The £4,000 grant will help the Ipswich Opportunity Group continue to run three sessions per week for their clients in the Ipswich area. Ipswich Opportunity Group is a registered charity set up in 1991 to support families who have pre-school children with a wide range of special needs/disabilities, including physical, sensory and learning difficulties. It is managed by a voluntary management committee which includes parents and professionals. They support 40-50 pre-school age children annually, as well as their siblings and parents. Children can stay until the age of five, which is when they transition into primary school or other education settings.
During the sessions the charity provide appropriate play activities including creative, constructive and physical play. They use a variety of communication methods to engage the children, including signing, photos and the Picture Exchange Communication System.
Parents benefit from having time to socialise together, and share their lived experiences; providing guidance, support and friendship to one another. Having a disabled child can be very isolating as the children have such high dependency needs they have to be supervised at all times. Some of the children have mobility problems and are unable to move on their own which means parents and carers do not have any time to themselves increasing their isolation. The children benefit from socialising with other children in a safe environment. Many of the children supported can be disadvantaged because of their disabilities and their opportunities within their community and within society are limited.
Many of the children Ipswich Opportunity Group work with have a number of professionals involved, and the charity is able to support both the children and their families to work towards their goals – whether it is speech and language or occupational therapy. The multisensory approach and specialist provision enable a consistent holistic and therapeutic service. A supportive service at the beginning of a long and difficult journey for parents and children who are often overlooked elsewhere. All sessions are provided by experienced and qualified Play Workers and supported by trained and DBS checked volunteers. The Ipswich Opportunity Group is registered with Ofsted and follows the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
The grant from Suffolk Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.
Cheryl King, Co-ordinator of the Ipswich Opportunity Group, said:
'We’re very grateful to Suffolk Freemasons for their generous grant, which will support our work with pre-school children with additional needs and disabilities. It’s clear that parents of children attending our groups notice a significant improvement in their child’s engagement and communication skills, which are critically important as they move into formal education.'
Kelvin Avis from Suffolk Freemasons, added:
'I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help the Ipswich Opportunity Group with their hugely important sessions for children with these conditions. The sessions help not only the children but also their parents who can become isolated as a result of their caring duties.'
