Friends Belmont

Friends@Belmont is a registered charity comprising alumni, parents and friends who carry out fundraising for Belmont Special School in Cheltenham, an Ofsted “Outstanding” all age special school that supports pupils with a wide range of different needs including social, communication and emotional difficulties. Money raised by F@B is used by each year group to buy items that will enhance the students access to learning as well as to provide or improve “school wide” facilities for the students such as the construction and kitting out of an intervention cabin, the addition of a soft play area with music and sensory items and also to allow students to go on school trips to help them integrate into a society that is sometimes unwilling to accept them as the unique individuals that they are. We welcome companies and individuals who would like to join F@B in “backing Belmont” and work with us to help those within our community who can sometimes struggle to be heard. As well as fundraising we would also like to explore and develop partnerships with businesses in and around Gloucestershire willing to work with us in providing placements and apprenticeships for our pupils. From its beginnings in 2014 when a few parents decided they would like to organise an event for the students by hosting a café and then a Halloween Disco, Friends@Belmont has been an integral part of the school team. Becoming a charity in 2016 was a big step forward raising the profile of the group and allowing F@B to become more closely linked to the Senior Team at Belmont School. That relationship continues and Friends@Belmont continues to carry out fundraising events to support a very special school.