It is widely acknowledged that Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in this country is in crisis. Nowhere was this more evident than at Hilltop School in Rotherham, which supports 180 children and young people aged two to 19 with severe and complex learning difficulties. It featured in a BBC documentary called ‘SEND Help’ in 2023.

Charlotte Farrington was one of many who had seen this special news report and was so moved by it she contacted the school and arranged a visit in her capacity as the chief executive of Yorkshire Children’s Charity (YCC). She set up Leeds-based YCC in January 2022 with a mission to make things better for children and young people living at a disadvantage, now and for the future. 

On visiting Hilltop, Charlotte said: “It was the saddest school I’ve ever been in. The way in which it was configured was not conducive to learning and the whole school felt like a pressure cooker. 

“As a mum, I cannot imagine leaving my child in conditions whereby I knew they were going to come home at the end of the day worse off for being there. And that was no slant against any of the staff, but it was incredibly sad.”

As part of the charity’s Great Yorkshire Build initiative, Hilltop became a top priority. Despite typically doing projects for around £1million, they quickly realised that this wouldn’t be enough.

“I walked the contractors around that school and there wasn’t a single person who came out and wasn’t holding back the tears,” commented Charlotte. “We all sat down and said, look we can go in and spend £1million but in our heart of hearts, are we going to be comfortable with that? So we all collectively said, no we can’t, let’s go away and try and do better.”

The project became a three-phase project building new classrooms, reconfiguring the existing school and building a rebound therapy centre. YCC managed to harvest £2.2million of pro bono support and then Nexus Multi Academy Trust, who run Hilltop School, provided an additional £800,000.

“Working with Nexus, I can’t tell you how positive it’s been,” added Charlotte. “As an academy trust they are so committed, they have been so grateful for this opportunity and perhaps understood that this was their only chance to sort this school out.”

HBC Construction led on the project and delivered all main contractor duties free of charge while its supply chain provided time, labour and materials all at discounted rates – saving over £650,000.

Work on the first phase started in July 2025 and was completed in 15 weeks and created four new classrooms, with associated toilet and kitchenette facilities, as well as staff spaces. Phases two and three have just commenced with a 25-week build expected to be completed in August.

“Completing the first phase was a fantastic milestone for everyone involved,” said Ian Gresser, head of pre-construction at HBC Construction. “We’re incredibly proud. Social value is about legacy, and here that means giving children the environment they deserve. The collaboration, skill and generosity of our team and supply chain partners has been outstanding – helping us create spaces that will genuinely make a difference.”

Charlotte echoed these sentiments and also thanked Triton, B&K and GMI Construction as well as Cartwright Pickard, Richard Boothroyd & Associates and Pierre Angulaire, who all contributed – and are still contributing – to the project. 

“What they’ve done at Hilltop is they have changed the lives of not only the children there now but generations to come,” she added. “The children, families and teachers at Hilltop deserve so much more than what they had.”

Such is YCC’s relationship with the commercial property sector that they host a special awards event every year, which is attended by 1,000 people and takes place in May at Rudding Park, Harrogate. 

“If I stood up [at the awards] and said ‘will you guys give me £2.2million?’ there’s not a cat in hell’s chance I’d ever get it,” laughed Charlotte. “But if you ask them for their time, resources and supply chains, they can and go above and beyond to make sure it happens.” 

After starting her career in the corporate world, Charlotte worked for a national children’s charity before setting up Yorkshire Children’s Charity from her kitchen table with £7,000 four years ago. In that time it has helped 60,000 children and raised just over £8million.

“I set it up because I believe there was a better way for us to get help and support to children in Yorkshire,” she explained. “Yorkshire is a very complex region, first of all it’s enormous, but also we have extreme pockets of wealth and extreme pockets of deprivation. It felt to me that is was almost a postcode lottery deciding which kids got what. I wanted to create a charity whereby regardless of where you live in the region, you can access a level of help and support.”

There are 12 people who work at YCC and Charlotte is keen to stress that it is very much a collaborative effort. 

“I never, ever see it as my charity, I simply did the paperwork to set it up,” she explained. “Setting up YCC is the hardest thing I’ve ever done by my god, it’s an incredible privilege. This is something I want everyone to have a sense of ownership over.”

Running the charity is very much one of contrasts; Charlotte sees the absolute best in people but also the hardest sides of life, citing that one in three children in Yorkshire live in poverty. But this provides constant perspective. 

“I constantly put myself in the shoes of parents and make 99 per cent of the decisions as a mum and one per cent as a chief exec,” Charlotte said. “We’re a classic start-up. We say yes to everything and then worry about how we’re going to deliver it afterwards. If we can’t be ambitious, don’t take risks and be courageous for kids are so dependent on us, it’s a poor show. That’s my view. 

“We’re here to advocate and speak on behalf of thousands of children across the region who can’t speak up for themselves.” 

YCC fundraises through trusts and foundations and also through events, the largest of which is a gala dinner at Grantley Hall called ‘A Night Under the Stars’, which this year raised £1.2million. But one area that Charlotte would like to see the charity improve in is through regular monthly donations, which would allow them to plan their work further in advance. As well as the project at Hilltop School YCC are also working on schemes in York and Skipton and are constantly looking at where their help and expertise can be best used. 

“Walking into Hilltop School and seeing what HBC Construction had done is a moment I’ll never forget,” finished Charlotte. “That’s the reason we get up and do what we do every day. To see the difference that a group of good people coming together can make, not just for the children now but for future generations.”

To find out more about Yorkshire Children’s Charity or about how you can donate, visit www.yorkshirechildrenscharity.org or follow them on social media Facebook and Instagram.