The SEND Den

Aim: To open a inclusive multisensory centre for children and adults with disabilities..

Hi everyone, we are looking for your support and donations to help open The SEND Den 😊 

Myself and Hannah have got many years experience between us working with children and families with SEND. We have a clear understanding of how our local families will benefit from The SEND Den and what is needed within the centre. We have a personal understanding around SEND aswell as professional. 

We will soon be applying for our first grant but most funders want to see that we have been able to fundraise a little ourselves first and have the community support. So we are asking for your support. 

The centre will be in the Lancaster District. 

The closest centre we have is in Preston (SPACE) which is fantastic but for many children with disabilities travelling can be a challenge. Travelling 45-60 minutes away can be daunting for parents/carers with unpredictable traffic issues or potential medical problems along the way.  We have lot's of fantastic organizations and facilities children can access but these are are typically on a pre booked basis with limited spaces. We don't have a facility available for parents to take children with disabilities without having to think far ahead of time. We want to open The SEND Den which will be a place families can access like the rest of the community can access soft place centres.  The local soft play centres are also fantastic but they can be overwhelming for children with disabilities, they are typically very busy, noisy and don't offer the facilities a lot of our SEND children require. 

Parents/carers and children are becoming isolated particularly in the winter months when maybe they just need to get out of the house because their children need a change of scenery or maybe even themselves. I know parents/carers of children with SEND won't be offended when I say having a child with disabilities is not easy, dealing with regular challenging behaviours, medical conditions, appointments and much much more.  

We want the centre not only to be a great safe and fun place for the children, but it will be fantastic for parents/carers to be with families who are experiencing similar difficulties. Parents/carers can too become isolated which is having effects on mental health. It will become a community! Parents/carers need each other. This centre will open the chance for some social time, making new friendships and much more. If we can get this centre up and running the staff will be experienced within SEND and not only help with the running of the centre but also be 'play staff'  to give parents / careers a little break while with us. They will know that our staff are around the centre interacting and keeping their children safe. This will give parents some reassurance that like any other play centre there children can run of to play in a safe environment. We also know how many families struggle to find a suitable place to take the whole family when some of the children may not be neurotypical and some are. The SEND Den will be inclusive for siblings.

Here are some of the things that  we would like the centre to have:

Hoisting systems to help the non mobile children. Mobile as well as ceiling tracking. 

Suitable and safe changing facilities.

A quite sensory room.

A wet room. ( for those who love nothing more than a splash! )

A soft play area for the more abled children.

Vibrating mats and swings throughout.

Messy play room.

If we have the capacity - A specialist hair dressers. 

A room designed for the more profoundly disabled children who are more vulnerable and may be at risk of been accidentally injured.

A small kitchen to provide snacks / drinks. 

A family room for inclusion of siblings. 

This is a big project and we know will be extremely costly. Unfortunately we are not in a financial position to get this off the ground ourselves.  So we are looking at every option possible, fund raising, crowdfunding, local business support, local schools etc. This is something we are really passionate about and know the community is in need of it. I put a post out on my personal social media to check we where right in thinking it was needed and the response has been phenomenal which has backed up our initial thoughts. 

We can't thank you enough for the support in advance.

We are excited to bring The SEND Den to you soon.

Kelly & Hannah