In Funding Stories, Reducing isolation & disadvantage

Project: Transport provision to enable families to benefit from the playgroup
Grant awarded: £5,000
Fund: HoB General

Marlow Opportunity Playgroup is a specialist pre-school for children under 5 with complex and profound needs.

Their aim is to enable all children, whatever their needs, the opportunity to enjoy a pre-school education in a caring, experienced and stimulating environment. They offer all activities associated with a pre-school, adapted to include all children in the setting who are provided with a very high level of support (mainly 1:1) from trained, experienced and motivated staff.

The children in their setting have a wide range of needs: cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and many medical and neurological conditions. Several of our children have life limiting conditions. Without the high level of support and expertise we offer, these children would be unable to access a pre-school education.

Jane Gibbons, playgroup leaders says ‘’This grant has enabled the beneficiaries to attend our specialist setting and therefore receive the support and education necessary for their needs. Without this grant these children would not have received the appropriate input and consequently made the progress they have during this year.

“For the families of these children, they know their children are benefiting from the right setting to meet their needs and are being transported by a reliable, trustworthy and experienced team.”

One child who is transported two days per week through the service funded by Heart of Bucks has made great progress with his initial separation issues from his family. Initially, this child was very upset when away from his mother and grandmother and the grandmother would accompany the child on the transport. Through perseverance and the familiarity of the transport team, the child (and family’s) trust grew to the point that he is now delighted to see the transport team at the end of the playgroup session.