Latest news with #Centrepoint
ITV News
16 hours ago
- General
- ITV News
Families struggling to 'cope' with reduced holiday club sessions for kids with complex needs
The father of a neurodiverse child in Jersey says he does not know how other parents will cope if the island's only holiday club for children with additional needs cannot run more often. Local charity Centrepoint currently offers sessions across all 14 weeks of the school holidays but only receives funding from the Government for half of that time, which it says has left it operating at a "massive loss". The group's Chief Executive Officer, Jane Moy, told ITV News that they are only able to offer space for 30 children at a time, despite 98 families applying. For James Barrett and his son Teddy, being able to access the sessions is "completely vital". James explains he needs certainty over whether Centrepoint can take Teddy throughout the holidays to help provide his son with the sense of routine he needs to be happy and build relationships with his peers. However, with the limited capacity, he sometimes does not know until a few days before the sessions take place, which James says causes significant stress. Speaking about the challenges he and other parents would face if their children could not attend the holiday club sessions, James explained: "If they are not worn out, they will be up all night and that then catches up with all of us. "If it wasn't for this, I don't know how any of the parents would cope, survive and be able to hold down a job because we don't have 25 days' holiday ourselves. "Not knowing in advance is the biggest stress but there are lots of parents I know who don't always get all those days and it's then about finding the extra days out of your own holiday." Seeking to address concerns, Jane said: "We try and prioritise where we can. We know some families don't have any support on the island, for example, and the parents work full-time. "Even parents who don't work full-time still need support for those children because as much as they love them, it's hard work looking after a child with complex needs." However, Jane admitted that without more government support, it is "really difficult to allocate sessions fairly and equally". She added that Centrepoint had previously been well-supported by Government but believes it has recently been "thrown on the backburner". Jane wants the Government to set out exactly how many sessions they will subsidise so the charity does not have to scramble to find enough staff at short notice, something Jane says is an "enormous amount of pressure". In response, the Government said that this summer, 120 children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are being supported through the short breaks holiday scheme and that demand has always outstripped capacity. The Government added that while Centrepoint is the only holiday club specifically accommodating children with additional needs, many others are inclusive and can take some of those children.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Centrepoint children's charity to get outdoor arts classroom
A children's charity in Jersey is set to benefit from a new outdoor classroom to help youngsters who have emotional, behavioural or additional classroom will be used by Centrepoint for therapeutic art and outreach in 1984, the charity is one of the largest childcare providers on the island, supporting more than 600 children through a wide range of services. CEO Jane Moy said the service would enable children to do something "enjoyable and achievable without the pressure of being in a school classroom." 'Increasing demand' Ms Moy said: "There is increasing demand for mental health and emotional well-being support in early years and primary-aged children and teachers, and early-years professionals are seeking external expertise for children that need alternative approaches to engagement. "We have also found that since the pandemic, the need for inclusive, trauma-informed and creative support strategies is growing across the playground is being funded by recruitment firm GR8. Jersey and Guernsey operations director Diane Sumnall said it was "natural we would assist in enabling Centrepoint".She said: "Cost of living pressures are making it difficult for charities to source funding for their projects, so we are very pleased that our support will enable Centrepoint to build the outdoor classroom they need."The project is due to be complete in September.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Prince William's Moving Gesture For Late Mother Diana On Her Birth Anniversary
/ Jul 01, 2025, 09:55PM IST Late Princess Diana's birthday gets royal nod from his son. Prince William marks Diana's birth anniversary with a cause close to her heart. William travelled to Sheffield to mark second anniversary of his homelessness initiative. He highlighted progress made by The Royal Foundation's 'Homewards' programme. The late Princess of Wales would have turned 64 on July 1 this year. Diana was Centrepoint's patron and ensured her sons had awareness and empathy. As children, both William and Harry accompanied her on visits to shelters. William has continued Diana's work today by becoming patron of various charities. Watch-
Express Tribune
30-06-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Prince William to honour Princess Diana's legacy with major milestone
Prince William will commemorate his late mother Princess Diana's birthday on July 1 in a way that reflects her enduring legacy by spotlighting a major step forward in his campaign to end homelessness. Marking the second anniversary of his Homewards initiative, the Prince of Wales will travel to Sheffield, one of six pilot regions working to make homelessness 'rare, brief and unrepeated.' This effort was directly inspired by Princess Diana, who introduced her sons to the issue by bringing them to shelters and championing homeless charities like Centrepoint. William has since continued her mission, taking on patronages she once held and driving systemic change. The Sheffield visit comes at a critical juncture for Homewards, which recently secured over $50 million in funding from Lloyds Bank to support new housing projects across the U.K. Calling this a 'groundbreaking moment'. The initiative hopes to encourage other institutions to follow suit. In a heartfelt open letter to the participating regions, William praised the local teams for their dedication, writing, 'Your experiences are what makes Homewards unique and powerful.' He stressed the importance of targeted, preventative strategies to address at-risk populations and noted the transition into 'delivery mode' as projects begin implementation. During the visit, William will meet leaders from each of the six pilot areas and tour a school testing Upstream, a new youth-focused intervention model based on a successful Australian program. The day will also mark a milestone: the first residents moving into Sheffield's Innovative Housing Project, a tangible sign of progress. As the world remembers Diana on her birthday, Prince William's efforts echo her compassion and her belief that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Homeless charity introduces extra support services
Specialist trauma therapy and extra support services have been introduced by a charity helping homeless young people. Centrepoint runs two housing complexes for people aged 16 to 25 in Barnsley. The organisation received funding from the Card Factory Foundation to boost its mental health services. Julie Milnes, head of fundraising at the charity, said the extra support would help young people "move beyond the trauma that has caused them to be homeless in the first place". In the past year 1,680 young people aged 16 to 24 across South Yorkshire were recorded as being at risk of homelessness. Quarry View, one of Centrepoint's accommodation sites in Barnsley, has 18 beds and aims to help people with housing, education, jobs and life skills. The charity said the funding would be used to create a space for therapy and training sessions. Ms Milnes said: "If you think about the reasons why somebody is homeless when they are 16 or 17, it's because something not very nice has happened in their life. "That trauma is often the reason that's caused them to be homeless in the first place. "We can offer specialist therapy but a lot of these young kids have never had anywhere they can truly call a home." She said it was important that the centres were "warm, friendly and welcoming so people can start to really thrive and move forward". Kyle, 21, has been staying at Quarry View for three months and is training to be a bricklayer. He said the charity had "helped me with my mental health and I'm not thinking about tomorrow but I'm thinking about my future now". "You're not stuck here by yourself, you're with other people and you're actually building your own little family," he said. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North Royals serve lunch at homeless charity Thousands stuck on council home waiting list
