SEN school in Leeds launches fundraising mission for forest area

A Special Educational Needs school in East Leeds is on a mission to raise enough funds to create an outdoor forest area for the children it supports. Co-op Academy Brierley is fundraising to transform its outdoor space into a forest school where pupils will be offered sensory and therapeutic learning to boost their confidence, resilience, and emotional regulation in a safe and natural environment. Shahina Begum, Academy Pioneer for Co-op Academy Brierley, who works with the school to source available funding, says the outdoor space will be hugely beneficial for the children who have already started transforming the area. “It's a way to support the kids in a completely different way. They have been helping with planting all the trees and every day they have their own set tasks. “We've got a little farm out there, with chickens, goats, and rabbits.  It's a different kind of way to get hands-on learning, especially for children with additional needs,” she says. Co-op Academy Brierley recently received a huge fundraising boost after winning a £500 grant through easyfundraising’s 2026 Impact Fund. The grant came after the school signed up as a cause on the easyfundraising website which allows people to raise money for the school every time they shop online. When the school’s supporters, including parents, sign up to easyfundraising and choose Co-op Academy Brierley as the cause they want to raise for, the retailers they shop with via the easyfundraising website or app automatically donate a percentage of their purchase to the school without adding any extra expense to their bill. Shahina says the cost-of-living crisis has left schools and charities fighting for the same support and is hoping to raise as much as possible for the forest school through easyfundraising. “When we're finding grants, everyone's fighting for the same support in the same area so finding easyfundraising was really helpful,” she says. Shahina became involved with the academy after noticing a complete transformation in her son when he became a pupil in 2023. “My son was non-verbal and now he's not. I'm amazed at the difference the school's making and other parents think the same. We're really lucky that our children have made it into this school. The kids really flourish here.” For parents of children with additional needs, the process of finding a school dedicated to supporting students with special educational needs, disabilities, or complex learning barriers can be long and complex. Shahina says the school, which supports 250 children from reception to Year 11, constantly receives referrals and is now at maximum capacity. “There’s a huge demand for special needs schools but there are no spaces and a lot more children need support. “I feel very lucky.  The school wasn't built back when I first started looking, and I was very cautious about where my son was going to be. Just looking back at it, I feel so lucky because he was so young, but I know that there are parents with older children struggling to get their children into special needs school,” she says. To support Co-op Academy Brierley with every shop, sign up at easyfundraising.org.uk