Royal seal of approval for a very special Sussex charity
The founder of a Crawley charity was delighted to have a very special visitor last Wednesday.
HRH Duchess of Edinburgh visitedsupersiblings,asupport groupforchildrenwhohavedisabled brothers and sisters, and founder and chief executive Sophie Smart was delighted her groupwasrecognisedinthisway.
Her Royal Highness spent timewithchildrenwhoattended the group and spoke to children abouthowtoughitcanbehaving an SEN brother or sister.
The Duchess showed her admiration for everyone involved in the group, which is based at Manor Green College, and took time to praise the children and parents, as well as show her understanding of what home life must be like.
Sophiesaid:“wehaveknown quite a few months in advance. I getquitenervousaboutthiskind of thing but they could not have made it more comfortable.
"Giving our children the recognition is what’s it’s all about. Someoneliketheduchesswantingtoseewhattheyaredoing,it’s amazing.theyneededtoberecognised.
“Theduchesswasreallysupportive and said how amazing it is and she said how she understands how needed this is.”
Sophie also beamed with pride about how the children who were there for the visit engaged with the special visitor.
“I could just scoop them all up,”shesaid.“icouldn'tbemore proud. It was just beautiful. Her Royal Highness got completely involvedwiththechildren,there was nothing the children were doingaroundherthatwasn’tok. She was just fab.”
Supersiblings,whichwasset up in 2018, was borne out of Sophie’s own experience.
Sophie describes Super Siblingsasa‘timeandplacetheycan come, and come first. It’s a time where they can do what they need to do. It’s a time for them to talk and discuss their feelings, their fears. If they want to talk about their SEN siblings as well they can, but if they want to forget about their caring role, and forget about home, they can do that too’.
And Super Siblings is a unique group. “There is nothing out there like us,” said Sophie. “There are a few charities out there who support siblings of disabled children in a way of counselling, late support in life with jobs.
"My aim for this was just allowing children to be children because that is what is taken away at such a young age.”