Yue Miao - Shanghai
Yue Miao is led and managed by Mr Woo. Mr Woo started the home about 6 years ago and has invested a huge amount of energy and personal money into the school/home.
Mr Woo is supported by a teaching / care team. They are caring, positive and highly enthusiastic. There is also a doctor on site (Monday to Friday) to support the children's / young people's welfare. They cater for all the children on site and have both a good-sized kitchen and dining room.
The building is a three-story building that is situated in a residential area in the western suburbs of Shanghai. It is approximately 30 - 50 minutes drive from the central area.
On a tour of the school / home, the building is organised to meet the needs of the children / young people. The ground floor is predominantly classrooms, activity rooms, office and kitchen. The second floor contains bedrooms (for the children with the most severe physical disabilities) and 3 classrooms. The third floor contains bedrooms for the more physically able and the staff room.
At the back of the building is a large paved area used for outdoor activities and a portacabin used as a dining room.
The key issue for the school was rainwater getting into the building through a leaking roof. In the majority of rooms, there are either damp patches or actual water dripping. On the wettest days, a number of the beds are unusable.
In 2008 TLC funded major improvements to the school, and a team went to spend a week with staff and pupils at the school helping out with the renovations, overseeing project work and spending time with the children.
Local tradesmen repaired the roof before the visit, and during the week painting and decorating was carried out to repair the water damage and brighten up the walls of the school. We fitted out classrooms including the music room, and developed creative areas including blackboard walls to encourage learning and play. Equipment was donated including clothes, bedding, pictures and posters, teaching equipment, musical instruments, toys, props for drama work and much more around the school.
Another area we were able to help was in sourcing information on working with mental illness and disability; the school were looking for information and advice from UK charities and medical resources, which we were able to provide.