Morley Glass & Glazing managing director Ian Short has helped provide Mill Field Primary School in Leeds with a new set of wheels after he raised more than £10k for children’s charity Variety.
Last year, Ian trained for three months alongside professional dance partner Olivia Choi from the North Leeds Dance Academy before competing against 9 other amateur dancers in Variety’s Strictly Ballroom competition.
Ian and Olivia wowed the star-studded judging panel with their samba and were crowned the winners on the evening. Best of all, the charity event raised a total of £39,500, enough to fund Mill Field’s new Sunshine Coach.
Presenting the coach at the school last week, Ian said: “The last year been a fantastic journey for me, from quitting smoking and getting fit to learning to dance and losing over six stone in weight so far. To be able to present the new coach to teachers and students at Mill Field Primary School was a wonderful conclusion to the story.”
Mill Field Primary School in Leeds is a large, multi-cultural primary school that offers facilities that are used to enhance learning experiences for all its students. Serving a diverse community in an area of significant social disadvantage, the school employs a play therapist to help support its students, is a member of a food waste programme and provides a breakfast club for over 80 students.
The Sunshine Variety Coach will allow the school to plan activities without worrying about the cost and timing of public transport. The students, including two wheelchair users, will benefit from greater access to their communities and the opportunity to engage in extra-curricular activities.
Every year, Variety provides coaches, wheelchairs and grants for specialist equipment to children and school across the UK. The charity also helps fund days out for disadvantaged children via its Great Days Out Programme.
