This year, we have forged strong links with Social Services, other voluntary organisations (especially Somerset Impact and SCOPE) and have been asked to undertake work for and with them. While we intend to continue our intensive work with Somerset and the former County of Avon special schools, we are also very interested in working with children who have special needs during out-of-school periods.

PLAYDAYS

Playdays have been run for the Bishop Sutton disabled group playscheme and for Radstock Gateway Club.

BIRTHDAY PARTY

Children’s World’s 18th birthday was due to be celebrated with performances, games and activities in the Abbey Park Playground on 29 May, but, sadly, rain stopped play at the very last moment!

SOCIAL SERVICES GIGS

We have formed strong links with Somerset Impact this year, and in liason with them, Somerset County Council Social Services, SCOPE and Barnardos Inclusion Project ran play facilities for 6 mornings throughout Somerset while Social Services and Impact were running consultancy meetings with parents/carers. This was a great success. Paddy Hill and Charlie Miller ran music workshops, there was badge making and inflatables and ball pool, lots of parachute games as usual, and our new Sensory Dome which was very much appreciated.

Adrian Wells of Sedgmoor Social Services wrote:

"Working with such a high quality childcare provider as Children’s World made a significant positive impact on our recent Carers’Act Consultation Sessions. Parents were able to leave their children in the hands of skilled playworkers in complete confidence, knowing that their children would be safe, and more importantly, having a good time — as a Local Authority, we were then able to hold our consultations with parents in a much more positive atmosphere".

Janet Disney, Development Co-Ordinator of Somerset Impact wrote:

"Children’s World are members of Somerset Impact, who were delighted to promote them to Social Services to co-ordinate fun play activities with the children, while their parents talked about their needs as carers of disabled children. 99 parents booked into the six sessions countywide, and 139 children, 78 with special needs, using 42 carers, many working one to one, as well as the Children’s World Team each day. Many parents expressed the point that this was the first opportunity there had been for them to attend with all their children, who were well entertained and cared for — and one commented that it was such a treat to be able to enjoy coffee and cream cakes on her own without her children around! The expertise and skills of the carer supporters was crucial in enabling the children to enjoy all the activities, and their views and ideas on improvements were sought by the Children’s World team at the end of session debrief each day. Parents have since commented that their children had a wonderful, fun time, and at least one little boy was known to have cried all the way home when he was told he couldn’t go again the next day! There have been many requests for more family days such as these, and it is hoped to work with Children’s World again."

Margaret Pilbeam, Community Fieldworker for SCOPE, wrote:

" I wish to record my thanks and congratulations for the work and achievements of Children’s World in Somerset during the past year. Education does not start and end at the school gates and disabled children are telling us all the time that they want to be included in out of school opportunities and fun. The contribution Children’s World has made this year in Somerset towards this goal, removing the barriers and bringing disabled and non-disabled children together has been invaluable. The series of consultation events proved to be an excellent example of what can be achieved by statutory and voluntary agencies working together. I do hope that Children’s World will continue to bring their enthusiasm, expertise and exciting activities to more out of school projects and initiatives during the next year and indeed the next millennium."

(Since August 1999 we have already undertaken additional workshops for TAG at their AGM, sessions for MENCAP at their "Children First" Day and for SCOPE at their Consultancy Day with teenagers who have special needs. There are further bookings in the diary for work with Yeovil Social Services, Gateway Clubs, The Yeovil Centre, SCOPE, Somerset Impact for "Family Days" and further "Consultation Days" and also playgroups for children with special needs. Though we have worked for 18 years now in Special Schools, we have never before done much work with children when they are not at school, and we are really delighted to be undertaking more out-of-school work, and feel that it is a real step forward in our work for children with special needs. We would like to credit Margaret Pilbeam of SCOPE with dragging us into this area — thank you Maggie!)