Volunteers from a local mental health group have been busy building a new shed for Mill Water School.

Pupils from Classes 12 and 13 went along to inspect the new shed being built by local mental health group 'RV' One, who gave up their time to build a sturdy new shed.

The much-needed new space will be a great asset to the school's outdoor learning area and will store tools for gardening projects, it also frees up an area adjacent to the school’s new bike track, creating the storage needed for new specialist bike equipment.

The school, next to Bicton College, educates 115 pupils with profound and complex learning disabilities. It strives to promote inclusivity, to help pupils to develop skills for independent living and to enable them to successfully integrate in their communities.

The 'RV' organisation was named after the rendezvous first checkpoint term used in the military and was founded by a local Royal Marine and aims to support mental wellbeing through outdoor and social activities.

Team leader and former Royal Marine Luke Kelsall, who talked openly about his own past mental health struggles, said: “It was great to be a part of this project. This was an opportunity for volunteers to do something active and creative, with a tangible outcome and a real end product; and it was a good example of a community coming together to help one another. Thank you to Mill Water School for being so welcoming.”

Mill Water School headteacher Sarah Pickering said: “It was a pleasure to meet the volunteers and we are grateful to them as the storage was a necessity. It is, however, particularly nice to hear they got something out of the project too. I look forward to welcoming them again.”

RV.One’s mission statement is ‘Rehabilitating the mind through functional fitness, creativity and adventure’. It was launched with a commando-style beach challenge in Exmouth just before the Covid pandemic and it provides support to anyone struggling with mental health.

For more details on the work of RV One in Exmouth visit: www.rvone.co.uk