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Fantastic News!!!!
Thank you all for sticking with us over the past year. So much has been going on but we have not been in a position to share the news….until now!!
In April last year we contacted Sefton Council and were invited to explain our idea of Jake’s Sensory World. After many meetings with Leisure Services and Children, School’s & Families Services, it was agreed that the facility was a fantastic idea that was greatly needed for the children and families in our area.
Plans were already under way to build a new Community Centre in Netherton (replacing the Netherton Activity Centre, NAC). The council felt that this would be a perfect location to accommodate Jake’s Sensory World and being part of a new build was more than we had hoped for! This will allow our children to be included instead of being excluded and they themselves along with their families and siblings will have the use of the rest of the facilities that will be on offer.
Subsequently, Sefton Council were successful in securing funds, via Aiming High for Disabled Children, to facilitate Jake’s Sensory World in this new centre.
We have been allocated space for a Light Room, Dark Room and Soft Play Area, along with 2 fully ‘Assisted’ disabled changing rooms/toilets. It is also hoped that we will be able to create our own outdoor space that will have an adapted play area and sensory garden. Sefton Council will be funding the project but Jake’s Sensory World (Charity) hope to play an active part in fundraising for the outside Sensory area.
After 3 years of hard work Ruth and Jo are sticking like glue to this and are working in partnership with the Leisure Services in the creation and overall running of JSW. Planning permission was granted in February and it is hoped work will start in Summer 2010 with the Centre being open for business towards the end of 2011.
We hope you will all agree that this is fabulous news for disabled children and their families. With the funds coming directly from the council this makes the sustainability of the Centre even more reassuring. This centre is being created for your children. Jo is part of the Parents forum (P.A.C.T.S.) and when at the forums will take the opportunity to obtain views and ideas that could be included in the Centre to ensure we get this right.
If you want to have a say in how Jake’s Sensory World is shaped, then please get in touch with us now.
Updated 20/03/2010
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Hello everyone.
Apologies for not updating the site for a few months but please be assured that we have been very busy in the background!!!
The last few months have been frustrating, rewarding and unbelievable!!!
Frustrating because Jake’s Sensory World is so needed in our local community. More and more people are contacting us and asking us when we are opening. It is maddening that as yet we cannot answer, but we reassure them every time that it is our dream to open Jake’s Sensory World and we have no intention of giving up!!
Rewarding because more and more organisations are contacting us to let us know they will use Jake’s Sensory World when we open. We have been in touch with all our local councils and they are spreading the word. Sefton Youth Services, aimed at 8-19 year olds, have made it clear they will use our facility and we are shortly meeting Peter Dowd, Deputy Leader of Sefton council and also Cabinet Minister for Children’s Services.
Unbelievable because we have received our first donation of £30,000 from the Baily Thomas Foundation!!!!! It is fantastic to know that not only does someone believe in our dream but they are also prepared to part with their money to help us achieve our goal.
Needless to say we are continually trying to raise funds. We have premises in mind, facts and figures, potential users and volunteers, all we need is funding!!
Don’t forget to check out our latest pictures of Jake and his friends and please continue to review the site regularly and get in touch if you can offer any help in raising funds.
Thanks for your continued support.
Updated 01/03/2009
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Hello again.
We hope you all had a good summer, pity the weather was so awful !!
Well, we got our response from the lottery and unfortunately it was not good news. In this instance we didn’t meet with their criteria and they are unable to support Jake’s Sensory World.
I’m sure you can image the disappointment we felt, but it takes more than one ‘no’ to knock two mums from Liverpool!! Plan B is now in action!!
We have identified around 20 charities, trusts, companies and associations that might be able to help us. Whilst preferably we would have wished for 2 or 3 backers, we will take what we can and if we end up with funds from 20 different areas, so be it, we just want the money!!!
The process is obviously going to be harder and lengthier but we are still committed to Jake’s Sensory World and we will do all that we can to make this dream come true.
So that’s it for now, we’ll update the website regularly and let you know what’s going on. If any of you know of potential funders or want to get involved, get in touch with us.
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.
Updated 17/9/2008
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Hello again.
Thankfully, after a hectic few weeks we are happy to confirm the lottery application has been submitted! What a few months we have had! Quotes for an unbelievable amount of things have been required, plus projected accounts for the next 5 years. It’s a lot harder than balancing your monthly bank statement, that’s for sure!
It’s hard to believe by submitting this application our dream could be just that little bit closer. Our goal is in sight and if the lottery believes in us, just as much as the families and carers of disabled children in our area do, then Jake’s Sensory World will happen.
The lottery can take up to 3 months to decide and in the meantime we will continue to look for additional funding from other charities and trusts that specifically help disabled groups. We are hoping that by the time the lottery decides, we will have a pool of funding from other sources.
Contacts with local groups have been ongoing and extremely useful. Finding out what others need has been so enlightening and made us realise how other groups can benefit from Jake’s Sensory World. Please get in touch if your group would benefit from our project in anyway.
So that’s it for now, we’ll update the website when we hear from the lottery and keep you all posted on what’s happening.
Enjoy the summer and let’s hope that by next summer there is an exciting new play centre for us all to meet in and share our experiences.
Updated 30/06/2008
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Once again, thank you all very much for your fantastic support over the last few months.
We have been so busy this month collating supporting information for the lottery bid. We have obtained fantastic 3D drawings of Jake’s Sensory World. Vibrant and fun, entertaining and educational, totally accessible and truly amazing! The quotes have been extremely high but we are committed to providing a unique play environment and this does cost….big style!! So as well as completing the lottery bid we have also been applying for further funding from Trusts and Charities that could support our project. The responses we have received so far have been promising and we are hopeful that this will help towards securing the funding we need to complete our dream.
We have also been busy viewing suitable premises and have come across a couple of possibilities, both with good size ground floors and parking. We are always open to suggestion so please get in touch if you have any ideas.
We are starting to contact individual groups who may benefit from Jake’s Sensory World to make sure we cover everyone’s needs. Children’s groups, disability groups, carers, play schemes, residential units, everyone! It is important to us that every child will benefit from the sensory centre. Your comments are important to us and at this early stage it is possible to amend our plans. So please, get in touch with your ideas, your wish lists, your hopes……we want to get this right for everyone.
Please keep viewing our site regularly and spreading the word. If you want to get involved or can offer any help or advice, just get in touch.
Updated 30/05/2008
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