Phil Taylor raises £10,000 for special-needs school trip

Sixteen-time former world darts champion Phil Taylor has spent recent weeks helping to raise funds for Watermill School, a special-needs school in Stoke-on-Trent. The aim was to collect £10,000 to make a residential school trip possible for ten pupils. According to the school, the trip could play a major role in the children’s personal development.

Taylor, who has been looking for new pursuits since stepping away from professional darts, said the project immediately appealed to him. “It’s nice to be able to make a difference. It gives me something to focus on again now that I’m not playing,” said the 64-year-old in quotes collected by the BBC. He explained that he has experience within his own family of caring for someone with special educational needs, which strengthened his involvement in the campaign.

The fundraising began after his daughter-in-law asked for a signed dartboard to auction off. Taylor decided to take it further. “I said: no, we can do more than that — and that’s what we’ve done.”

Donations came largely from his own network, and he stressed that world famous singer and longtime friend of Taylor, Robbie Williams was particularly supportive. “Robbie has been absolutely fantastic,” explained The Power.

Taylor will attend Watermill School on 27 February for a final fundraising evening, featuring an auction, tombola and cake sale to further support the initiative. “If you’ve got any kind of profile, why wouldn’t you use it to help someone else?” he said.

Headteacher Jen Lomas expressed her gratitude. “We hadn’t realised how worried people were about reaching the required amount until Phil stepped in. Thanks to the efforts of parents, staff and Phil, the children can now go on a trip that will mean so much to them.” Lomas added that the pupils would “return with a wealth of memories”.