The continuation of school holiday play sessions for Coping with CHAOS is assured, thanks to a grant of £5,000 from The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund.

The service, which is operated by Diverse Abilities, offers sessions which can be attended by the whole family. They also give parents a chance to meet others in similar situations. Taking place every day in the school holidays they are a constantly evolving programme of activities and sessions throughout Dorset for children and young people aged five to 19 years old with disabilities and their families.

One parent said: “Without CHAOS it is unlikely that my children would be able to access or enjoy the wider community and would be entirely isolated in their family home. We have no other respite and little positive opportunities to spend time with the siblings.”

Clare Rochford, service manager, said: “We are so thrilled to receive this donation from The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund; it will truly make a huge difference in our day to day provision of activities. This year, more than ever, our families will need respite over the holidays, so it’s crucial that we continue to raise the funds needed to be able to provide this valuable support.”

Set up in 2008 in honour of the late Maria Björnson, the fund supports artistic enterprises, arts-related activities and individual artists.

Last year Coping with CHAOS supported 125 children, who received support both remotely and in-person amidst the changing COVID-19 legislation. Safety precautions have included creating ‘social bubbles’ between families, reducing the amount of venues for play sessions, and additional hours for cleaning.

Visit diverseabilities.org.uk/coping-with-chaos for further details about the service.