PUPILS at Parklands School in Helensburgh had a busy final few weeks of term trying out various different activities.

The school, attended by pupils with complex additional educational needs, runs an annual activity fortnight with support from businesses.

This year Tesco, Waitrose and Ardardan provided prizes for the Family Fun Night and Peninsula Trikes offered trips around the town.

Gwen Gilmour, head teacher, said: “Although the weather wasn’t great when Peninsula Trikes came by the pupils couldn’t help but smile.”

Craig and Helen Findlay, who own Peninsula Trikes and whose son attends Parklands School, said: “The smiles on everyone’s faces brightened up the day.

“It was a real pleasure for us to be able the bring some joy to our disabled young people who, on a daily basis, face challenges that most of us would struggle to live with, but unfortunately for them is just part of their everyday life.

“As we were leaving some of the pupils presented us with thank you pictures that they had drawn themselves which really touched our hearts. Now they have pride of place hanging on our garage walls along with our trikes.

“Trike rides are something that disabled people can access just as easily as able bodied people allowing them to experience a sense of independence, freedom and from the smiles on their faces pure joy.”

The pupils also had the chance to receive a glitter tattoo in preparation for the Eid celebrations when Scarlett’s Face Painting arrived.

The school was also visited by the community police officer and the coast guard was due to visit but duty called and they had to rush to a call-out.

The pupils also had the chance to remotely control drones when one of the modern apprentices from Argyll and Bute Council visited and took along spheroids and indoor drones.

Ms Gilmour added: “These outings provide a fun and energising way to look at numbers in a functional context or develop social and communication skills. The idea behind the fortnight is that learning is taken into different contexts.”