THE mother of a ten-year-old autistic boy from Downton has had her faith in human nature restored after she raised £1,000 to help fund new equipment at her son’s school.

Alisha Selfe has been campaigning since last summer, to raise funds for better equipment for use in a school “timeout room” where special needs children like her son Ruben can recover from episodes of stress.

The campaign got off to a stuttering start but finally took-off last November when Alisha took her story to the Journal, appealing to the wider community for more backing.

She said: “The effect was immediate. People saw the article and were drawn to the cause and the donations started coming in.

“Many friends and family donated and I feel privileged to have such lovely people in our lives to share this experience with.

“It will definitely make a difference for staff helping to alleviate episodes of severe anxiety in these children. The publicity also attracted interest from the charity Mencap which visited the school and is considering helping out too.”

Alisha put herself through the mill taking part in two sponsored runs - the Great South Run and the Downton Half Marathon and had running support from two staff members at Woodford Valley, Gemma Paul and Laura Simpson. The outcome is a £1,000 pot to be used to improve timeout facilities at the school.

This week Alisha presented the cheque to Ruth Massie, the school's Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator officer and headteacher Rebecca Carson.

Ruben was diagnosed with the four main traits of autism when he was aged three and the nearest school capable of coping with his special needs was Woodford Valley, 30 miles away from Downton.