next Oscar winner on their way to success.”
A spokesperson for the Education Authority said: “We are firmly committed to ensuring that the children and young people at Harberton Special School have access to safe and nurturing play facilities.
“The EA commissioned an independent condition survey of the play facilities which did not identify a requirement to close the playground. A number of works have been identified within the condition survey which EA are committed to completing within the additional £5m maintenance funding allocation for all Special Schools announced by the Department of Education in October 2023.
“We will continue to liaise with the Principal to address any concerns.”
You can donate to the Harberton playground fundraiser at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/harbertonsprojectplaygrounds.
