Swings & Smiles

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the therapeutic Halloween party scheduled for Saturday 2nd November from 2pm until 4.30pm is NOW being held on Sunday 3rd November from 1pm until 3pm. To book your space, please contact office@swingsandsmiles.co.uk.

Last month, we were over the moon to find out we had been nominated for the Kings' Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) 🎉 We are incredibly proud of this achievement - it’s a reflection of all the hard work our team dedicates to making a difference to local disabled children and their families. CEO of Swings & Smiles Rhonda Nicklin said: “The nomination truly means the world to us - it’s a reflection of the hard work all of our volunteers and team members dedicate to the service we offer. By working together, we’ve been able to achieve something incredible.” “No child should ever miss out on the opportunity to play. We provide accessible equipment and spaces so that no matter how complex a child’s needs may be, we can welcome them. It has been a joy to watch our visiting children blossom and our families thrive during their time with us.” The awardees are to be announced on the King’s Birthday on Thursday 14th November. #KingsAward #Achievement #Charity #Berkshire

Teddy, who comes to Swings & Smiles, started his challenge of virtually climbing Mount Everest in August to raise money for us via the Escalator Project. We're proud to let you know he has now finished his challenge travelling 64.2 km! His final walk to reach his target was a walk to our play centre. Not only has he smashed his challenge, but he and his mum Rachel raised over £500 for Swings & Smiles. We're so grateful that a family we support would fundraise for us in this way. Congratulations and thank you Teddy 😊 #Challenge #ThankYou #Swings&Smiles #Charity

🌟 A Huge Thank You to Thorngrove School! 🌟 We are incredibly grateful to Thorngrove School for their fantastic support of Swings & Smiles! 🎉 Your generosity and kindness will make a real difference in the lives of the children and families we work with. It’s partnerships like this that help us make a lasting impact. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive community! 💙 #ThankYou #CommunitySupport #SwingsAndSmiles #Inclusion #ThorngroveSchool

It’s World Mental Health Day 🌎 Navigating being a parent or sibling of a child with a disability can be challenging both mentally and emotionally. At Swings & Smiles, families don’t have to walk alone. We provide our families with the opportunity to share their experiences with others who are going through similar challenges. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where open conversations are encouraged, connections are made, and no one feels isolated. Find out more about World Mental Health Day here: https://ow.ly/Zv7P50TBaSv #WorldMentalHealth2024 #Support #Disability #Charity

Support Swings & Smiles through the Co-op Local Community Fund! 💛 Co-op members can vote for us to receive additional funding so we can continue to provide vital respite care and play services to local families. Our Co-op Local Community Fund supports local projects that help young people fulfil their potential, assist older people in feeling connected, and improve people’s mental well-being. Since 2016, the fund has awarded £108 million to over 38,500 unique projects across the UK. Voting will close on Saturday 19th October. You can vote for us here: https://ow.ly/Vt5450THTy3 #Charity #YoungPeople #Community #ThankYou #CoopCommunityFund

To celebrate International Day of Disabled People on 03 December, our simple aim is to engage the nation with one, effortless, single act of united solidarity - to buy & wear a pair of our purple socks! 💜 By buying and wearing our soft bamboo socks made by Bamboo Clothing & tagging us at #PurpleSockDay, you can help us raise positive awareness for disability inclusion. What’s not to love? If you purchase the purple socks from us, all profits go towards Swings & Smiles. We rely on your support to continue to support families both at our centre in Thatcham and out in the community. To purchase the fabulous socks, just go to our website! https://ow.ly/BCxw50TFFen #PurpleSockDay2024 #Inclusion #ThankYou #Charity

It’s ‘Thank you’ Thursday - a chance for us to recognise all of the wonderful donations big and small that we receive 😊 ⭐️ Matt - whose daughter Georgia uses our service - ran a 30-mile ultra-marathon in Bristol in support of Swings & Smiles, raising a total of £5443. ⭐️ Thatcham Town Council have very kindly awarded us a £750 community grant, giving us the vital funding we need to deliver our services. ⭐️ We are very grateful to the team from Ascot Racecourse, who recently volunteered with us.  They did a wonderful job finishing off the painting inside and tidying up some of the garden area. If your company would like to support us by volunteering, please contact office@swingsandsmiles.co.uk. #ThankYou #Donation #Challenge #Charity

Our Outreach programme is now part of Tesco Stronger Starts scheme! 💙 For those who can’t make it to our centre, our Outreach programme spreads the support we’re able to offer. It’s vital we have the resources and equipment in place to deliver this important service. The Tesco Stronger Starts scheme gives initiatives like Swings & Smiles the chance to receive additional funding. You can support us by placing your blue token, received at checkout, in the collection box during your next visit to Tesco in Abingdon and nearby areas. #TescoStrongerStarts #ThankYou #Support #SwingsAndSmiles

Meet Emily ✨ Emily joins us at Swings & Smiles as our new Intervention Worker - a fully funded post by West Berkshire Early Response Hub. She comes with a huge amount of knowledge and experience of social work and supporting families. Emily said: “This is a really exciting role, and it’s great to see this support being available to the families of Swings & Smiles. I wanted to be involved with such an amazing and influential charity and hopefully make a positive impact.” The Building Resilience Project started in November 2023. Since then, we have supported 32 families and 90 individuals which includes children with disabilities and their family members. The project provides an Outreach service across West Berkshire to families who are caring for a child between the ages of 3 and 11 with additional needs either pre or post diagnosis. The families that we work with are referred through from the Children and Families Early Response Hub. #MeetTheTeam #StaffSpotlight #SwingsAndSmiles #Charity