Thanks to funding from North Berwick Trust, Can Do have been able to support North Berwick children and young people with disabilities to experience fun, friendship and adventure!
Can Do (SCO49885) are a registered charity based in North Berwick who work across the county to ensure disabled young people have opportunities for regular social interaction with their peers. The charity provides full support, from administration of medication, provision of personal care, de-escalation of distressed behaviours, adoption of alternative communication techniques, and the management of epileptic seizures. This level of support enables young people to access provisions independently from their parent/carers improving the wellbeing of the whole family.
The charity operate school holiday playschemes and weekly youth clubs for young people aged 5-18 years, with a wide range of health disabilities and complex health needs.
The charity supported six children over the 18 month funded period to enjoy a variety of activities including swimming, arts & crafts, music therapy, loose parts play, sports days, trips to the cinema, visits to East Links Family Park, Blair Drummond Safari Park and a trek with the John Muir Alpaca’s.
The charity provided experienced workers to support the children, ensuring they could fully participate in all the activities provided. The children were also joined by a team of volunteers from East Lothian schools providing befriending support, making the environment a fun, youthful and inclusive provision. The project has mutual benefit in enhancing volunteer skills, experience and employability through the life skills, communication techniques and training received.
Parents, carers, and families benefited from planned, regular respite, and have time to enjoy their own activities and hobbies, safe in the knowledge that their young person is cared for and having fun.
Transport was provided to and from the settings. This ensured equity of access for all members. The children are allocated to a location based upon their care needs. The young people supported from North Berwick, require access to specialist equipment (hoists, standing frames, same level access, mobility swings, secure/fobbed buildings) which cannot be provided in their hometown. The base utilised in Tranent and Haddington best suited the complex health needs of the young people attending. They had the equipment, access and resources in situ that give members freedom, choice, and control once they are in the buildings. It also extended the length of respite for families and carers. Primarily it gave the children attending an opportunity to travel with friends, something disabled young people don’t often experience.
“My son loves that his friends come and knock on his door for him to go to Playscheme. This is something he has often seen happen for his brothers, whilst he was stuck at home with only us his parents for company. Playscheme has given my son that feeling of friendship and inclusion, and he looks forward to the bus arriving each day.” (Playscheme parent, 2024).
Below are some quotes from a recent evaluation from parents and young people:
“Youth club gives my son a great opportunity to gain confidence with independence and socialising”.
“Youth Club means everything to us as a family and individually for my son as it gives us a little break to spend quality time with his brother but it also gives him a chance to just be himself without being judged…in the years that he has been attending Can Do his confidence has risen to a level we never thought he would get to.”
” It is a really nice place to go because it lets me relax, enjoy myself and just be me!”- I think Youth Club is a fun thing and helps me build confidence and make friends.”
Can Do also extended their offering, partnering with another local charity East Lothian Play Association (SC050202) to deliver weekly inclusive outdoor play sessions for children with ASN, their families and friends on Milsey Beach throughout July and August 2023. This was supported by NB beach wheelchairs to make the sessions fully accessible.
The ‘PlayCan’ sessions offered; Guttering stands, paddling, singing, chattering, sandcastles, water play, kites, balls, rounders, sensory activities, ball run, musical instruments, drumming, scavenger hunts, environmental art, singing songs, waving the parachute, sitting in the bucket of water, jumping off high walls, digging holes, hammock, imaginary play, rope pulling, saving jellyfish, potion making, sand kitchen, rock pooling, building sandcastles, chalking, mud kitchen and paddling in the sea.
Attendance varied from 14 – 68 children per week.
Feedback shared:
Staff note: “One family used beach wheelchair allowing siblings to access beach together. Groups that didn’t arrive together were playing together forming relationships. Parents got involved, saying it was a nice surprise to stumble across PlayCan. “
Staff note: “A group came along today for the first time with two young people who were adopted, one of whom has Autism. One of the young people mentioned that they were a young carer for their sibling. They really enjoyed the session and said if we were not there they would have just sat. The adults they were with were able to take a seat and let them play freely for the duration of the session.”
To find out more about Can Do and how you can get involved visit www.can-do.scot or follow them on social media @candoscot on Facebook, Instagram and X.
