A local Yorkshire school has received a donation of 200 playground mats to build a sensory garden for their autistic pupils.

Pudsey Waterloo Primary School in Leeds received the mats in summer 2020 from ZTL, a construction company whose ethos is ‘finding purpose for all used materials’.

Kris Kirk, an operator at ZTL recycled the mats to the Leeds school, where his partner Lisa worked as a Teaching Assistant.

The school were delighted with the donation which will improve the school’s sensory garden which is undergoing construction. This will be an essential outdoor space for pupils with autism to work, play, socialise and rest safely when the school re-opens following lockdown restrictions. The donation has also allowed the school to focus on investing money into specialist equipment to aid the children’s learning and development.

Matt Exley, the Director of ZTL said:

“When Kris approached me about the sensory garden, I just knew it was cause that ZTL had to get involved with. It was a huge team effort to get the mats from the storage location to the school, but I am delighted we have been able to recycle them for use within a project as important as this one.”

ZTL are part of the Applebridge Family which are a collection of businesses serving the construction industry. Applebridge Family were recently awarded Outstanding Charity Support by Small to Medium Sized Companies at the 2020 North East Charity Awards, for their outstanding commitment to helping local communities and families in need.