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About Us

North Wilts Holiday Club for Children & Young People with Special Needs is a registered charity run by volunteers. Our group began as a voluntary community group over 20 years ago, started by local people because there were no play schemes and activities accessible to children with special needs. We have been a registered charity since 1998. We are run by a voluntary management committee, mostly made up of members' parents, and all funds are raised by volunteers.

Our only paid staff are the qualified and experienced childcare staff who provide individual care and support for our members during activities. Their wages are by far our highest expense and 95% of our overall income is spent directly on providing activities and support for our members.

We have no compulsory charges for our members. Families with a disabled member have higher costs and often a lower income (as a result of care needs etc) and we do not want any young person to be excluded for financial reasons. It would not be possible for members to cover the full cost of their place

Why we are needed

Most children look forward to the summer holidays but for many of our members and their families the holidays can bring stress, frustration and isolation. The summer holidays is the period in the year when support from statutory and other agencies is most limited, leaving families with disabled children under extreme pressure. Children attending specialist education may not have the opportunity to make friends in the local community and may become isolated during holidays, especially in rural areas such as North Wilts.

Accessible Leisure

Our activities are the only source of accessible leisure and recreation for many young people with special needs in North Wiltshire during the summer holidays; young people with disabilities and special needs miss out on many of the experiences that most young people are able to enjoy.

A survey of parents of children with a disability by 'Contact a Family' (2002) revealed the 'shocking extent of their childrens exclusion from ordinary leisure opportunities and their families resulting isolation from a world that most of us take for granted'.

There is still a huge need for more accessible activities for young people with special needs, particularly those with multiple and complex disabilities and high individual care needs, and for respite provision for exhausted families who are often left to take care of their child 24/7 during the long summer 'holidays' Find out more about our members

Independence, confidence and social skills

Most young people enjoy a choice of fun activities during the holidays. The support and access needs of our members mean that they miss out on many activities and may have very little social life during the 'holidays'.

We believe they deserve some fun, and we are the only holiday club/play scheme in North Wiltshire accessible to most of our members. Growing up means making our own choices and friends, and becoming more independent and confident. The high support needs of our members mean that they rarely have the opportunity to choose their own activities and socialise away from family or teachers. Our high staff ratio and child-centred ethos enable members to be supervised and supported in their chosen activities, an important aspect of Holiday Club. Find out more about our aims and ethos

Respite for Carers

Many families are left to provide 24 hour support during the summer 'holidays' which also impacts on siblings who may also assist in care of the disabled child. They are also less likely to have family, friends and neighbours able to provide informal childcare to enable parents to go shopping etc. Basic daily tasks such as shopping may be impossible; our activities give parents the chance to go shopping, catch up on household chores, spend time with their other children or just have a few hours break.