THRILLED youngsters at Poole’s Victoria Education Centre and Sports College have welcomed a variety of furry friends to their campus.

The new pets corner will feature cuddly rabbits and guinea pigs, enabling the college’s disabled students to interact with them daily.

To celebrate the launch, other animals including snakes, owls, lizards, chickens and ducks were brought in for students College principal Chris Davies said: “Pets corner is a fantastic new addition to the college.

“It will allow the students to handle a variety of animals and take responsibility for their care.

“The project was also an opportunity for them to collaborate with staff and visiting artists to build a fun and distinctive habitat for the animals.

“We would like to thank everyone who donated to the project and allowed us to purchase the animals.”

Pets corner was just one of a series of activities at the Lindsay Road college as part of an arts week programme.

During the week students were encouraged to engage their creative skills with the help of artists, musicians, dancers and various entertainers.

Mr Davies explained: “This is always a fantastic opportunity for our students to experience a wide variety of cultural, sporting and leisure activities.

“It shows how vibrant and innovative our college is in terms of developing the skills and knowledge of young disabled people and helping them reach their full potential.”

• VICTORIA Education centre and Sports College is run by national charity Livability.

Staff offer specialised, high-quality education, care and therapy and sport for young people with disabilities.

The college’s ongoing Sparkle Appeal aims to raise £4million to fund a new state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool and therapy centre.

Livability vice president Esther Rantzen said: “This appeal is a very good practical way to help disabled children and I cannot think of a more deserving cause.”