15135/03GAZETTE & HERALD: SPRINGFIELD'S School in Calne, for youngsters with emotional and behavioural problems, is appealing for donations to help it achieve its dream of becoming the country's first special needs sports college.

The school is £4,500 short of the £20,000 it needs to raise by March to apply to be a sports college.

If successful that £20,000 will help unlock £400,000 over five years and headteacher Graham Templeman admits the school is looking for a fairy godmother. He said: "We'll find it somewhere I am sure of that."

St Mary's School and Fujitsu-Siemens are to contribute to the cause, with all the money from Calne Mayor Carol O'Gorman's mayoral ball to go towards the school's bid.

The bid must be finalised by March 4 to present to the Youth Sports Trust and Mr Templeman thinks they have a very good chance of success as the school is looking for facilities to benefit the whole community.

Deputy headteacher Trystan Williams, who is at the forefront of the campaign to raise £20,000, said he was amazed by the support they had been given, especially by Calne's schools. "The headteachers at St Mary's and John Bentley have both been fantastic and very supportive of us, which is greatly appreciated by all our staff," he said.