Charity's new sensory van is making a difference to the lives of children across Shropshire
A new mobile sensory van is making a difference to the lives of children across Shropshire.
The Shrewsbury-based Little Rascals Foundation has kitted out a van donated by Greenhous with a host of sensory equipment, to provide a portable experience for children with special educational needs (SEN).
The van can be hired out by schools and other organisations, and is also making free visits those who have expressed an interest in hosting it.
The van is an extension of the sensory room provision already provided at not-for-profit Little Rascals' base on Welshpool Road in Bicton Heath.
The organisation was set up by David Edwards, former Shrewsbury Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wales footballer, and his friend Ben Wootton.
It celebrates its 10th anniversary in November.
David said that the idea for the van had come from the manager Jessica Palmer-Jones, and follows the success of the rooms created at the organisation's first site, then at its new and current home at Bicton Heath.
David also explained how the organisation had come up with the initial idea for a sensory room.
He said: "We were thinking of ideas of what we can do and then Ben's previous job that he was in was helping children with disabilities, especially special educational needs, and he said there was a real lack here in Shropshire for services, things for the kids to do, things for the family to do, so we brought that into Little Rascals, and adapted the play centre, made a sensory room in there, and it was a huge hit straight away.
"We have had specific days that which would just be for sort of children and their families with SEN to come to, and disabilities, and it was nice for them knowing that the general public was not going to be there, and it was going to be a really safe environment."
He added: "We had a sensory room at the old centre and we had a year or so here where we didn't have a sensory room and we really missed it and how much it could help the kids so we did a big fundraising challenge initially to get that built.
"I had a charity match actually, Wolves vs Shrewsbury, which went a long way to raising the funds, and as soon as we built that, Jess our manager had this dream of hers - can we take it on wheels and can we take it to people who can't necessarily get to the centre?
"And with the help of Greenhous who have really sort of helped us with the funding and the van, and then obviously other fundraisers that we do, and other people helping us with money, we've been able to create this.
"It has not been fully functioning for long but it is already making a huge difference and it is something we are really proud of."
Jessica said: "The idea of the van was to have this resource available for nurseries, schools, places that don't necessarily have a functional sensory room to use for those children with additional needs, so once a week we will go out to a different school or organisation and let them use it for the day free of charge as part of the charity initiative."
David added: "It is run on a needs basis so organisations or people who want to use it have the opportunity to fill in an application and free of charge it will to go out to them, and then also if you want to rent it and do it and all the money goes back to the charity.
"We're a complete non-profit here at Little Rascals, even when it is open to the general public; every penny goes back into the foundation."
Learn more and contact Little Rascals at https://www.uklittlerascals.com/.
