Who we helped in the South: May 2019

Victoria Education Centre is a special school in Poole offering specialised, high quality education, therapy and care for children aged 3-18. All students have physical disabilities or complex medical/neurological conditions and many have additional needs including communication difficulties, learning difficulties and sensory impairments. The staff work together to make sure all the young people have every chance to achieve their potential. With access to specialist technology and onsite health professionals, the progress they make is often astounding
The children that supported by the school have severe physical disabilities. For children with Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy or similar, riding a two wheeled bicycle may never be a practical option. However, riding an adaptive trike is more than just recreational, it can be medically necessary for a child who cannot walk independently or who sits for long periods in a wheelchair - to strengthen their muscles and make therapy fun. It can increase socialisation and encourage friendships. Using the specially adapted trike can build strength, coordination and stimulate increased motion range whilst giving the child the fun of riding a bike. This is why Cash for Kids funded the purchase of an adaptive trike for the school in May 2019.

Winchester Street Reach has been working with vulnerable and disadvantaged young people since 1983. The team offer support in a targeted way, with detached youth work at the core of their work. The Youth Workers positively engage often hard to reach and vulnerable young people who they encounter on the streets and in areas such as shop fronts. The youth workers strive to ensure that these young people have access to information, advice and opportunities to improve their chances of attaining success and to leading fulfilling lives.
Cash for Kids gave the Street Reach team a grant in May 2019 to fund three workshops which enables them to work with the participants in a highly targeted way, around a range of issues that affect them. As the groups they are targeting are classed as 'hard to reach' they are often not engaging with other services and many have a variety of vulnerabilities due to home circumstances and their own risk-taking behaviours.
The workshops allow the team to consistently engage and work with group members so they can access support and advice and improve their life chances.

Epilepsy Lifestyle aims to improve the lives of children diagnosed with epilepsy, by providing potentially lifesaving sleeping/monitoring equipment. This equipment aims to reduce the risk of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy Patients), which affects 1 in every 1000 epilepsy sufferers.
Cash for Kids provided Epilepsy Lifestyle with a grant for the purchase of eight wrist-worn devices to alert parents to seizures and allow them to administer emergency medication and/or call for help if necessary.
The peace of mind that a monitor/ sleeping solution can give to a family cannot be underestimated. No one should ever wake up to find their child has passed in the night.
Night times can be especially worrying for parents of children with epilepsy. Many seizures are silent so unless parents are with them they may not even know they are occurring. Children, particularly those with complex epilepsy, are at greater risk of SUDEP. Children with epilepsy should be able to go to bed feeling safe and secure.

Victim Support Hampshire and Isle of Wight run a Children and Young People (CYP) service for those aged 4-17 affected by crime. They receive referrals from the police, from parents and young people themselves and also from other agencies. The Caseworkers make contact with children and young people and their parents, complete thorough risk assessments then offer ongoing support by meeting with clients at their home or at their school to provide ongoing emotional support and practical support to help them recover from crime and improve their confidence and wellbeing.
The CYP caseworkers go out to schools, clients homes and meet out in the community to help young people recover from crime. This can involve building up confidence, reassuring them on safe spaces and how to handle emotions and relationships. The caseworkers received funding in May 2019 to purchase two iPads which will be used to show young people safety and wellbeing apps, and to use them together with a view that the client can build confidence to use them independently and recover from crime.

The Rainbow Centre supports children and adults, and those caring for them, who are affected by neurological conditions and disabilities, including cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, and head injuries. This is done through a system of learning called Conductive Education. The Conductive Education provided at the Rainbow Centre is a unified system of learning and rehabilitation developed specifically to support people with neurological conditions to overcome the challenges they face in all aspects of their lives.
The centre specialises in supporting children with cerebral palsy and other motor disorders. These conditions can have a significant impact on movement, co-ordination and development. There can be a detrimental effect on all aspects of a child's life. Cash for Kids funded a grant in May 2019 for a new hygienic toileting system to provide greater independence and dignity for less mobile children.

The Regis School of Music provides music lessons to children from 2.5yrs to adults. They provide full and partial bursaries to children from disadvantaged families wishing to have music lessons. The school fundraises to support these bursaries but demand is outweighing their ability to finance the growing number of students. The school received a £1,000 grant to top up their bursary scheme in May 2019 to allow them to offer bursaries for more children and support more families, to make music lessons accessible to all.
The benefit of studying a musical instrument is well researched and widely accepted. In an area on the Indices of Deprivation as Bognor Regis is, the capacity for music lessons to broaden the horizons of children is far reaching, and the impact of this could be felt widely across the community.

Little Acorns is a small setting in a high-deprivation area of Bognor Regis. The staff at the preschool try to ensure that the school has a wide range of resources to help with all areas of learning.
The 2 year old health visitor data for the pre-school is the 8th lowest in the country by ward for speech and language. Many children are not spoken to at home and have limited independent skills. 17% of children in reception class are 'typical' when they join school for literacy which is extremely low – the staff are working hard to improve this by buying resources to support speech and language development in the preschool.

Riverside is a special school with 108 primary school-age pupils with a range of moderate and severe learning difficulties as well as Autism. The catchment area is within the top 10% most deprived wards in England with the deprivation widely held as a multi-dimensional problem.
The children who attend the school have a range of moderate to severe learning difficulties including Autism. Most struggle to maintain attention and attend to their learning and need regular sensory breaks. The school received a grant from Cash for Kids in May 2019 to part-fund the purchase of outdoor sensory equipment.
To have this sensory equipment permanently set up in the school's outside wooded area, would provide an alternative sensory break for the children and give them the opportunity to spend time outside and as well as having access to sensory equipment, which may not be available at home. Many of the parents struggle to access community spaces such as parks and woodlands due to the nature of their child's disability and level of need.

Pals is a social group for 5-12 year olds with mild/moderate disabilities in South East Hampshire. They meet every Sunday to access activities in the community as well as structured sessions on outdoor pursuits, sports, cookery and the arts. Pals encourages and supports the social and emotional development of the young people they work with by instilling independence and self-worth through strong and positive relationships. Pals offers a relaxed and supportive environment, where the young people can really flourish. Pals is run by trained staff and volunteers meaning that families and carers can benefit from some much needed respite.
The team support young people with a range of disabilities; autism, learning difficulties, muscular dystrophy, Downs Syndrome, ADHD, cerebral palsy and mental health issues. These weekly sessions mean that the young people can make friends, learn new skills and gain confidence and independence in a group which is non-judgemental and relaxed.
Enable Ability received a grant in May 2019 to fund a variety of outdoor sessions for the Pals group. These sessions allow many of the young people to experience something new, and will also allow 20+ of our children to gain a nationally recognised certificate in Outdoor Skills as well as helping with conservation in the local community. For some this is their only socialisation outside of school and the home.

Portsmouth City Council is the local authority for people living in PO1-PO6 postcodes, providing a multitude of services from birth to old age. The looked after children's team applied for funding to provide welcome packs for children and young people who are removed from their families, often in extremely traumatic circumstances.
Children and young people are taken into the care of the local authority for many reasons, and all of them will be traumatic to an extent. Many will be removed at very short notice. The disadvantages of these situations vary greatly but are significant. The fostering team want to provide a pack of essentials with the hope that giving a child something of their own at such a horrible time will go a small way to minimize the impact.

Kingsham Primary School received a grant in May 2019 to take a handful of pupils on a 12-week beginners' rock-climbing course.
The children who will benefit from this grant come from low-income families and fall under the pupil premium bracket. These children do not have regular access to extra-curricular activities outside of school and miss out on the sort of opportunities that others may take for granted.

This little girl has to use a wheelchair most of the time, and her family are currently awaiting a diagnosis. Her family applied for a grant to purchase orthopaedic shoes for her to use with her standing frame, to help her maintain stability and give her a bit more independence by being able to use the frame.

For the last 19 years, the community services team within the Rotary Club of Chichester have worked with Health Professionals, Social services, Support Workers, Domestic Abuse Team, Housing Associations, Safe in Sussex and other professionals to support families with nothing. They collect good quality beds, bedding, furniture, clothing, fridges etc., and buy these items in an emergency when they are unable to source them through donations. They help approx. 40 families per month and this number is increasing. Many families are fleeing domestic abuse and hardship.
Cash for Kids funded a grant in May 2019 specifically for children's' items, including bunk beds, cots, underwear, pyjamas, and school uniforms. These items go a small way to helping children who have lost everything rebuild their lives.

Play therapy sessions for a little boy.

The KIDS Smile centre based in Waterlooville provides a wide range of support services to disabled children, young people and their families in Hampshire. KIDS support children with any disability from birth, and support the whole family to ensure disabled children have a brighter future.
Part of the support they offer is to develop motor skills, cognitive abilities, and communication through song, dance, and musical games. Cash for Kids approved a grant in May 2019 for a Soundbeam 6 Big Band kit, to further enhance the support KIDS can offer in this way. The KIDS team will use the equipment to focus on children who are struggling to reach their developmental milestones, and offer support and expertise to children with language and communication difficulties by delivering sessions that encompass a wide range of musical activities.

Tiptoe Primary received a grant in May 2019 to take their pupils with severe learning disabilities and Autism spectrum disorders on regular cycling sessions with an accessible cycling company.
The school had already funded some sessions themselves and reported physical improvement, social benefits and improvements in pupils' self-esteem and confidence.

The British Transplant Games is an annual event promoting the positive effects of sport in transplant recipients. It is an amazing opportunity for children to compete on an even playing field. The Kidney unit at Southampton Childrens Hospital cares for children across nine counties.
Kidney disease is a life-long condition and sadly transplantation is not a cure; these children will need multiple periods of dialysis and several transplants throughout their lifetime. The effects of this on the child, siblings and parents can never be underestimated and as a result, the team at the hospital wanted to support the families to experience life beyond the hospital. This is why Cash for Kids helped to fund the accommodation costs for the Southampton Children's Hospital team in May 2019.
Chronic Kidney Disease is a lifelong condition for which there is no cure. The impact on a family is massive and the psychosocial complications are well researched and documented. Children with a transplant have frequent visits to hospital with blood and other painful tests. There is no cure and in anything from 0-20 years the child will need dialysis or another transplant. Each transplant gets more difficult to match and increases the child's risks of not getting a match and the negative effects. The side effects of transplant and dialysis are life shortening.

When a child is diagnosed with cancer the whole family become sad, the dynamics of the family suffer with stresses and strains of hospital life, and siblings find it hard to adjust too. Hannah's Holiday Home provides free, fun and most importantly "memory making respite breaks" to help these special families.
The whole family are reunited & spend quality time away enjoying fabulous park facilities, entertainment, restaurants, arcades, indoor & outdoor swimming pools, with local beaches, woodlands & lots of outdoor fun. The relaxing environments encourage mental and physical wellbeing for the whole family promoting big smiles on little faces.
Cash for Kids provided £4,800 to the appeal in May 2019 to ensure more families can experience the respite that the holiday home offers. Lengthy hospital stays have meant siblings have missed each other and their parents are left worried and tired. Through the breaks the whole family can forget hospital and cancer life for a short period of time, escape and just be "normal" smile and have fun again. This allows them to recharge physically and mentally allowing them to prepare for the next stage of treatment.

Wetwheels improves disabled children's wellbeing by providing active, participatory, therapeutic outdoor sea-going adventures on board specially designed accessible powerboats. All disabled children can benefit, even those who are often marginalised or excluded due to the severity or complex nature of their impairments or conditions. Wetwheels exists to address the lack of opportunities for disabled children to experience the thrill of the open water; spray on their face, wind in their hair, the roar of the engines, and racing over the waves.
The project funded by Cash for Kids in May 2019 will benefit local disabled children up to the age of 18 by funding four days on the water. 80% of participants have never been on a boat as the opportunity had not existed before Wetwheels—they are open to all disabled people, including those with severe, profound, multiple and complex impairments. Everyone is able to be an active participant (rather than a passive passenger), taking the helm, and experiencing a fast, fun, safe adventure. The experience broadens horizons, improves physical and mental wellbeing, and builds confidence, which in turn improves quality of life.

The Portsmouth Hospitals Charity serves the patients of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust by providing additional facilities, education and equipment to both patients and staff. The charity supports all of the wards and departments throughout the Trust, and received a grant from Cash for Kids in May 2019 for the Children's ED.
The children's ED sees around 28,000 children a year from birth to 18 years, after trauma or illness. The department also deals with a number of children every year who attend due to the death of a loved one due to a traumatic accident or illness. The department received funding from Cash for kids to buy books to help explain bereavement - if it maybe the loss of a sibling, parent, grandparent. They are also using the grant to purchase a few books on depression and mental health for the increasing number of young people they are seeing admitted for these reasons.

Home-Start Hampshire helps disadvantaged families build better lives for their children by offering support to families with at least one child under 5. They have a particular focus on families who are socially excluded and not engaging with other services.
The team in Hampshire plan to run sessions on Maketon, Autism Awareness, Dealing with challenging behaviour in children, learning through play, and school readiness. Cash for Kids funded four workshops—one at each of the four Home-Start sites in Hampshire.
Many of the children referred to Home-Start have special needs, learning delay or a diagnosed condition, e.g. autism. Some are too young to have received a formal diagnosis but, nevertheless, they need additional support to aid their development. For some of the children their delay or lack of engagement is due to lack of parental engagement/involvement due to the parent's physical or mental ill health.

The Elizabeth Foundation provides outstanding education and welfare services to young deaf children and their parents, from the earliest point of diagnosis. Their aim is to teach deaf children to learn to listen through their hearing aid technologies and to develop strong spoken language. By doing so the foundation ensures that even profoundly deaf children can join school at age 5 ready and able to learn and socialise with hearing peers and family. They support parents to come to terms with their child's hearing loss too, giving them the confidence, skills and knowledge to help their child develop their communication skills
All of the children are deaf/hearing impaired & around 40% have additional/complex disability some of which mean the children have to use mobility aids/wheelchairs, including cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, balance problems and autism. The foundation received a grant from Cash for Kids in May 2019 to purchase a water wall and outdoor equipment to support all the children they work with to develop and extend their physical health and outdoor learning/interaction, practising their new found listening and language skills and improving behaviours. In particular the children will play inclusively together - whether in a wheelchair or not.

Off the Record is a young person support and counselling charity; offering free and confidential access to information and support in the form of open ended 1:1 counselling, drop ins, sexual health, managing emotions courses and specific groups and sessions for young carers, both in and out of local schools.
The charity received a grant in May 2019 to take the young carers they work with on a bushcraft respite residential.
Young Carers are those young people who help look after someone in their family who is ill, disabled, or misuses drugs or alcohol. These young people grow up very differently to others of similar ages, and are both more likely to be bullied by their peers and to experience mental health difficulties. This experience will be an opportunity to be with others in similar situations, to take a break from their daily responsibilities and to challenge themselves to try new things and take them out of their comfort zone; building their confidence and expectations of their experiences.

The Challenge & Adventure team work with disadvantaged and challenging young Island people using adventurous activities and tailored support, to build their confidence, raise their self-esteem, and help them to re-engage at home, education and within the community.
Cash for Kids provided a grant to the organisation in May 2019 for the purchase of new waterproof jackets and rucksacks. These will be used by hundreds of young people over the next ten years.
The young people are challenging and disadvantaged and come from many different walks of life, some are excluded from school. We have young people who are in homes, homeless, in foster care or just need support to build confidence. Challenge & Adventure do this through their outdoor activities, as well as working with a training provider to help with certification in English, Maths, and other subjects. The ultimate aim is to get the young people back into education or into employment.

Victoria Education Centre is a special school in Poole offering specialised, high quality education, therapy and care for children aged 3-18. All students have physical disabilities or complex medical/neurological conditions and many have additional needs including communication difficulties, learning difficulties and sensory impairments. The staff work together to make sure all the young people have every chance to achieve their potential. With access to specialist technology and onsite health professionals, the progress they make is often astounding
The children that supported by the school have severe physical disabilities. For children with Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy or similar, riding a two wheeled bicycle may never be a practical option. However, riding an adaptive trike is more than just recreational, it can be medically necessary for a child who cannot walk independently or who sits for long periods in a wheelchair - to strengthen their muscles and make therapy fun. It can increase socialisation and encourage friendships. Using the specially adapted trike can build strength, coordination and stimulate increased motion range whilst giving the child the fun of riding a bike. This is why Cash for Kids funded the purchase of an adaptive trike for the school in May 2019.