A new charity working to improve experiences of families with additional supports need children and young people, wants to hear from Oban, Lorn and the Isles to make it happen.
F.A.I.R (Fairness, Acceptance, Inclusion and Respect) has launched a series of questionnaires so families can share experiences with them. The plan is that feedback from those surveys will help make positive changes.
The charity wants people to spread the word about the questionnaires so it can reach as many families, schools and parent council groups as possible.
Set up in April this year, F.A.I.R is on a mission to make sure children and young people aged up to 18 with additional support needs get equal access to activities and events in all aspects of community life.
Arlene McLeod is one of a core of organisers behind the group, and is on a board of directors along with James Strang and Sue Barnard, who got the charity off the ground.
Now that it is up and running, plans are afoot to also set up a sub-group of fundraisers. Donations and money raised at events such as the Hallowe’en quiz that raised £1,400 are the charity’s sole cash sources at the moment but funding bids for grants and awards will be going in for future activities and specific projects, says Arlene, whose eight-year-old son Finn has Down Syndrome and autism.
“There are situations we’ve been in where we have been told about activities that have been inclusive but anyone with additional support needs must be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult, but that gets difficult if you have other children or if you have to work.
“There have been other occasions when we’ve gone along to things where the organisers have no idea how to include those with additional support needs into the group or in the activity they are running. It’s not their fault but this is something F.A.I.R is trying to achieve, to help break down any barriers.
“We want people to ask us questions, often people don’t because they are worried about causing offence. We would rather be asked questions. We won’t bite their heads off!” she said.
And added: “We have discovered some families prefer their children to be included in fully inclusive events but we also know that not all our children will be able to take part in some of them and because of that we have been putting on our own special events.”
A fun day at Kilmore Hall with a bouncy castle, a boat trip in the summer holidays and an art group at The Rockfield Centre making a Winter Woods installation for this year’s light spectacular at Glencruitten Woods are just some of the activities that have been happening, with lots more fun lined up.
“It’s been a quick first year for F.A.I.R and it has really taken off. The time was right for it. In this short time, people are already taking notice of what we want to achieve and we have been approached by several people organising events who are asking what they can do to make their event more inclusive. We feel so encouraged that people want to help.
“We want to work with everyone in the local community to make this happen for our kids – the council, health, education and leisure industry,” said Arlene.
Play sessions at The Rockfield Centre as part of the Winter Festival, a Christmas quiz at The Royal Hotel on December 1 and a second-hand children’s goods sale also at The Rockfield Centre on December 9 are all coming up.
There are four questionnaires, the first is for families and adults, the second is for children and young people to be heard. There is no deadline.
“We want to hear their experiences, hoping that they will work towards helping improve experiences for families across our area. This is not a tool for criticism, it is a tool for everyone to to work together,” said Arlene.
To find out more about F.A.I.R go to its Facebook page or email ask@fairoli.co.uk where you can also request digital or paper copies of the group’s questionnaires.