Surprise charity Santa visit "brings magic of Christmas" to children at Leeds specialist school after tough Covid year

A charity-arranged Santa visit to a Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre school for pupils with special needs has brought the "magic of Christmas" to the children after a tough year of Covid struggles.
PhysCap's Elliot Landy dresses up as Santa for children at John Jamieson schoolPhysCap's Elliot Landy dresses up as Santa for children at John Jamieson school
PhysCap's Elliot Landy dresses up as Santa for children at John Jamieson school

The pupils at John Jamieson school in Roundhay, Leeds were met with a surprise visit from Santa after Yorkshire-based charity, PhysCap, dressed one of its committee members up to visit the children.

Santa “delighted” the pupils by delivering chocolate boxes to each child individually at the school, which is one of the East Specialist Inclusive Learning Centres in Leeds.

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PhysCap, a volunteer-led charity set up to support physically and mentally disabled children across Yorkshire, has worked closely with John Jamieson school for many years and usually gets involved with the Christmas assembly.

The children were "delighted" by the visitThe children were "delighted" by the visit
The children were "delighted" by the visit

The head of the East SILC John Jamieson School, Bridie Dorning, said: “Our pupils at the East SILC John Jamieson school were thrilled and delighted when they received a surprise visit from Santa earlier in the week.

“Our great friends from the Charity PhysCap organised this special treat and the pupils were awestruck when they saw Santa arrive in the playground.

“The restrictions of COVID-19 have presented many challenges for our pupils and the whole school community.

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“Many of our pupils present with a range of special needs and for some, this will have been the only opportunity that they will have had this year to see Santa and experience the magic that goes with Christmas.

Each child was given a chocolate box from a social-distanceEach child was given a chocolate box from a social-distance
Each child was given a chocolate box from a social-distance

“We are so grateful to PhysCap for their generous support and for bringing a little piece of unexpected awe and wonder into our school.”

John Jamieson had to close for two weeks this term after a Covid outbreak.

PhysCap, which is led by Chairman Daniel Gray and a team of dedicated volunteers, donates 100 per cent of all proceeds raised through funding initiatives directly to children in need of their support.

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Leeds-based Mr Gray said: “For the last few years PhysCap has worked cohesively with John Jamieson school and a lot of the families of the children send us individual requests to help them.

“We usually love going to the school to participate in their Christmas assembly but because of Covid we had to do something different this year.

“One of our committee members, Elliot Landy, dressed up as Santa and gave each child a box of chocolates from a social-distance.

“It was the most fantastic experience to see the smile on the children's faces as they came out one at a time to meet Santa and it was such a fabulous way to end a tough year for them.

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“Every time I go back to the school it gives me real perspective on my own life and makes me realise that we must never take life for granted and as a committee we get energised by seeing where our money goes and how much we can help.

“The dedication and passion of all the teachers at the school make them all angels.”

PhysCap was set up in 1973 and has raised more than £1.7million to help local children and their families living with a disability.

In 2019 alone, PhysCap raised more than £90,000 which funded 78 families across the Yorkshire region and a further 200 children in supported schools.

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It is calling on communities and businesses across Leeds to donate and enable it to continue to help families.

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