Donation for Christchurch Families

Diverse Abilities, Dorset’s Disability charity has received an incredible donation of £11,574 from The Christchurch Magdalen Trust which provides charitable funds to help Christchurch residents who are in need or have an illness or disability. The money will be used to support Christchurch families accessing the services provided by Diverse Abilities at The Treehouse in Hurn.  

The Charity supports children and adults with physical and learning disabilities across a range of services from birth right through their lives.  

The short breaks service delivered at The Treehouse, formally Adventure Wonderland in Hurn, supports children and families with sessions during the school holidays, weekends and evenings, as well as drop-in sessions during the week for young children and those who are homeschooled.  

The charity moved to this new location in April 2024, meaning their services are now much more accessible to families living in the Christchurch area. There is no statutory funding for this area of the charities work, so the money donated by The Christchurch Magdalen Trust will allow the charity to provide 100 four hour play sessions to families living in Christchurch during the school holidays.  

These sessions are a lifeline to these families, who may otherwise feel isolated, exhausted and alone as they navigate bringing up a child with disabilities. Sessions are provided for families to attend together, accessing activities that they may be unable to offer elsewhere due to accessibility, fear of judgement or just needing an extra pair of hands. There are also sessions for the children to attend alone with support from the charity’s Short Break Crew, giving the child independence and parents the knowledge they are being well looked after.  

It doesn’t stop there, with sessions also provided for siblings and parents to ensure that the whole family is supported.

Find out more about the sessions available at The Treehouse at diverseabilities.org.uk/thetreehouse.