BDO news: Accountants rally for Runcorn school

The Cavendish High Academy in Runcorn welcomed support from accountants and business advisers BDO LLP, to decorate classrooms and boost the school’s outdoor area, which will enable learning in an open air environment.

The Cavendish High Academy is a special school in cognition and learning, serving children aged 2-19 with severe learning difficulties.

The team at BDO North West returned for more grounds work after volunteering at the school last summer, where they cleared the outdoor area and created vegetable patches for the children.

Mark Sykes, partner at BDO in the North West said: “Cavendish Academy is an incredible place.  When I first visited, I was really moved by the way the teachers were so committed to working with the children, and was encouraged by the way they interacted and supported these young people to help them develop and achieve.

“Working with the school last year was a big highlight and the team were quick to ask if we could do something again.  We’re incredibly grateful to the school for allowing us to get involved in this project.  Seeing the immediate impact the work had on the children was fantastic.  Personally, my favourite part of the day was seeing the team just having lunch and playing games with them all.”

As well as general maintenance, the team at BDO helped to refresh a former staff room, which was being converted into a special classroom for disabled children.

Elaine Haver, the schools Vice Principal added: “Our priority at Cavendish Academy will always be the children.  This sometimes means areas like the woodland can become overgrown and won’t necessarily get much attention.

“Thanks to BDO’s generosity and hard work, we are now able to use this space to heighten learning in a new environment.  The new class room will also make a huge difference for our disabled pupils, so a big thanks to all who helped.”

BDO offers a community volunteering policy to all of its employees, providing them with an additional ten days holiday each year to volunteer within the community.