THREE wheelchair users can now make easy use of classrooms on the top floor of their school thanks to new safety equipment donated by the Ryedale Lions.

Ryedale School has just been fitted with a second evacuation chair for wheelchair users so they can be carried safely downstairs from first floor classrooms in the event of an emergency.

Until this term, the school had only one pupil who needed aided assistance in an evacuation.

But when two more wheelchair users joined the school in September it meant that, in the event of an emergency evacuation, having only one Evac chair was insufficient to ensure safe evacuation for all from upstairs.

Ryedale Lions stepped in to donate £700 to purchase the second Evac chair when it heard the chairs were not provided by the local school authority.

Dr Carolyn Williams, assistant head teacher, said: “Thanks to the new evacuation chair it means that all students are able to benefit from the classrooms, facilities and equipment on the first floor for specialist maths, languages and history.

“This has really helped us provide a fully inclusive place to learn.”

Andrew Mansfield, Ryedale Lions service director, aid: “This is another example of how money generously donated to us by local people is being put to good use to benefit those in need in our area.”