Gareth Gates and Becky Hill's surprise gift to boy in Plymouth

Pop idol Gareth Gates and DJ/singer Becky Hill have each donated £1,000 to a Plymouth boy’s campaign to overhaul his school's swimming pool. The hit-makers have backed the Arthur’s Too Pool for School appeal which wants to revamp the outdoor swimming pool at Elburton Primary School, in Plymstock.

The appeal was begun by eight-year-old Arthur Manners who has the ultra-rare ETBP1 haploinsufficiency disorder, a genetic condition thought to affect only one in 100million people. It means Arthur can’t speak and has to use sign language, but he loves to splash in a pool and finds it helps his condition.

Gates became involved after appearing at the Alive at Argyle festival in May when Arthur’s parents sent him a message. After performing his set, which was enjoyed by Arthur, he met mum and dad Emily Stevens-White and Arthur Manners and heard all about Arthur and his campaign.

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And when the singing superstar showed the Gofundme appeal to Hill, she felt compelled to contribute too. Both of them pledged £1,000 meaning the Arthur’s Too Pool for School appeal has now passed the £4,000 mark - as it aims for a total of £300,000.

Emily said she and Shaun were delighted and grateful to the singers for their support. Emily said: “It’s quite a vulnerable thing to do, to put yourself out there and tell your story, and more so when it concerns your child. To see that someone is on your side and cares enough and is so generous has left us both feeling quite emotional.”

Gates was runner-up in the original Pop Idol talent show and went on to sell 3.5million records. The 39-year-old has had a stammer and is now a speech coach helping people with the condition.

Arthur’s condition is extremely rare. Only about 45 people have been described as having ETBP1 haploinsufficiency disorder in scientific literature and Emily said her son was just the second person in the UK to be diagnosed with the condition.

She said; “To get someone like Gareth that understands things and has experienced something similar is quite lucky. It feels very healing.”

Emily, Shaun and Arthur all attended the Relive at Argyle festival, at Home Park, where Gates was singing and Hill, a semi-finalist in the debut season of The Voice UK, was playing a DJ set. Emily said Arthur had already become a big Gareth Gates fan and added: “Arthur was waiting for him to come on stage and when he started singing his little face lit up and he signed to us: ‘He’s singing!’. He’s really inspired by him.

“We asked somebody if they could kindly pass a message to Gareth and they did. We were lucky enough to meet him and have a chat with him. He has not met Arthur yet but we would like him to. He has asked us to keep in touch.”

Elburton Primary’s 1970s outdoor pool is unheated and in need of a complete overhaul but the Leaning Academies Trust, which the school belongs to, says it can’t afford the work. It is, however, backing the fundraising effort begun by Arthur and his mum. Arthur is the eldest of Emily’s two sons at Elburton Primary School. Their two-year-old brother is likely to become a pupil in a few years time too, and Emily said Arthur loves going to the school.

Arthur only got his diagnosis a year ago. It means he has stage two kidney disease, ureteric reflux, dyspraxia, ADHD, neurodevelopmental problems and more. Most frustratingly for Arthur it means he cannot speak.

He spent his first years living in Derriford Hospital and Emily said swimming is really good for him to build his core strength and create muscle memory. She said: “It’s invaluable to Arthur and many other children, there are a lot of children that haven’t got the opportunity to go swimming.”

The Learning Academies Trust said that in the warmer summer months, the swimming pool at Elburton Primary provides a brilliant opportunity for children to get active and learn to swim. But whilst the trust would love to carry out refurbishments to improve and heat the pool, the cost is too great. But it is supportive of the fundraiser and thanks everyone who has donated so far.

The Too Pool for School campaign can be found here: www.gofundme.com/f/arthurs-too-pool-for-school

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