DELIGHTED pupils said a big ‘thank you for the music’ to a firm of solicitors who helped to save a much-needed part of their school life.

When they heard that Rosebank School no longer had the funding to provide music therapy, the team at Accident Advice Solicitors, in London Road, raised £20,000 to make sure it would continue.

Tamara Downes, one of the directors and senior partner at Accident Advice Solicitors, explained that she and her husband Shaun have a six-year-old son with autism.

“George attends Rosebank School and he loves music so we decided to get involved and arrange a charity dinner fundraising event,” she said.

“Everyone at Accident Advice Solicitors got involved and through the network of business contacts, friends, family and staff both at the firm and school helped and we held a great event at the Portal Golf and Spa. “We hoped to achieve £10,000 for the charity but raised £19,995.55 in total through the dinner, luxury raffle and auction.

“A big thank you to everyone who donated, attended and indeed to local business that made generous donations to the evening.”

Judith McGuinness, headteacher at Rosebank School, said in music therapy music is used as the main form of communication to empower the children, rather than words, which can be overwhelming, frustrating and too intense.

She said: “The children at Rosebank not only thoroughly enjoy music therapy, learning to be playful and more engaged, but they also feel met, psychologically grounded and understood, benefiting greatly from an activity where their movements, actions and even breath is the centre of the music that we create together.”

Accident Advice Solicitors has decided to continue to support the Friends of Rosebank charity through other events, with one staff member already completing a marathon for the school.

For more information about the fundraising email admin@accidentadvicesolicitors.co.uk.