Teen thanks Children in Need for holiday club

7 hours ago

Richard SteadNorth West

News image — Grace says swimming, cycling and drumming are among her favourite CADS activities

BBC Photograph of 14 year-old Grace from Stockport. She is pictured in the garden of her home in Bramhall. — Grace says swimming, cycling and drumming are among her favourite CADS activities

A teenage girl from Bramhall has thanked BBC Children in Need for helping to fund a school holiday club for students with learning difficulties.

The Children's Activities and Disabled Sports (CADS) programme is run by Stockport-based charity the Seashell Trust.

Grace, who has cerebral palsy, said she does "bikes, drumming and swimming" at the sessions, adding: "Without it, I'd just chill around the house."

"I really love the staff because they're so bubbly and fun like me," the 14-year-old said.

Photograph of Clodagh from Bramhall in Stockport. She is pictured in the back garden of her home, with trees in the background. — Grace's mum Clodagh said the CADS holiday club has been a lifeline for her family.

Grace's condition means she has difficulty walking and has muscle pain in her legs.

She uses a wheelchair and has cochlear implants.

The 14-year-old goes to a school in Offerton during term-time and has been going to the CADS club at the Seashell Trust for six years.

Her mother, Clodagh, said everything was "adapted to the young people who attend".

"She's safe, she's having fun and she's well looked-after," she said.

"You don't need to worry. It's fabulous to see her going off happy and excited."

Photograph of Samantha Keane from the Seashell Trust. The image shows her outside the main school building in Cheadle Hulme. — Samantha Keane runs the CADS programme at the Seashell Trust.

The sessions include one-to-one support for participants, and staff provide help for children who need regular medication.

The programme is part-funded by local councils but is also supported by BBC Children in Need, with a three-year grant worth £120,000.

Almost 100 young people are eligible to attend CADS and the sessions are fully booked.

Samantha Keane, who runs the CADS programme at the Seashell Trust, said: "Some of our young people have epilepsy, asthma or nut allergies so all of the staff have to be trained to safely look after those children and that costs a lot of money.

"It's genuinely the best job in the world and the difference that the BBC Children in Need money has made is just phenomenal."

The Seashell Trust is largely funded from the council social care packages of its students, who are some of the most severely disabled young people in the country.

The charity includes the Royal School Manchester, for children under 16, and the Royal College Manchester for young people aged 16 to 25.

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