Rowdeford School trustee Maggie Moore raised £900 in sponsorship yesterday in aid of a new outdoor centre by taking part in the Great North Run.

The school was already celebrating getting planning permission for the centre from Wiltshire Council last week.

Now around half a million pounds needs to be raised to restore an old barn, which was once part of a school’s farm, and to put up a new building to create outdoor teaching spaces.

Head teacher Ingrid Sidmouth said: “It is massively exciting for us. It will benefit all of our pupils plus another 30 or so children from other main stream secondary schools in the area.”

“We already have a number of animals including our pig Treacle and piglets which are very popular and we teach a number of outdoor subjects but the new centre will allow us to expand and do so much more.

“Our children often have communication problems and this sort of learning is very important to them.”

She hopes the new centre, where subjects such as horticulture and forestry can be taught, will be finished within the next two or three years.

Leading the fundraising effort will be Johnny Grew who is chairman of the Rowdeford Charity Trust which has furniture designer Mark Wilkinson and his wife Cynthia as patrons.

It is hoped much of the money wil come from grants but local fundraising efforts will be staged throughout the year.

Planning permission for the centre was approved by Wiltshire Council last week.

Agents for the project told the council: “The development of the project is an inspirational development aiming to become a benchmark for outdoor education within special needs. The project has wide support including initial grant funding from a major charity.

“The intention is to use both the construction process and wider project to engage with the local community as well as with other schools and organisations.”

Rowdeford School, on the outskirts of Rowde, near Devizes, is a special needs school for children with complex needs and autism. It caters for 130 pupils.