Respite centre for children is looking to secure grant
Silverton Short Breaks look for locals to vote so they can continue to provides respite care to children with disabilities
A Silvertonhill-based project for children with disabilities is calling on locals to get behind them to help secure a £6000 funding boost.
Silverton Short Breaks is one of 1061 projects shortlisted for the Royal Bank of Scotland’s CommunityForce scheme.
Members of the public now have to vote to determine which 81 community groups from throughout Scotland will be awarded windfalls of up to £6000.
The Hamilton project provides short term respite care to children with disabilities and is also a support network to families in the local area.
Nearly 80 youngsters with learning and physical disabilities currently use Silverton Short Breaks.
There are six bedrooms in the centre and young people can stay for one night or for several nights at the facility, to give their parents and carers respite.
A funding boost would allow the scheme, which is delivered by Action for Children, to deliver new services such as clown therapy and sensory play sessions.
Silverton Short Breaks’ manager Alan Miller is urging members of the public to vote for the project.
Alan said: “It would be incredible to get this funding, we see that a great opportunity has presented itself and we want to push forward.
“Through hiring a clown at our first fun day last year we found out he was actually a clown doctor. He was really quiet, didn’t wear a lot of make-up, didn’t put on a show and get the children worked up, he was low-key and dealt with them one-to-one. It got a great response from the children.
“Research has found that through clown therapy sessions children have better engagement and quicker recovery skills when they’re in hospital. In a way it’s like professional befriending but it improves youngsters’ confidence, independence, self-esteem and social skills.
“Something like this would better equip our young people for when they reach the age of 18 as there’s a huge gap between children and adult services.
“The way society is at the moment we need to find alternative funding streams, clown therapy could have really positive impacts on the children but we need funding to take it forward.”
The project has been operating in South Lanarkshire for the last five years and is always looking to develop its services.
Children are referred to Silverton Short Breaks through social work, and the level of care and package is dependent on the individual.
Over the last 12 months families using the project have been able to meet and socialise at a summer fun day and this month will be the second annual Halloween party.
Alan said: “It’s normal times of year like Halloween that can be difficult for our families. If the brothers and sisters are going out trick or treating the other child wonders why they can’t, so we’re putting together a big Halloween party.
“It’s good for the children but also for the parents. When you consider that parents don’t have the usual mechanisms they would if their child was going through the mainstream journey and meeting parents and other families at the school gates or groups like the Scouts the party provides emotional support in an informal way.”
As well as a sleep clinic to help children and their families during school hours, there are also regular sessions for parents and carers to meet and talk.
Over the last five months the project has been running an outreach scheme, where youngsters get collected from their homes by Silverton Short Breaks workers and go out to the cinema, bowling or even the farm.
Alan added: “Something so simple as a child coming round to the door on a Saturday morning asking to play is so normal but doesn’t happen to these children because they might need adult supervision or in some cases they’ll go with anyone and have no sense of danger.
“We wanted to give them such a regular experience and at home their families can be too exhausted to have the time to do these things.”
You can vote for the Silverton Short Breaks to receive the funding boost on the RBS CommunityForce website. Voting closes on October 23.
