Diverse Abilities, Dorset’s disability charity, is delighted to announce that the children’s team has expanded its play sessions during the school holidays into North Dorset to accommodate children with disabilities, and their siblings, providing families a much-needed break or the chance to meet parents in a similar situation.
Sessions will commence during February half-term and will include indoor and outdoor activities at Durweston Village Hall; a session at Blandford Forum Leisure Centre with soft play and gym equipment, a bouncy castle and the opportunity to have fun in the swimming pool with water features, toys and a water flume and also the chance to use the hydrotherapy pool with sensory lighting, projectors and music at Sturminster Newton Stour Vale Centre.
Jasmine Kellaway-Moore, who runs the sessions, said: “We are very excited to be able to run activities in North Dorset, reaching out to more families that need us. The purpose of the sessions are to support the whole family and to provide children and young people with disabilities to access fun activities with their sibling.”
Sessions are also held across other areas of Dorset, including Poole and Bournemouth, and the Children’s Team supported 402 children and young people with disabilities, and their families in 2015. Activities include gym and tramp at Rossmore Leisure Centre and a trip to Lemur Landings at Tower Park.
Jasmine added: “Many families that have attended our play sessions say that without these sessions their children wouldn’t have opportunities to play, because many mainstream clubs won’t accommodate disabled children. Therefore providing the sessions to wider Dorset is fantastic news as we can offer our support to even more families in the county.”
A parent whose child attends play sessions in Poole said: “The service has helped our family enormously over the years. Summer seemed such a daunting stretch of difficult outings and restrictions but Diverse Abilities opened up our options and gave us a reason to enjoy outings as a whole family.”
The Children’s Team also require new staff members to help run the sessions and support children and young people with disabilities and their siblings. Please visit www.diverseabilities.org.uk/jobs for more information.
For further information regarding the sessions please visit www.diverseabilities.org.uk/playopportunities or call 01202 855105.
