The Leeds United Foundation recently welcomed a special group of youngsters from Penny Field School to Elland Road for an exclusive tour.

The excitable students invited along all suffer with some form of severe or complex need and so coaches from the club’s official charity adapted the tour to ensure it was appropriate and enjoyable for everyone in attendance, including a number of sensory elements such as feeling previous Leeds United kits, listening to the sound of football boots through the tunnel and smelling the grass on the pitch.

The young pupils were all greeted in the LUDO lounge on arrival, before paying a visit to the press conference room, changing rooms, the tunnel area and they were then taken pitchside via the tunnel whilst Marching On Together rung out for group photos.

Penny Field School partnered with the foundation through a fundraising programme, after raising much needed funds for a new hydrotherapy pool at the school. Following conversations between the two parties, the Foundation coaches invited the group of youngsters to attend the exclusive tour before they begin delivery on weekly physical education sessions at the school.

Hannah Duffey, Head Teacher at Penny Field School, said: “We had such a wonderful day at Elland Road, bringing our students from Penny Field School who wouldn’t normally get this opportunity. They have had a great look around the stadium and that’s all through our partnership with Leeds United.

“The Foundation have been fantastic right from the start, they’ve helped us with fundraising, they’re now going to help us with some work every week at the school through the SLA and it means that we’re able to allow pupils to experience things they would never have had the chance to previously.”

Penny Field School is a small school based in Meanwood and they cater to 60 pupils who all follow a bespoke curriculum, with access to specialist staff, equipment, and resources. Youngsters aged from 2 through to 19 attend the local school, and are provided with the best possible care, support, and education to meet all of their needs.

If you would like any further information around the disability programmes being delivered through the Leeds United Foundation, please contact Bradley.Fox@leedsunited.com.