The arrival of a new specialised trike was a cause for celebration for the children of a special school in Tuam.

The new trike, which is intended aid mobility, was fully tested out by pupils last weekend at St Oliver’s Special School, located at the Glebe.

The occasion was made all the more special by the arrival of Minister Anne Rabbitte who enabled the school to receive the new trike following grant funding from her department.

St Oliver’s Special School, under the patronage of Ability West, caters for children from four to eighteen years of age with high levels of additional and demanding needs. The school currently has 39 children on its roll and say that they are very fortunate to have a wonderful new school building with lots of additional facilities to help meet the needs of the pupils.

Staff at the school say that one of the wonderful features their new building is an outdoor cycle track.

Minister Anne Rabbitte and Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ireland, chose St Oliver’s Special School as one of the beneficiaries of their Recycle Mobility Programme, which focuses on promoting access to specially adapted trikes for children who cannot use conventional bicycles. Minister Rabbitte was delighted that the children who attend St Oliver’s Special School will surely benefit from the new addition to their cycle track.

“Not only do these trikes offer so many physical benefits, but also offer great mental benefits too,” she said.

“The child can experience a new-found independence which previously may have been unimaginable.”

Minister Rabbitte and Kevin O Brien from Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ireland, visited the school to present the trike to the staff and students, where they were joined by by Julie Silk Daly, CEO of Ability West and Joseph Renjith, Physiotherapy Manager, Ability West and Chairperson of St Oliver’s Special School Board of Management.

At the presentation, Minister Rabbitte also outlined plans to develop a bike park in Toghermore which will also be of a huge benefit to the pupils of St Oliver’s Special School.

Pictured: Minister Anne Rabbitte and Variety, the children’s charity chose St Oliver’s Special School, Tuam to be one of the beneficiaries of their Recycle Mobility Programme. Pictured are Acting Principal Bernie Creaven, students Jack Murphy, Caoimhe Glynn and Patrick Cunniffe, Physiotherapy Manager, Ability West and Chairperson of St. Oliver’s Special School Board of Management Joseph Renjith and Minister of State at the Department of Health and at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Anne Rabbitte. Photo: Jacinta Fahy Photography.