Now that the craziness of the summer holidays has settled down we’d love to take this opportunity to tell you what we’ve been up to.
Centre Sessions
The care team had an incredibly busy summer holidays and the centre was alive with the buzz of coffee morning and afternoons. Parents got to enjoy the peace and quiet of the lounge upstairs while the fun unfolded downstairs. The theme for the summer was ‘People that Help Us’ and involved a variety of activities around the subject. The topic was adapted to suit every individual child’s abilities as well as interests. Some examples of this include: messy play with toy emergency vehicles, colouring sheets on theme, planned visits from services such as NHS nurse and general discussion of the topic. We try to ensure that sessions at the centre are engaging and explore wider topics to aid the children’s education while they play.
Superstars
Running along side the regular sessions we have also been taking some of the ‘Superstars’ on trips out. The children get to have an immersive day of fun while the parents receive longer respite. We went out to the swimming pool, took a visit to Thorpe Park, enjoyed a trip at the beach and had an adventurous day out at Knockhatch. The children massively benefit from these trips out into the community while parents are able to relax knowing their child is in safe hands all day. Our incredible carers are able to take children to places that parents may find too challenging or overwhelming so they can access new experiences and make great memories.
All Stars
Our ‘All Stars’ group has focused on getting out and about in the community practising essential life skills and having fun. A trip to the Theatre and a session at the local gym have been exciting new experiences and we are incredibly proud of the teenagers for embracing these. A few of our biggest thrill-seeking teenagers enjoyed the giant swing and daunting climbing wall at Branching Out impressing all the on lookers.
In summary we’ve had a great time this summer at the Children’s Respite Trust and look forward to welcoming back the families in October half-term.
