I sit on the County Councils School Transport Appeals Committee. To day we met to debate the latest applicants seeking financial help for their child to get to school. One case today ( and I most certainly will not be giving any identification details, suffice to say it did not concern a child from my ward) was seeking help for a year 6 girl to get to school. The family are recently moved into the area. Both parents have mental and / or physical health problems. The child is diagnosed with ADHA. She has moved from Scotland and knows no one, and lives in an emotionally turbulent environment. The family eat ( and therefore survive) courtesy of a local food bank.The nearest school to the home does not have a place available, so the child is obliged to travel. The family is currently living on £73.10p a week. Could anyone reading this do that? I wouldn’t want to try and I doubt you would either. The father cannot afford petrol for his car, which needs an MoT. He ( the father) has had to give up work to look after the daughter.
The case has already gone through two other stages before reaching the committee I sit on. I spoke with a certain amount of passion, and was pleased to be congratulated afterwards by councillors from both the other two parties. As the title suggests, I was pleased with the outcome and the part I was able to play in gaining a little help for a young girl who’s life chances are already significantly reduced.