VIRUS IS SET TO SNAP RESOLVE OF CHARITY
Classes under threat of cancellation
A lifeline playgroup for children with additional support needs is at risk of being cancelled for the first time in nearly 30 years.
SNAP (Special Needs Adventure Playground) has been based at East Kilbride’s Blacklaw and Mount Cameron primaries for almost all of that time.
But, with South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) not ‘letting out’ public buildings because of the coronavirus pandemic, the “essential service” is in desperate need of somewhere to hold classes this summer.
Sheila Halford, SNAP playscheme manager, told the News: “This is a year like no other and our service is needed more than ever.
“We discovered the schools we had booked will no longer be available to us as the council is not doing any external lets this summer, which is quite understandable.
“The schools need to be prepared for safety when the pupils return in August. But, this leaves us with nowhere to go.”
The group began in 1992 and caters for both primary and secondary pupils, offering a lifeline to the youngsters who enjoy arts and crafts, games, sports, music and drama to name a few activities, with parents enjoying some respite also.
In fact, so important to the area is SNAP, the Care Inspectorate deemed it an “essential service” as a childcare and respite facility.
But such is the current climate,
Lifeline
SNAP playgroup
Sheila and the team are now desperately looking for somewhere to hold their classes from June 29 to July 24.
She added:“We are all prepared to run with everything set out for social distancing, extended cleaning practises, PPE for staff, staffing and financing.
“We are sure there must be private halls in East Kilbride that we could use, but the problem is where are they?
“What we need is a hall where we can carry out social distance sports plus a smaller room or rooms that can have art, sensory or music activities.
“It would also be important to have a disabled toilet.”
Difficult at the best of times, Sheila says lockdown will have taken its toll on a number of families across the town, especially for those with children who have additional needs.
Without a sense of stability, autistic children in particular will have found it hard to cope as lockdown has taken away their routine – and if the summer playscheme can’t go ahead, it would be a“real blow”for service users.
Sheila told us:“Some of our children and families will have had very little or no help, support or contact throughout lockdown and life will have been extremely difficult.
“SNAP is a lifeline for families who come, not only from East Kilbride, but from as far away as Forth and Lesmahagow.
“Under normal circumstances we would normally cater for around 120 kids in total over various sessions – although we would have to run at a reduced capacity this year with no outside trips.
“We propose to run two, two hour sessions with 10 young people each weekday. But our hope is that we can offer something rather than nothing at all.”
A council spokesman said:“The unprecedented nature of the global pandemic means that several arrangements that would normally be in place may not be available.
“Our school community hubs will resume over the summer to help support the children of key workers.
“Community centres and halls are not available for hire at the moment in line with the advice from the Scottish Government.”