Parents plan to launch a new charity for Sligo
A group of local parents who have children with disabilities has just revealed plans for a new charity.
The parents who are already part of the campaign group ‘Our Voice for their Future’ now want to launch a charity of the same name. But the ambitious project is only in its infancy stage and much funding is required before they can get it off the ground.
Spokeswoman Yvonne Rainey explains: “We want to become a charitable organisation because we want to open an all inclusive support centre for families in the North West region.”
Yvonne envisages that the facility would be more than just a drop-in centre: “It would also house a large play area adapted for children with special needs, sensory quiet rooms, a disabled toilet and a cafe.”
She says: “We would have information stands for parents who need advice on how to access services for their children and in the long term we would love to be in a position to hire in therapists part-time to treat children and to help subsidise therapy costs for families.”
The group has made inquiries and has been assured it meets the criteria for charity status. The next step is to secure an initial cost of €2,500 which is required to apply to become a charity.
In terms of a potential site or building Yvonne says if possible the charity will rent a space in an industrial estate on the outskirts of town. “What we need is ground floor level access with good space. To start off we are hoping that someone could donate a space for a while and allow us to put up plaster board walls to section off areas. It’s important that we can have a chill out zone for these kids and universal play area also with a trampoline built into the ground for example,” she says.
Yvonne, who is the mother of an autistic child herself made the point that it is dif- ficult for children like her son to play in a large indoor play area like other children.
“It can be too much for them, a sensory overload and they can have melt downs,” she says, “The space we want to create will be inclusive for all children. The siblings of kids with disabilities will also be able to play.”
‘Our Voice for Their Future’ which has been protesting for better mental health services for their children is appealing to the public to support their calls to become a charity. Yvonne says: “At the moment we can accept donations. We’ve received the backing of politicians including Mark MacSharry TD, Martin Kenny TD and councillors Thomas Walsh and Gino O’Boyle. They are all actively looking for a space for us.”
She concluded: “If we can raise the €2,500 to allow us get charitable status then the charity ‘Our voice for their future North West’ will be in a position to start the serious business of fundraising for this support centre which once operational will help so many families in this region.”