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Charity Overview

The Art Room was set up in 2002 to offer art as a therapy to young people who have challenging lives and may be at risk of exclusion from school. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge officially opened The ICAP Art Room at Northolt High School on Friday, 14 February 2014.The Art Room was set up in 2002 to offer art as a therapy to young people who have challenging lives and may be at risk of exclusion from school. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge officially opened The ICAP Art Room at Northolt High School on Friday, 14 February 2014.

Project Summary

A donation from Charity Day 2012 funded the opening of The ICAP Art-Room in Northolt High School in London. The donation financed the initial set-up, running costs and equipment required to open the room. The ICAP Art Room will eventually be integrated into the school budget ensuring its long term sustainability.

The Art Room has been a wonderful and most welcome addition to the learning community of Northolt High School. It is a creative space that is providing a high quality intervention led by professional and dedicated staff. The Art Room models a standard of excellence that is the goal of the whole school and coheres with the school motto 'Excellence as a Habit'. We look forward to the ongoing impact that the Art Room will have on the attitudes to learning, confidence and sense of safety of those students who benefit from this provision.
Gloria Lowe, Head Teacher, Northolt High School.

During her visit, The Duchess met students from the school, experienced an Art Room session and spoke with ICAP volunteers who had helped renovate the room.  Speeches were made by Michael Spencer, CEO of ICAP, Gloria Lowe, Headteacher Northolt High School, and Jon Snow, Charity Patron. 

In addition to the monetary donation, a group of ICAP staff volunteers spent a day working at the school helping to clean, paint and assemble flat pack storage units and furniture in preparation for the grand opening of the new room. 

The Art Room provides art as therapy to children and young people between the ages of five and sixteen to help raise their self-esteem, self-confidence and independence.  Many of the students who attend The Art Room are disengaged from mainstream education, are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties or are withdrawn and have learning disabilities.  

Each week, up to 60 students from the London Borough of Ealing are able to benefit from The ICAP Art Room.  Participating school children are delighted with the new service which led one student aged 10 to proclaim, "I want to live in The Art Room!”.