Leeds Rhinos hero Jamie Jones-Buchanan visits Clapgate Primary School for £74,000 community cabin opening

England rugby league coach and former Leeds Rhinos player Jamie Jones-Buchanan made a surprise visit to Clapgate Primary School in Belle Isle as parents, pupils and sponsors celebrated the fundraising milestone and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Keeley Shires, the school’s therapeutic lead, said she has many aspirations for the school, ranging from coffee mornings and behaviour workshops to helping children become part of a social group while working on their self-esteem. The community cabin will become a place where activities like these can take place for years to come and opens up a whole series of new opportunities.

“I can run anything now,” she said. “Before, if I was running a coffee morning, I had to check if the hall was free and not in use for PE or assembly. If we were cooking, I had to drag a portable oven around.”

The community cabin has a spacious kitchen which the school hopes will be used to run family cooking sessions. Keeley said: “It will not only help with their relationship, but teach the children life skills. Having this cabin just means that we have our own safe space to do what is needed for our parents and community. Hopefully, a lot of parents will feel supported with what we are about to do. It’s going to be amazing.”

The weekly community pantry – an initiative the primary school started to support families during the cost of living crisis – will now have a new designated home in the community cabin. The school also aims to provide play schemes and holiday groups for children who come from socially deprived areas to ensure they get an enjoyable experience over the holidays.

The school began raising funds a year ago through a number of different efforts, including Christmas fairs, a community circus and community grants from organisations like the children’s rugby charity Wooden Spoon. Headteacher Natasha Singleton added: “It is responding to the needs of the community. It’s been quite remarkable to see how many people have gotten on board.”