Children with disabilities attending the Dun Manwel Attard school in Wardija are now able to make use of a new hydrotherapy pool.

The pool, installed at a cost of Lm2,300 and sponsored by the HSBC Cares For Children Fund, was inaugurated yesterday.

The donation was presented by fund chairman Chris Hothersall to school head William Vassallo.

Mr Vassallo said: "Our main aim is to give students every opportunity to be able to live as independent a life as possible.

"We had been working on the idea of installing a hydrotherapy pool for some time. However, this is an expensive operation and it was only thanks to the intervention of the HSBC Cares For Children Fund that this idea has become a reality."

Education Minister Louis Galea expressed satisfaction at the way the fund and other companies were involving themselves in initiatives in favour of education. He said this social initiative should form part of the mission of any enterprise.

The new pool has been installed inside the school building near already existing shower facilities.

"Hydrotherapy is an excellent form of treatment for disabled children, and HSBC Cares for Children Fund is certain that this pool will be of great benefit to all the children attending the Dun Manwel Attard School," said Mr Hothersall.