Moray Big Kids Club
A story by Cornerstone
This year the club organised a series of 2-3 day residential breaks in addition to our clubs which allowed for extended quality breaks for their carers.
The Big Kids Club provides a wide range of fun and challenging outdoor activities for 30 young people multiple support needs.
What Moray Big Kids Club did
The Big Kids Club is staffed by a team consisting of the service manager, a team leader, 2 support workers and relief pool staff. Services were advertised with our current families who are registered, and through Social Work, local schools and third sector network in Moray. The club offered regular short breaks to disabled children giving their carers opportunities to live a life outside of their caring role. Carers used this time to relax, run errands, or spend time with friends or family members.
The club supported 30 young people aged 13-19 and 60 carers throughout school holidays for five weeks including one week at Easter, three weeks in summer, and one week in October plus another 6 days residential experiences. For the residential trips we enlist the skills and expertise of a local outdoor activity organisation, Outfit Moray. All who were registered were able to participate one or two sessions a week. Participation in the residential trips was determined by the needs and dynamics of the children who wished to participate.
Each session ran for 5.5 hours a day. The extended hours allow time for a broader range of activities and is always well received by carers. We used a local school as a meeting point, however most activities took place outdoors in the wider community, and a local residential centre on the coast. We have a wheelchair accessible minibus that was used to pick up and drop off children when carers were unable to provide transport. This was invaluable to the children and carers who live in rural
and remote areas with limited public transport.
The clubs provided fun, stimulating and challenging activities for young people. These risk-taking activities promote a range of growth opportunities including team building, increased confidence and self esteem and improved health and well being. The residential trips have been a ‘big step’ for many children and carers who had never spent a night away from each other. The success of the trips was an important and healthy experience for all.
Working with Oufit Moray gave the children the opportunity to interact with a wider range of people and improve peer communications.
N’s family have seen a growing confidence as a result of her participation in the club. They feel that because N is happy at club, they can spend some dedicated time with their son.
The playscheme gives H a chance to have a range of activities during the holidays.
B has an older brother with the same disability as him, but he chooses not to come to playscheme. Knowing B is engaged and enjoying his time at club allows his parents to spend some exclusive time with their older son.
What Cornerstone has learned
The funding has allowed us to increase the range of outdoor activities, it has allowed us to be able to provide residential opportunities. The real fun and teamwork that came from going away with the young people overnight was amazing.
Funded Organisation
CornerstoneVisit Cornerstone's website