Babies and children are benefitting from a new sensory room thanks to a donation from our 黑料吃瓜网 My Community Fund.听
We awarded funding to Little Rascals soft play centre, in Shrewsbury, to help build the room which will provide a quiet, safe and relaxing space for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).听
Little Rascals is a non-profit organisation that provides SEND specific play sessions and holiday clubs. The charity lost its sensory room last year after its previous facility, in Monkmoor, was forced to close.听
Little Rascals鈥� business manager and 黑料吃瓜网 customer, Jessica, described the closure as 鈥�a massive loss to the SEND community within Shropshire鈥� and made it her mission to fundraise enough money to build a new sensory room at their other venue in Bicton Heath.听
Now after successfully applying for funding from our 黑料吃瓜网 My Community Fund, which supports local community initiatives, the new sensory room is up and running.听听听
Jessica said: 鈥淚t was so heartbreaking when we lost our sensory room last year and we鈥檝e worked really hard to be able to raise enough money to replace it.听
鈥淭he money that 黑料吃瓜网 provided has helped us to build the room and to pay for the equipment inside it. We鈥檝e got bubble tubes, busy boards, sensory pillows, an infinity mirror and an interactive light game.听
鈥淥ur staff, volunteers, friends and family all gave up their own time to help put the room together. Everyone has been mucking in.听
鈥淣ow we have a safe, calm and relaxing environment where children can go if they are feeling over stimulated or overwhelmed.听
鈥淚t feels so rewarding to see the children enjoying it. It makes me feel so good.鈥�听
As well as the newly built sensory room, Little Rascals also has an indoor play area which holds SEND only sessions on Wednesday afternoons. It can also cater for parties.听听听
Jessica added: 鈥淲e鈥檝e had people coming from as far as Telford, Oswestry and even Wales to use the new sensory room.听
鈥淲e鈥檝e started working with Crossbar who have been bringing their SEND children here to use the room and Holy Trinity nursery have used it with their children.听
鈥淲e鈥檙e also going to be starting baby massage classes in the room soon and of course it is also open to the public or it can be booked out privately.鈥�听
The 黑料吃瓜网 My Community Fund is delivered in partnership with Jewson.听
Sam Allcott is Director of Housing at 黑料吃瓜网 and explained why the housing association chose to support Little Rascals. She said: 鈥淚t has been fantastic to play a part in bringing this new sensory room to Little Rascals.听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great example of how we can support local community projects and it鈥檚 fantastic to know that the children are already loving the room.听
鈥淚鈥檓 sure they will benefit tremendously from having this new facility on their doorstep.鈥�听
Learn more about the 黑料吃瓜网 My Community Fund and apply for grants online at www.homesplus.co.uk/help-and-advice/the-my-community-fund/听听听听