Running the London Marathon 2018

[p]Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. I did it, I ran/walked 26.219 miles in the London Marathon to raise much needed funds for Columbus School and College, where I work as an Administrative Assistant. The London Marathon will be my first marathon, although I enjoy running the weekly Chelmsford Parkrun which is 3 miles. Over the years I have completed in longer races and recently took part in the Chelmsford 10km.[/p][p]Columbus is a special school and college for children and young people aged 3 to 19 with severe learning difficulties and complex needs. Some learners have profound and multiple learning difficulties and a few have life limiting conditions. Ofsted graded us as “outstanding” in September 2017 for a third consecutive time. [/p][p]Columbus is a vibrant, ambitious organisation, determined to make a difference to the lives of SEN children and their families – challenging the boundaries of achievement and accomplishment and improving and extending the learning and life opportunities for all. [/p][p]We aspire to remain at the cutting edge of education resourcing and continue to develop assistive communication & learning technologies, enabling our youngsters to easily make choices in their lives, make their needs and thoughts known and ensure their safety and wellbeing. [/p][p]The primary need for the majority of the children and young people we serve is through specialist interventions. This means learning to talk or communicate with sign language or high-tech eye pointing devices or iPads that help those who cannot speak to tell us what they need. For some, interventions also mean learning to walk or stand, ride a bike or swim. Some of the children and young people will never be able to walk or move around independently in any way and so interventions are needed to keep them comfortable and to ensure that their limbs and ligaments do not deteriorate.[/p][p]For our young people with Autism, the world can be a confusing and frightening place. With help from occupational and music therapists, we work to raise funds for resources which can help the children and young people to learn to understand the way that their world changes, to cope with changes in light or sound and to reduce distress and anxiety.[/p][p]Any money I raise from the London Marathon will be used to deliver holistic interventions and specialised equipment and resources to support our learners.[/p][p] Please help me raise as much money as I can for the truly remarkable pupils of this school.[/p][p] Thank You.[/p][p] Claire.[/p][p] [/p]