Charity News from Moneyway

'It's surprising how with just a little time and effort, what a difference we can all make, nice one!'

The simple truth of the matter is that every single snippet of support, however large or small makes a real difference to someone's life. We would all like to think we had a choice in how we live our lives but in reality this is very often not the case.

This is our chance to give a little back…these are the charities that won our hearts...

S.N.A.P

S.N.A.P is an adventure playground in Cannock. It is specially designed for children with special needs. All the equipment and facilities are designed with disabled children in mind however able bodied children also have the opportunity to play alongside disabled children. This can help build a vital bond within families especially if a parent has both disabled and able bodied children.

S.N.A.P gives children with mental, physical and emotional conditions a safe and friendly environment where they can play. For many children it is the first time they have been able to play and interact in this way, for example many of the disabled children ride a bike for the first time at S.N.A.P.

This also gives parents an opportunity to chat and share their experiences as well as receive some respite.
The inside facilities include: a ball pool and activity centre, a light and sensory room, a room where children can draw, model clay or use IT equipment and lots of indoor toys such as a huge keyboard which can be activated by rolling on it.
The outdoor facilities include: A sensory garden, specially adapted bikes, a sandpit with adapted diggers, an Arial runway, specially adapted swings, a roundabout, slides and activity centers and an area with benches where people can sit down.
In order to raise money S.N.A.P host children's parties throughout the year. They also hold other events with forthcoming attractions…. Caribbean Night on Saturday 14th July and a Christmas fair.
Interested in finding out more... www.snap95.co.uk

St Mary's Hospice

Birmingham St Mary's Hospice makes the small changes that can make the big difference to people's lives.

They care for over 1,000 people each year suffering from life-limiting illnesses such as Cancer, Motor Neurone Disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

Their aim is to give people the best possible quality of life for whatever time remains to them, supporting them and their families, for as long as they need us.

Their facilities include a private flat on site which enables people to have a little extra privacy whilst receiving round the clock care, a large garden area where patients can sit outside and enjoy the gardens or have their beds taken outside and a private chapel for reflection.

St Mary's care not only for the patient but also for their family offering bereavement support for as long as the family need.

St Mary's also offer care within the community, they have a large team of nurses who go out to peoples homes and care for them

St Mary's also hold many events throughout the year, they raised money for The Great Midlands Fun Run on the 3rd of June 2007 and the Christmas Bazaar on Saturday 17th November 2007.

For more information visit… www.bsmh.org.uk

The Foundation for Conductive Education

The Foundation provides practical direct services for children and adults with movement disabilities caused by disease or damage to the central nervous system.

People with conditions such as cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and those who have had a head injury or stroke can benefit from this teaching and learning approach. Conductive Education teaches many life skills which allow its visitors to become more independent in everyday life. This can make a huge difference to the amount of care needed in the future.

They provide groups for children from six months to adolescence, ranging from short part-time sessions, to full time school placements, including the Foundation Stage and National Curricula. We also provide rehabilitation for adults, teaching them skills to overcome some of the physical problems caused by their disabilities and provide workshops for family and careers.

CE can help by teaching strategies to ensure maximum use of existing movements and the ability to learn how to perform new movements in different ways. The school and sessional service provide the practical base for our internationally recognised degree course, run in conjunction with the University of Wolverhampton.
Conductive Education hold different events throughout the year to help raise money.

For more information visit www.conductive-education.org.uk