SPACE Cheshire, who provides accessible play and support to children with additional needs and their families, was awarded a £41,668 grant in September 2023 from the Steve Morgan Foundation. This grant allowed them to increase provisions for childcare outside of school hours for children with additional needs, an area that they had identified a gap in due to no local Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools providing after school clubs in the area.
SPACE predominantly supports families across Cheshire and the Wirral. It was founded in 2014 by a group of parents of children with disabilities and additional needs that were frustrated by the lack of appropriate and accessible play resources. This led to the opening of their own play centre in January 2019, which now boasts a large fully accessible two-storey play frame, soft play area, fully fitted and padded sensory room, a versatile activity room, changing place (with hoist), a parent’s room, chill out area, an accessible kitchen and a family café.
Following the SMF grant, SPACE now runs its Activity Club from Monday-Friday in term-time and caters for 10 children each session. These after school clubs not only offer much needed respite for parents and carers, but enables countless families to continue working, knowing that the provisions are there to provide an opportunity for their children with additional needs to make new friends, learn new skills and, most importantly, have fun and promote independence.
Lead by CEO Jemma Gregory, the SPACE team now has 20 members of staff, which include an Operations Manager, Play Coordinators, a team of Playworkers and 10 dedicated volunteers that commit their own time to the charity. Alongside the after school clubs, the team also provides information, guidance and the opportunity for peer support to parents and carers with the recognition that their role is integral to the health and wellbeing of children with additional needs. The funding from the Steve Morgan Foundation provides peace of mind that they can continue to offer this vital support.