PUPILS, staff and friends of a Winsford school are celebrating this week after being adopted as Oulton Park Race Circuit's charity of the year.

Hebden Green Special School volunteers will now be permitted to collect money inside the race circuit, display banners and hand out information about the school to the public.

Staff at the school are optimistic that the new partnership will not only make Hebden Green stronger financially, but also raise public awareness about the work which goes on there.

Laura Leader, a parent-staff association member and chief fundraiser for the school, said: "As our children come from all over Cheshire and the surrounding counties, this will provide us with an excellent platform to promote our aims to the corporate and private sector.

"The basic costs of the school are met by the local education authority, but the main part of this funding is spent on staffing.

"This means there is very little money left to buy the wide range of specialist equipment and resources which are now available on the market.

"As a result, a great deal of this expense has to be financed through fundraising and public donations and the school works extremely hard to achieve this kind of support."

She added: "I am extremely happy that Oulton Park Race Circuit have chosen to adopt Hebden Green as their local charity for 1999."

The school will begin collecting at Oulton Park in April and anyone who wishes to volunteer their services as a collector, or would like more information, can call the school on 01606 301600.

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