To make an on-line
donation
please click:-
THE CHILD CARE ACTION
TRUST
Head Office:
P.O. Box 183
St. Leonards-on-Sea
East Sussex
TN38 1ZQ
United Kingdom
Tel: 0845 2300 195
(a local BT rate call)
(+44. 1424 201 555
from outside the UK)
Email: ChildCareAction@aol.com
Welcome to
The Child that inspired the charity
Sam (pictured above in 1998) of East Sussex is the first of the many
disabled children that have
received help from The Child Care Action Trust.
Samuel was born in March 1993 with Cerebral Palsy and doctors told his parents
that he might never be able to walk. However, thanks to Sam's will power and his
parents faith in Conductive Education (based on the
Hungarian "Peto" system of rehabilitation), Sam is now able to walk
with the aid of special sticks and he also attends mainstream school.
What a feat for a child that doctors said 'would never walk'!
Because Conductive Education is not freely available from the National Health Service, The Child Care Action Trust have funded the cost of this Hungarian "Peto" system of rehabilitation for Sam, that has proved to be so effective, since January 1999.
* * * * *
Since formation, The Child Care Action Trust has helped more than six hundred
disabled children, living in the United Kingdom (some many times), by the provision of many other forms of equipment and
facilities such as Conductive Education, to provide relief for these children, that are not freely
available from the health service, social services or affordable by their
families.
This equipment, that makes such a difference, includes walking frames, special
needs garden swings, electric wheelchairs, special needs beds, text
communication aids for children unable to speak, special support "second
skin" suits and visual activity equipment to help children with learning
disabilities.
* * * * *
In November, 2005 'STEP TOGETHER', a
recently formed centre
for CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION, located in County Durham,
became part of THE CHILD
CARE ACTION TRUST.
(see pictures below, taken in November 2005)
STEP TOGETHER originally opened two days a week. employing part time staff to provide one session of Conductive Education per child each week, during term time, in County Durham for thirteen of the many children with motor disorders such as Cerebral Palsy and who were living in the County Durham, Cleveland, Northumberland, Redcar, Tyne & Wear and North Yorkshire district etc.
The reason for the 'joining of forces' of THE CHILD CARE ACTION TRUST and STEP TOGETHER in November, 2005 was to raise the necessary funds to employ full time staff and to enlarge the Centre so that we can help more of these children.
The first stage of this expansion, commencing on 21st April, 2006 was the appointment of Viktoria Kincses as the full time Senior Conductor and 'Head of School' at THE CHILD CARE ACTION TRUST's STEP TOGETHER Centre in County Durham. Also, on the same day, Jackie Bannister's appointment became full time to assist Viktoria with the general administration of the centre and to help her to liaise with the parents, as well as assisting in class when required. Laura Charlton also joined, on that memorable day, as the third full time member of the STEP TOGETHER Centre's team as an assistant to the Conductor.
The second stage of the expansion, on 21st August, 2006, being the appointment of Kata Molnar as a Conductor and Nicola Beresford, the fifth full time member of the STEP TOGETHER Centre's team, as an assistant to the Conductor. These welcome new appointments coincided with the start of the two week Summer School and the STEP TOGETHER Centre's move to larger premises with two large classrooms before the start of the Autumn 2006 School Term.
At the end of May 2008 Jackie Bannister sadly left our employment.
More than fifty children have now received Conductive Education at THE CHILD CARE ACTION TRUST's STEP TOGETHER Centre but the demand is growing and the Charity is currently raising funds to cover the increased running costs of opening "satellite" classrooms in other areas of the North East of England which, by employing additional staff will increase the capacity of STEP TOGETHER to provide tuition for at least sixty children, who would each normally be able to attend several sessions each week depending upon their needs.
In July 2008 THE CHILD CARE ACTION TRUST's STEP TOGETHER main North East Centre moved, just ten miles, from its temporary home in a wooden building at the rear of a special needs school in Spennymoor to modern recently built premises at The Evans Business Centre in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
To reduce travelling distances for many of the children travelling from Tyne & Wear to receive CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION at the STEP TOGETHER in County Durham, THE CHILD CARE ACTION TRUST opened a "Satellite" STEP TOGETHER classroom in South Shields, Tyne & Wear in April 2008.
A "Satellite" STEP TOGETHER classroom located close Middlesbrough/Cleveland/North Yorkshire border also offers CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION from September 2008, for children previously travelling from that area.
A third Conductor has also agreed to join us during the early part of the Autumn 2008 school term and additional Conductors will be employed as more children come to the new "satellite" classrooms.
As well as helping children living in the North East of England, some children travel great distances to attend the "Intensive Block Placements" provided (mainly during mainstream school holiday periods) at our Spennymoor Centre.
In fact Samuel (photograph taken in 1998 illustrated at the of this page) travelled over three hundred miles, from his home in East Sussex, to attend the Step Together Summer School, at Spennymoor, during his Summer 2007 School Holidays and he was so impressed that he will be returning to attend Summer School 2008 at our new Newton Aycliffe Step Together Centre. Sam is now fourteen years of age and a delightful young man.
For enquiries concerning attendance at THE CHILD CARE ACTION TRUST's STEP TOGETHER Centre, Viktoria can normally be contacted during school hours on 0845 230 5980 (a local BT rate number) or visit the STEP TOGETHER Website:- http://www.steptogether.org.uk
* * * * *
THE CHILD CARE ACTION TRUST has been asked to provide CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION in the South East of England and a new fundraising project is being launched to enable THE CHILD CARE ACTION TRUST to open a Centre for Conductive Education in the St. Leonards-on-Sea / Hastings district.
More details of work by THE CHILD CARE ACTION TRUST are on our Achievements
pages.
* * * * *
You are visitor number:-