TRELOAR School and College at Holybourne held a ‘Heroes and WOW’ week to raise much-needed funds to buy a new coach.

Dressed at their favourite hero, staff and students were challenged to fundraise throughout the week, and on the last day the High Sheriff of Hampshire joined in the celebrations to announce that more than £3,200 had been raised for the coach appeal.

Fundraising challenges ranged from a competition to guess the weight of the cake to soap-selling superstars and from a sublime science workshop to a flipping fantastic pancake race, a lucky dip tombola, and a head shave.

There were lots of cake sales, two unlucky members of staff were ‘cream-pied’, there was a balloons-for-the-bus release, an Antony and Cleopatra performance, obstacle races, raffles, relays, sponsored trike and scooter rides, car washing, caricatures, and a sponsored sing-a-thon.

The money raised will go toward a state-of-the-art coach.

A Treloar spokesman said: “No young person should be restricted by their circumstances and transport is absolutely vital for the students to travel off campus and get out and about.”

The new coach will be able to transport up to 11 students in electric wheelchairs, contain 15 passenger seats for staff, and ample storage space below. This means that larger groups of students can go out together in one vehicle, whether on a class trip or at the weekend for enrichment activities. It will cost £245,000 but Treloar’s is already more than halfway there thanks to pledges and donations.

Jon Colville, Treloar’s head of fundraising, said he was delighted with the amount raised by the fun event.

“It was just a fantastic week,” he said. “All charities are feeling the pinch at the moment so to have our staff and students so enthusiastically support the coach appeal was such an emotional and humbling experience. The wonderful community spirit will last in my memory.”