To spot Stocklake Park Community School, look for a friendly sign with two stylized figures-one boy, one girl-standing hand-in-hand next to a tree, with the words “PARK SCHOOL” wrapped around them.
Now imagine yourself standing here nearly forty years ago. A small group of big-hearted rugby supporters were watching England’s rugby team at the 1983 Five Nations Championship. Now, England didn’t do so well that year-they won the dreaded “Wooden Spoon,” which means coming last! Most fans would mope, but these clever folks had a different idea: they held a charity golf match, full of laughter and bad swings, raising enough money to buy a minibus for this very school, which at the time still welcomed younger children, too.
That’s right: the echoes of rugby boots and thumping golf balls helped Stocklake Park Community School, a place where around 65 young people with severe and multiple learning difficulties come to learn, laugh, and grow. The fun doesn’t stop there-out of this single act of kindness, the famous Wooden Spoon Society was born! Today, it’s a major charity across the UK and Ireland, supporting thousands of disadvantaged children. So, as the breeze stirs the playground and you hear distant laughter, remember: even an unlucky rugby match can change the world for the better, one minibus at a time.
