Pupil’s plea for toy storage answered with “amazing” gift

Five-year-old Pearl Steadman wrote and delivered a letter to Mark’s Sheds and Fencing asking for a hand in keeping the toys out of the rain at Our Lady and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Wath.

And the business’s owners, Mark and Lisa Sanderson, who have an 11-year-old daughter of their own, were more than happy to help.

They provided a playhouse and shed, which has now been installed and named Darcie’s Cosy Cottage after their daughter.

“We had a letter from this little girl asking if we would be prepared to donate a shed and saying their toys were getting damaged because of the rain.

“We went down to the school to see what we could do.

“We’ve put in a wooden base and a shed-cum-playhouse which is like a little cottage.

“When we went down to the school again last week, the little girl who wrote the letter came over to Mark and she and the other pupils were all saying thank you.

“We don’t mind helping schools and we know they sometimes have a hard time with funding.”

Gemma Pegg, from the school said: “We wrote asking if they could help as we needed storage with very little funding available to us.

“They have very generously donated a shed that has become a playhouse for the children-complete with a chimney, windows and window boxes.

“We have some flooring and chairs and a little home corner in there home learning is vital for early years learning.

“We expected a run-of-the-mill garden shed but what they have given us is amazing.”