Brent Knoll & Watergate Co-operative Trust
Holiday clubs for SEND children in Lewisham
Imagine school holidays without opportunities to play. That's what faces children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities who may not be welcome in playgrounds and may need specialist support. Help us provide holiday club with fantastic play facilities inc trampolines & wheelchair swings.
Campaign target
£5,000
Amount raised
£1,000
Time left
73 days
Donations
1
Location
United Kingdom
Campaign overview
Aims
Where's the money going?
Impact & reporting
Situation
With social skills not coming easy to our young people with complex social, communication and interaction difficulties, including autism, friendships are a rarity as are the informal local play opportunities enjoyed by many children. . Mainstream holiday provision isn't open to them owing to unpredictable behaviour and lack of disabled access Each child should have the right to play. Add lockdown, and suffering has been off the scale, with families having no support and children regressing.
Solution
Our two completely accessible, autism friendly settings will be made available to our pupils for six weeks of the school holidays, dependent on fundraising. Activities will include football, crafts, trikes, trampolines, reading aloud, discos, den-making, imaginative and sensory play, music and arts; cookery workshops, shared meals and goody bags for parents. There will be a high staff to child ratio and TAs can assist with personal care and peg feeding etc. Children will choose activities.
Without holiday club I would have been stuck indoors at home with both my sons – each has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities – trying to keep everyone happy. My son comes back with lovely pictures, home made cakes, sleeps soundly and his behaviour has dramatically improved.
— Parent of Watergate pupil
This has probably been the last few months that P is able to walk, so I’m so glad he was able to make the most of holiday club. Lockdown was completely horrendous.
— Watergate Parent
Being with other children, familiar adults and having exercise are all things that my son has lacked in 2020. For us as parents it gave us a break and it’s good to know he was enjoying himself and in a safe environment.
— Brent Knoll Parent