Spring Grant Round 2016

Here are the projects and individuals we were able to fund in our Spring grant round:

Girl

She has undiagnosed genetic disorder, Marshall Smith Syndrome. She also has significant right sided plagiocephaly. Due to this and her low muscle tone it is extremely difficult for her to keep her head in midline, which means it is limiting her social interaction, making it difficult to communicate with her peers, for feedings and access toys. Cash for Kids have been able to fund an orthotic helmet which will improve her plagiocephaly and consequently allow her to keep her head in midline.

Boy & Girl

The mother of the two children is a single parent and suffers with a chronic health condition HIV. Due to low income the children sleep with the mother in her room. Their health visitor identified this is because the children do not have their own beds. Cash for Kids have been able to fund beds and bedding for the children, this will hopefully improve both the children’s and mothers’ quality of life.

Girl

She has a diagnosis of global development impairment and is totally wheelchair bound. She is totally dependent on an adult for all activities of daily living. She has a self-propelling wheelchair provided by the NHS but the family applied for an eco-buggy. They were successful with their application; the buggy will be much more practical and will allow her to join her family on outings.

Gateway Church

A community based organisation who are involved with a range of community initiatives, they want to start a new one called ‘Playing In & Out’. They will run 6 of these sessions with 15 children attending each. Cash for Kids have been able to fund a variety of consumable resources for the activity sessions.

Boy

This boy has global development, profound hearing loss and vision loss, he needs sensory stimulation and safe toys that will entertain him. The successful grant is for sensory toys that will aid his development, which is progressing well but it would be beneficial for him to have additional sensory toys. These toys will also allow the child to be able to play with his sister.

Batemoor and Jordanthorpe Community Associate

Cash for Kids were able to buy a range of toys, games, arts and crafts etc. so that the organisation can run a safe place for children to go to after school. They will also provide a place for children to do homework, if the internet is not something they have access to at home. The hope is to keep the children off the streets and give them somewhere safe to play.

YWCA

The grant is for a homeless hostel for vulnerable young women and their children to be able to provide them with a starter pack. These starter packs are for women and children who are ready to move out of the hostel and into their own homes, these packs will free up some of their limited benefits.

Paces

The specialist centre for children with Cerebral Palsy and other motor disorders applied for a grant to develop an inclusive play area that encourages all children to play and have fun together. The play area will be used by children from Paces School, children from other groups on the campus and those in the wider high green community.

Manor Community Childcare Centre

The centre provides childcare to children aged between 2 and 5 and respite school holidays care to children with special needs up to the age of 8. A large number of children have complex special needs, this includes Autism, Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and a number with speech and language development delay. They have identified a need for a sensory garden within the centre and applied for a piece of sensory equipment. They were successful in securing funding for a water pump station which would help the children to use water to explore their senses outdoors as well as learning about cause and effect.

GR8 M8’s Thurnscoe Youth Club

The youth club provides many experiences for the children within the local community; they encourage the children to have their own voice and to have confidence. The children are given the opportunity to have fun whilst learning skills they will need later in life. Cash for Kids were able to fund materials to allow them to put on a cooking class. This will teach the children all about healthy eating and what goes into their food, all whilst having fun.

Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme

The project aims to increase table tennis participation and introduce new players to the sport by providing equipment for the local community to use. It will be used by the local community 6 days a week and becomes the home for Wadsley Bridge Table Tennis Club to train, play matches and expand. It will also give opportunities for the disabled in the community to get involved in sport. It has four key themes, participation, social inclusion, health and wellbeing and entertainment. Cash for Kids have been able to fund various pieces of equipment for the programme.

Doncaster Foster Carers Association

The successful grant is for the purchase of sports equipment that will encourage the children to engage in physical and social activities, whilst encouraging team work. It will provide the looked after children with an opportunity to network, promote fitness, good health, and therefore promoting steps to good mental health and resilience. It is also seen as an early intervention regarding drugs, smoking, sexual health and alcohol. A venue has been given free of charge and they have a volunteer coach.

Girl

This young girl has Hypoplastic Cerebrella Vermis, behaviour problems, SPD, deteriorating eye sight, hearing loss and poor sleep. Cash for Kids have been able to provide funding for a sensory play room, as it will provide her with a calming area where she can interact with her toys and have her own space. As there is no room inside the house for this, they are applyed for a shed which they can turn into a playroom. This will also allow her to be able to interact with her younger sister.

Girls

The mum of these girls is house bound as she is waiting for open heart surgery and there is no partner present. Social services have been supporting the family, in getting the girls to school. The two oldest girls are carers for the mum at the ages of 8 and 5. The girls are aware of what is happening to their mum, especially the oldest, they both worry. Cash for Kids have funded a family day out to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, this will be great for the children and will also create a good memory for the family to have forever.

Sheffield Mencap

Mencap runs support and services for children with learning disabilities and or autism. They were successful in securing funding for new equipment which helps children to cope with the effects of their disability. Age and ability appropriate activities can help aid development , these activities keep the children active and busy while helping them reach learning and development milestones whilst having fun.

Buzz

Buzz supports children and families via a wide range of activities and clubs. They have developed the trust of both families and children and have opened communication channels with a previously isolated community. Many of whom are asylum seekers, refugees, from black and minority ethnic communities. Buzz have secured funding for items to create a calm, relaxing and tranquil sensory space for the most vulnerable children.

The Centre Place

This project will aim to engage vulnerable young parents aged 14 -18 years who are living within the Bassetlaw area. They will often be living independently from their families and as a result feel isolated. They aim to engage these parents in a programme of activities to ensure they are regularly accessing social support in attending a group they enjoy. This will provide young parents with an environment in which they feel comfortable, where they can access practical support and develop friendships to reduce isolation which in turn will improve mental health. Cash for Kids have been able to fund resources for cooking sessions.

Freeman College

Freeman College provide specialist education to vulnerable children with complex behavioural and learning difficulties whose needs cannot be met elsewhere (these include autistic spectrum disorders, speech, language and attachment disorders and combinations of these and other specific special needs). The College is run by the Ruskin Mill Trust the UK wide charity specialising in educational and residential care for young people with learning disabilities and difficulties. They currently have a 13 year old minibus which is becoming increasingly expensive to keep. As most of the students are not capable of independent travel the mini buses are used 7 days a week to transport students and staff across 5 widely spaced College sites and sheltered student homes. Cash for Kids have been able to grant the remaining funds needed to purchase a specially adapted mini bus.

Unravel – The Blinks

The Blinks – are a series of novels to support children’s emotional well-being. The author of the books and leader of the project is a Children’s Emotional and Behavioural Psychologist working with vulnerable children for over 25 years based in Sheffield. The team at Unravel work with local schools to provide specific guidance on children and young people’s behavioural issues in order to help families become happier and individuals create the future that they deserve.

The books were written to help many children understand some of the normal everyday emotions that they will experience but more so what to do with these negative emotions so they do not become a greater problem or possibly disordered over time. The aim of the books is to help children and their families learn important information about emotional understanding so that children can learn to manage their feelings positively and their choices not impact negatively on their behaviour or their self-esteem long term. The project will fund a certain number of schools across South Yorkshire with a copy of either book titled ‘worry’ or ‘anger’.

Black Cat Theatre Social Enterprise

BCTSE’s is a theatre group for young people with additional needs. The objective is to provide theatrical arts resources to all their young members to enable continual development of their personal/educational skills. They would like to be able to produce their own costumes to allow the children to develop their characters as well as being able to put on shows and record these, therefore Cash for Kids have been able to fund a sewing machine.

Amy’s House

Amy’s house provides a life line for families living with the daily challenges faced when caring for a child with additional, often life changing needs and life limiting conditions or illnesses. From play based Saturday, school holiday sessions, therapeutic sensory room sessions, life skills learning support to support in the home or hospital, providing information and advice or just being a familiar voice at the end of the phone to talk to when things get difficult, they support families with all aspects of daily life. Cash for Kids have been able to fund 2 specialist trikes to replace ones that were stolen last month. The trikes allow children with limited mobility/balance to experience the joy and freedom of bike riding whilst providing a safe way to exercise and increase muscle strength and ton.

Rotherham Rise

Rotherham Rise provides support for women and their children affected by domestic and sexual abuse through providing safe refuge accommodation and outreach support services. They have a new and developing community centre which provides a one stop shop for advice and information for women and children, particularly those who are suffering or have suffered domestic abuse and sexual exploitation. Funding has been secured to purchase toys and equipment for the centre for children to use whilst using the centres facilities, as well as creating a reading corner. Providing a stimulating area and increasing social activity.

Boys

Four boys live with their grandma under children assessment order due to their mothers substance use. One boy has physical difficulties, one has a special education needs statement and one attends a school which specialises in managing difficult behaviour. Social care have been able to provide 2 beds for the younger boys but the older boys are currently sleeping on camp beds. Therefore Cash for Kids have been able to fund two beds and bedding for the older boys.