Coundon Court School in Coventry has just embarked on an inspirational fundraising campaign. They hope to challenge former maths teacher Suhkraj Dhami, who was left with life-changing injuries following a serious collision last June. The most recent crash involved a car that struck the bike of the unnamed 53-year-old, resulting in critical injuries. He is still recovering from a dislocated neck and several other broken bones. Following the attack, Dhami was hospitalized for over nine months. Now confined to a wheelchair, he finds it difficult to make his way upstairs in his house.
Once home, for lack of accessible transportation, Dhami was met with immense challenges because of his limited mobility. The community was swift to realize what an impact support would make and rally together. Cleo Abberley, committed educator and Future Me teacher at Coundon Court School, is leading the charge for fundraising. Her final target is £15,750, which she would love to raise. The money will be used to pay for an elevator to be installed in Dhami’s home. This improvement will provide him with greater access to all areas of his home.
Abberley shared the emotional fallout from the crash on students and staff at Columbia High School. She added that, “Especially since [the crash] impacted so many of our staff and students at the time.” When one of the high school’s history teachers recently contacted us saying they’d been inspired after visiting Dhami, the whole school community pulled together. One of our history teachers just ran into me. She explained to me that her organization had previously visited with Mr. Dhami, and they were hoping to work with or support him.
The fundraising drive includes various events, one of which is a unique book competition where students are encouraged to write poetry. This campaign fosters creativity and self-expression while raising awareness of Dhami’s plight. Abberley emphasized the emotional connection students have developed with the cause, stating, “It really resonated with them because, in the assemblies, we said: ‘How would you feel if you weren’t just even able to access your own bedroom, when you wanted to?’”
Almost half of the desired funds for Dhami’s lift installation has been raised already. This momentous accomplishment is a testament to the vibrant and active support of the community. Through community building events the school plans to continue to pursue their 100% graduation goal. These days, they’re trying to focus on preventing Dhami from losing independence in daily life.
