A special needs boarding school in Tanzania is set to receive a much-needed commercial washing machine thanks to the generosity of Haslemere residents.

Robert Noble, chair of The Neema Society, has thanked the community for raising the funds to replace the broken machine at the Pangani School for Autistic and Special Needs Children. The school’s old washer failed three months ago and was deemed beyond repair, forcing staff to wash pupils’ clothes, bedding and towels entirely by hand.

Mr Noble explained that the situation had placed considerable strain on the school’s carers, taking staff away from what they should be doing – supporting and caring for the children.

A portion of the funding also came from sales of Mr Noble’s book, I’m Autistic! Get Me Out of Here, which reflects on his own experiences of autism. Copies are available locally from Haslemere Bookshop or directly from the publisher, Kingdom Publishers.

The Neema Society works to support children with additional needs in the Pangani region, including providing equipment, training and practical assistance to local schools.

Mr Noble said the replacement of such a basic but essential piece of equipment would have an immediate impact on the pupils’ wellbeing. The new machine is expected to be installed shortly, bringing an end to months of labour-intensive manual washing for staff and improving daily life for some of the area’s most vulnerable children.