Challengers has been breaking down barriers to play for disabled children & young people in the South East for over 40 years. Our Big Give campaign aims to raise funds to support our vital play and youth schemes for disabled children & young people aged 2-18.
Disabled children are routinely excluded from mainstream opportunities, meaning they don’t have the chances to play and socialise that their non-disabled peers have. Parents struggle to find services they feel confident their child’s needs are properly catered for and these parents desperately need a break from the ongoing stress of caring. Children with the most complex needs often have nowhere to go other than school and home and 67% of our parents have been excluded from other settings.
We give disabled children the opportunity to have fun, develop social skills and make friends in a safe, supportive environment. At Challengers, everyone is welcome and celebrated for who they are. Staff are trained to support all medical needs including tube feeding and medication. Families gain a lifeline of respite, safe in the knowledge their child is in a place where all their needs are met. Champions of inclusion, we commit to never exclude a child no matter how complex their needs.