Spring Grant Round April 2015

Hallam FM Cash for Kids spring grant round took place in April 2015, the Local Exec Board met to review the grant applications and decide where £10,000 would be distributed. Below are the organisations/children Cash for Kids were able to help.

Shane

Three year old Shane has a number of medical issues including chronic lung disease, trachyostomy, hearing impairment, visual impairment and global development delay. Cash for Kids have been able to fund a specialist swing to help with mobility and to stimulate Shane in the outer environment.

Evie

Evie has a severe physical and learning disability, her eyes are weak and she has a cyst on one eye causing astigmatism. She has severe hearing loss on one side, suspected autism and behavioural issues. Evie would benefit from a mixed light sensory pack as this would stimulate her senses, providing light, sound and smell to relax Emily in a calm environment. Cash for Kids were able to fund the remaining cost needed to purchase the sensory equipment.

Francesca

Francesca’s special educational needs are autism spectrum disorder, she also has severely delayed speech and language needs. She benefits from physical prompts and visual clues to understand an activity and repetition of the activity if it is a new skill. Francesca enjoys using ipads and laptops at school. Over a small period of time it is clear the amount of progress and the benefits a computer aid can have to support her learning. Her behaviour can become increasingly difficult as she cannot communicate her feelings verbally. At school they have used communication programs to support her speech and language. Alongside these they have used feelings programs for her to communicate these with adults. Cash for Kids have funded a tablet for Francesca to support her at home.

Brantwood Special School

The project is to complete the work of making the Merlin Theatre fully accessible for children who are wheelchair users and have mobility problems. The disability access project is part of the renovation of the beautiful Merlin Theatre and special needs performance arts centre in Netheredge. The Merlin will provide a home for the Merlin inclusive Children’s Theatre group that provides opportunities for children with special needs from across Sheffield and South Yorkshire (The range of opportunities includes drama, dance, movement, music, choirs, small orchestras, solo, duet and group performances). The Merlin will not only provide opportunities for Sheffield’s young people to participate through the Merlin Children’s Theatre group, but will also enable opportunities for children with special needs to see theatre and concerts performed for free by the Merlin Children’s theatre. Cash for Kids were able to fund the remaining amount needed to complete the works.

Families Together

Families together’ is an innovative project and charity that works with families where there is significant risk of children having to be accommodated. They work with families from a wide range of ethnicities with difficult life experiences. Many who have experienced significant loss and/or trauma. They work alongside social workers with some of the most disadvantaged families in Sheffield and try to give the families some fun days and outings as well as the support already highlighted. Families have really valued a chance to go out and be safe and make happy memories of places visited in the confidence that they are supported throughout the event. In family feedback families have said that for some this is their only family outing. Cash for Kids have been able to arrange a day trip for the group.

Adam, Rachel and Sam

Adam has severe learning difficulties he also has severe physical impairment, severe epilepsy and hearing and visual impairment. Rachel has issues with her speech and language. Their support worker has identified that a tablet would be beneficial for them both. Providing stimulation and help with development of speech and language. Therefore Cash for Kids have been able to fund the tablet.

Park Community Action

The aim of the project is to provide an open access youth club to children 8-18 years old. The club provides opportunities for young people to make friends participate in physical activity, team behaviour and community relations. Providing a distraction from anti-social behaviour. Cash for Kids have been able to fund football goals, table tennis table and a pool table to encourage participation, facilitate building new friendships/relationships and provide an opportunity for difficult to approach conversations.

The Masonic Trout & Salmon Fishing Charity Yorkshire West Riding Branch

The charity organise and provide fishing events for disabled children. They give a child one to one fishing experience for the day with a qualified angler who teaches them the basics of fishing. They also provide them with refreshments throughout the day, all of this is free for the child. At the end of the session there is a presentation of certificates, photos and medals. They would like to hold 3 events this year, which Cash for Kids have been able to fund.

Gateway Church Barnsley

The rationale of this initiative is learning occurs in everything we do. Their aim is to encourage carers to start to think how children learn using creative activities which will develop skills & knowledge, play & learn. They want to run 5 activities over the 2015 summer holidays aimed at engaging 15 children and their carers to each activity session. This project is designed to give the families a sense and place of community. Cash for Kids have funded arts and craft materials for the sessions.

Heritage Park Community School

Heritage Park Community School is an all age specialist social, emotional and behavioural difficulties school for 102 pupils. They have developed an offsite provision which is based in Norfolk Park called The Lodge. A typical week for a pupil with inclusion could consist of time based at The Lodge, one day on placement and some form of home-offsite tuition. Expectations to achieve are high with the inclusion team, both academically and behaviourally. Cash for Kids have been able to fund a TV and stand which would allow pupils to access a wide range of educational material, used to play important supplementary clips, promote group work and social skills through group focussed sessions and reward time.

Activate Rawmarsh

Activate want to be able to run activities during the school holidays for local children with additional needs and disabilities. Children and young people would be able to experience new activities and be provided with a sense of accomplishment as they will be supported to achieve their own goals. Activate currently supports children with additional needs during a term time only after school club. They provide an environment with a high level of staff support to help the children be creative, this then gives them a sense of accomplishment when they can proudly show off what they have made at the end of the day. Cash for Kids have been able to fund the club so it is able to run during the school holidays, specifically for children with additional needs and disabilities would provide a fun environment away from the home setting during long holidays where children easily become bored of being at home, this then benefits the rest of the family who are provided with a short break whilst children attend activate.

Sova Cast & Befriending

The project works with children aged 8-18 years old in the care of the local authority. In addition to a twice a weekly drop in, it offers holiday activities, the project aims to provide support positive experiences and the opportunity to develop new skills which are appropriate to a child’s needs and aspirations. The children are consulted and a programme of activities is developed as an outcome, the project aims to encourage engagement with the environment and enable children to be aware of and access local park, countryside, sports facilities and cultural opportunities. Cash for Kids have been able to fund fishing equipment and access to a local fishing pond which is easily accessible on public transport throughout the year. This activity has a calming effect for children with behavioural difficulties and is attractive to young people who have difficulties in large groups or team settings.

Cooper children

The children have recently been placed with their father following a breakdown of the relationship and following the twins being in the care of the local authority. Money is a problem and the babies are in need of this essential equipment. Social care have already funded some basic items and provided money whilst benefits are being processed. Cash for Kids have been able to fund cots and mattresses for the children.

Chancet Wood Children’s Home

Chancet Wood Children’s Home provides short breaks (respite care) for children with multiple, profound and severe physical disabilities. The children experience communication difficulties and many are unable to speak. Due to their physical disabilities and many are unable to use keyboards. Cash for Kids have been able to fund a touch screen laptop which will enable such children to access the internet and facilitate communication with others.

St Vincent’s Furniture Store

The store was set up to provide essential items of donated furniture and household items free of charge to those in most need. There beneficiaries are children in families who for one reason or another have been made homeless. The funding provided by Cash for Kids is to make up starter packs, including beds, electric hob cooker and cutlery. They feel it is imperative that babies and children were given immediate relief when their social agency had found them somewhere to live. This helps stabilise and give them better quality lives after being made homeless. A large number of their clients are single parents with babies and young children, also many victims of domestic violence or abuse. It is the children who suffer most, being unsettled and feeling uncomfortable living in fear of their violent parent.

The DATIC Trust

The DATIC trust was founded in 1981 and stands for Darnall, Attercliffe and Tinsley In Contact and is a Christian charity. The project is based in a house in a residential area of Darnall. The house runs like a community centre with activities that the community request. For the children who attend, it provides them with many benefits: sense of belonging, sense of achievement, taking on appropriate level responsibility as some are helpers assisting the younger children with their craft, working as part of a team, learning about risk/health/safeguarding issues. The boys club and kids club provides a safe and fun environment for young people from low income families, which is the dominant group in this community, to participate in a fun activity that is easily accessible and is free. These positive events will impact positively on the children’s well-being. Cash for Kids have been able to fund craft items and display boards.

Cavendish Cancer Care

Cavendish Cancer Care is a Sheffield charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for local people living with cancer. They believe no one should face cancer alone, they provide emotional and physical support through counselling and complementary therapies. The dedicated children and young people’s service offers this support to anyone up to the age of 18 who has been affected by a cancer diagnosis in their family. Play therapy is a key part of their service and in order to deliver this it is vital to have the right tools for a therapist to connect with a child and help them to express their emotions. Cash for Kids have been able to fund toys to be used during play therapy.

Katy

Katy has a rare genetic disorder called Cri du Chat Syndrome. This affects her speech and ability to communicate; she has extremely challenging behaviour problems and learning disabilities. Katy struggles with her communication; this causes her to become frustrated and angry. She finds it hard to express her wishes and feelings. The use of assistive technology would enable her to use specialist applications which use pictures and symbols allowing her to communicate what she wants to do, how she feels etc. Therefore Cash for Kids have been able to fund a tablet for Katy to use.

Jake

Joshua has a significant degree of autism spectrum disorder. Joshua would benefit from having use of a Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber, this provides 100% pure oxygen, which has a natural healing effect on the body. The MS therapy centre in Leeds offers this service. Past testimonials have expressed how children have improved greatly in terms of verbal communication, movement and general health. Cash for Kids have funded 10 sessions for Joshua to attend.

Note: Children’s names have been changed to protect their identity