WOW! cherrytrees.org.uk
WHAT AN IMPACT WE’VE MADE! A LOOK BACK AT 2018-2019
WHAT’S INSIDE? Cherrytastic outcomes how we work with our children Raising the roof on fundraising making a difference to families Registered charity no. 800222
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HELLO! A MESSAGE FROM THOMAS
This is just one of the huge steps that one child has made during 2018. Further on in this report you can see some of the amazing stories and achievements that we have been able to accomplish through the dedication of our staff and the generous giving of our volunteers, sponsors and supporters.
So, thank you. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you. 2
Cherrytastic
outcomes
achieving our goals! Our new kitchen!
PARTY TIME Every child’s stay is supported with income from donations, all the way up to 100% with our bursary places. We looked after 86 families (92 children) and watched how we spent our money so that 81p in the £ was invested back into the care we provide.
an Easter party and a very special Christmas Party (supported by Tesco Bags of Help) where over 100 families enjoyed the festivities.
Every child works towards a small step in achieving a goal. At least 75% of our children were able to achieve their goal! We are so proud of our amazing Cherry Achievers. 17 new children joined the Cherry Trees family and all have settled in and are currently enjoying various stays from a tea visit up to a three night stay.
This year saw the start of monthly children’s meetings where they were given the opportunity to choose what they would like to do or what we should have at Cherry Trees. Decisions included: making and cooking pasta, buying some outdoor toys for the garden and suggested books they would enjoy for World Book Day.
We continued to reach out to our families, holding a siblings day, two family events,
Our new kitchen was installed and very grateful thanks go to the Lockwood
We were 81% full during term time and 100% during holiday periods. Cherry Trees was full to capacity and the energy and fun was palpable.
Foundation for providing this. In addition to the kitchen, a multi-purpose children’s kitchen was installed which included their own oven, washing up area and specialist storage cupboards allowing our children to grow in independence getting their own breakfast and snacks. Our Chef, Steve, made significant changes to our menu plans including sourcing local produce, reducing cost and improving the menus to create healthy and enticing dishes for our children. He has also started a cookery club that children enjoy, learning new skills and trying new tastes.
“ Cherry Trees is the single most important thing that helps us to function as a family... ...and have time for our other daughter and a break from caring - without it we would not function. Our daughter loves coming to Cherry Trees, she is so happy there and asks to go even when she isn’t scheduled to! She loves both time in the house and the outings that she sometimes goes on. The level of care and support is outstanding.” 3
k r o w e w o en? r d d l i h c r w u o o with So h Regular cooking classes are taking place with Steve the Chef, the children and carers. To enable more children to understand the concept of weighing items we have purchased ‘talking scales’, an easy-pour tipper kettle, which has a safer to use design and adapted kitchenware to enable our children to hold and use spoons, whisks and tongs. Steve is probably one of our most popular members of staff according to a children’s survey done last year!
We also like being able to board the mini bus and head out on trips to places they all enjoy. Mane Chance Animal Sanctuary, Hatchlands National Trust site, Bowling, Birdworld, a visit to a local farm…. And the list goes on to a total of 196 outings. For some of our children who feel safe inside Cherry Trees and are not keen on outdoor trips, we ensured we brought activities to them. Colourful and clever games and tricks from Bezerkas Circus livened up afternoons
indoors in the playroom, farm animals from Millers Ark snuffled round the gardens and got lots of pats and hugs whilst children spent lots of time in our gardens just playing there. When we look back across the last year, we can also see some of the small but very important moments for our Cherry Trees children in attaining their own individual goals.
Oscar has severe learning difficulties Ask anyone at Cherry Trees and they will tell you Oscar is a big fan of the hoover as well as musical instruments and getting on the swings in our gardens. Oscar is not a big fan of having his teeth cleaned. Our care staff have been working with him to increase the time he puts the toothbrush in his mouth by using a countdown system – they’ve got him brushing for up to 10 seconds so far!
Thomas has cerebral palsy and epilepsy Thomas (who you saw on page 2) had a target of using his PODD book to communicate more. Recent notes on one of his visits in January this year read; “Thomas asked for his hair to be gelled and he made the ask using his book to enable him to be ready for school.”
OSCAR
LIBBY
Libby has autism, delayed verbal skills and learning difficulties Libby is happiest when there are trampolines and sunflowers around or she is joining in a disco. She’s not been so keen in the past on sharing and has wanted to have her own way. Here she’s spent more time with other children learning to play and share more – fantastic!
THOMAS Shelby is partially blind and has epilepsy Shelby loves coming to Cherry Trees and is a real helper, often volunteering to help with the house laundry, washing tea-towels. We encourage her to help with little jobs at tea-time. Listening to an ask, such as ‘would you like to help clean the tables’ gives her a purpose that is real and not play. Having our children eating and ‘working’ within the space that is our dining hall and children’s kitchen area shows a young person like Shelby essential skills around the house.
SAM
SHELBY
Sam has Down’s Syndrome and global development delay A real highlight for Sam is when we get a visit from our musician, Winston. We are trying to encourage him to start to think of ways to find his own activities too when he is here. That includes, in particular, seeking out other children to play with and not automatically one of the care team. With some encouragement he has become really good at making his bed himself if he stays with us, whilst at Christmas time he sat and enjoyed Christmas colouring. 4
cooking classes!
making a difference to families “ We know he’s happy there and for us, well, it’s simply the icing on the cake.“
“I knew from when I was breast feeding there was a sensory issue…” mum Melody recounts when she thinks back to the very early days after the birth of her son Leo eight years ago. “It was the way he was looking at the world around him, captivated by something like light shining on a leaf that would capture him, and hold him there. I knew there was something. Something different – wonderfully different, in terms of how he was seeing the world and being stimulated by it.” When Melody Barnett’s son Leo hit 18 months old something significant changed. All the initial milestones that babies and toddlers go past – waving back, saying ‘mum’ and ‘dad’, they suddenly stopped. ‘Leo got very ill with a high fever, he had a fit one night and we rushed him to the hospital. The following day his head went down and it was as though it never came up again – his smile went and he didn’t interact with our world,’ recalls Melody.
“We just needed help. We were down on our knees, it was 24/7 care for him and I felt no-one else could care for him. We couldn’t get a local school place because Leo’s needs couldn’t be met. We had been trying for so long to get him into school. Leo was up most nights. Add in trying to sell our house, rising debts and trying to keep part-time work going. Leo had to come first but elsewhere we were relying on hand-outs: it was my mum who was keeping us going cooking casseroles which would last, bringing bags of food for us. It just couldn’t go on. “ Melody lives close to Cherry Trees and, having heard about us through her local church’s fundraising activities, she had always known we were here.
“It took us a year to get a diagnosis, even though we knew something was different and, when we did, I grieved for the dream I had for my child and the dream that had gone. But then I had a new dream and accepted it and realised it actually was the realisation of a wonderful new dream.” Melody and her family had been told when Leo was two and a half years old that his autism would be a life-long condition. They were told his life would be relationship-less, he would never speak, nor be independent, he would be in nappies and need care for life and that was it. Done. One way – nothing else to hope for. But Melody wanting to know, and wanting to do something for Leo, she came across the Son-Rise programme - an alternative approach to relate to people with autism. Their principle of not trying to ‘cure, change or stamp out behaviours’ and instead ‘join, engage with and meet them on their level’ became a new way of living. The whole family, heartened by this find, dedicated session after session into applying their principles to Leo. But whilst it became their way of reaching their son, gradually communicating with him, sharing moments with him, the dedication and self-commitment of hours and then years spent ‘being in Leo’s world’ meant after seven years Melody and husband Pete came to a place of burn-out.
In October last year Leo was brought for his first trial tea-visit and it was from the manner of the care worker who met them at the front door and the way they greeted Leo for the first time that Melody knew it was going to be okay and she could leave him here. When it came to picking him up a few hours later, Melody recalls ‘being blown-away by the feedback – we were amazed to be told he had eaten, he had played, he had slotted in right away. It was as though he had been there for years.’ When he was a baby, Melody was told he would never eat properly. Leo now joins the group evening meal with the other children, enjoying fresh food cooked by Steve, our chef. During the meals, the careful and consistent care staff help him to steady down the pace at which he eats, monitor and lessen how much food is crammed into his mouth in one go and have helped him understand eating with others means also waiting at the table at the end. From a badly made forecast of never eating properly, Melody is thrilled now to see Leo eating at home, cutting
his food up with cutlery – little moments, but big gains for them all. The care staff at Cherry Trees, knowing that he enjoys singing, have used this ‘in’ with Leo to increase his social plan and have had several sing-alongs with him performing and leading the ‘Baby Shark’ song in the playroom, interacting so well with others his own age. Leo’s older sister Carissa is described by Melody as being ‘amazing’. At home Carissa has watched, witnessed and played a part in using the Son-Rise strategies, but her support and care for her once baby and now thriving brother goes further. Cherry Trees has been a place for Carissa to benefit from too, and she comes here for a different reason. Now aged 14 she herself is stepping out into the world and has joined The Duke of Edinburgh scheme and is volunteering in play and activity sessions towards her silver badge. Comfortable and familiar with the behaviours, sounds and unpredictability of children with disabilities, Carissa has become a relaxed and involved playmate here on many tea-time visits. Life at home for Melody means she and husband Pete, are in some ways re-acquainting themselves with each other: ‘I feel like I’ve got my husband back. We can actually sit and watch a film together – chat one to one on the sofa and just be together – that’s something very wonderful you’ve given back to us.’ After so long with the dedication and intensity of just being parents to three children and putting everything they had into life for Leo , the break that Cherry Trees has given them all has brought a lightness and joy for them all. And for Melody and Pete thinking back to their baby who stopped talking, the baby who was told he would need care for life, to now – the young boy who shouts with excitement when he’s told he’s going to Cherry Trees. The little boy who gets to watch new friends blowing out the candles on their birthday cake, who sleeps overnight here and who plays on our Tellytubby hill on summer evenings ? ‘When Leo’s going to Cherry Trees, he has an ecstatic look on his face. You say it’s a home from home and it truly is. We know he’s happy there and for us, well, it’s simply the icing on the cake. Thank you.’ 5
What does Cherry Tre
confidence
chance for my child to socialise, A make friends, have fun, have different experiences, and have some independence from us. A chance for us to have a break from caring and visit places which we would be unable to go with a disabled child.
independence herry Trees means that my daughter can start C to learn how to communicate her wants and needs to people outside the family. She has a fun time in a safe and happy environment. It means that we can do things that we would have been unable to do with her. It also has given my other son some time of his own. Cherry Trees has helped when we had no heating for several weeks in winter. Without Cherry Trees we would not be able to have a rest from the constant needs of my daughter.
avid has really grown in confidence since D starting at Cherry Trees. I feel like staff know him so well, it is like a second home to him.
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rees mean to families?
I t gives my child some independence and an opportunity to mix with her peers. It gives me an opportunity to spend quality time with my other children and grand children as well as a chance to spend time with my other half.
SO HAPPY y son loves going to Cherry M Trees. It means he can have a great time being away and for me, as his carer, knowing he is in a safe place and having a great time, I can then spend some time with my other children being able to do everyday activities that can’t always be done when my son is home.
herry Trees means so C much. It gives us time together as a couple knowing that the boys are in the best place, receiving the care that they need and they are so happy here.
F un, safety, respite, independence. It’s a safe hand and I feel peace of mind once my son is there.
FUN, SAFETY, RESPITE. 7
This year we created some new events which included our fun-tastic It’s a Knockout, with ten teams pitting their wits against each other on slippery, soapy inflatables in order
to raise money. The Burn’s night delivered a very Scottish feel to Guildford with haggis and sporran abounding and a demand for a return next year. With the help of our amazing Patron, Jeremy Lowe, we managed to raise £30,000 from our golf day at Woking and on a perfect summer’s evening we were supported by Chilworth Manor, Picnic & Pimms, raising a staggering £13,900.
pimMs o’ clock?
Corporate support Huge thanks go to our corporate supporters who gave their time and money to help Cherry Trees. We had teams come in and run car washes, they helped us with some light property maintenance, helped in our office with our bright red collecting tins, and cared for our gardens with weeding and trimming. We had some fantastic donations supporting our work from Trusts and Foundations who gave generously supporting our bursary work, our projects in the house and our children’s stays, including the national Lottery Community Fund awarding £180,000 over three years. Without this type of support we could not provide the number of stays we do. 8
It’s a Knockout
Cherry (our mascot) has been a busy girl too, trotting off to see school children for sports competitions, helping with collecting days and she loved turning the Christmas Lights on with the other mascots and the Mayor of Guildford on Guildford High Street.
Challenges
2018 was the best fundraising year ever (excluding legacies). So thank you to everyone who supported us. You are allowing us to invest in our families, giving them the breaks they so richly deserve and opening a world of opportunity to our children.
CHERRY PLEASED TO MEET YOU
Big
The
BEST EVER. WOW!
Raising the roof on fundraising
Giv£
The Big Give was generously embraced by our wonderful supporters and funders, bringing home a massive £52,000. Many staff and supporters took on some amazing individual challenges and together with our PRU100 riders we raised over £15,000.
£52,000!!
POSITIVE CHANGE Karen came to Cherry Trees three years ago. Her introduction report stated ‘she likes to draw blood by ripping cuticles / loves to break glass / loves to hear the sound of a baby crying’. We knew that Karen had challenging behaviours but believed we could support and help her to cope with these disabilities. Previously Karen had been given three carers to attend to her needs and, starting at Cherry Trees, we dedicated two staff to her care. At this time, her parents were unable to take her out into the community and so coming to Cherry Trees was a huge relief in terms of free time for them as caring for her was a full time role. Her initial visits to Cherry Trees were short ones where each activity would be planned for a maximum of 15 minutes in case she became over stimulated or indeed bored which would affect her behaviour. We ensured any hazards such as liquids (which she would love to pour all over herself and the floor) were out of sight and not a distraction for her. We were able to gain her confidence and trust and started to work with her to encourage interaction and involvement. Karen also had limited access to other children in case she tried to harm them and her lunch would be served in the single dining room with just her carers as she was very noise intolerant and could get very anxious with others around her. Like any family that joins Cherry Trees, we set meaningful goals that would help family life by progressing every child in some way with their independence. Karen’s parents wanted her to be able to take part in activities and go out into the community. Through diligence, patience and thoughtful care, Cherry Trees has been able to move Karen
Karen has also got involved with our gardening project and has sown vegetables and harvested them in preparation for her own dinner. She also loves to bake and has made cakes on several occasions and again has coped with fluids being around her and not had the desire to throw them around.
on in many ways. Her visits are now much longer, giving her parents the opportunity to have a little more time to themselves. Karen has become more relaxed at Cherry Trees. On arrival she is smiling and looking forward to her visit. She has a cup of tea and a biscuit before meeting up with the other children
Her huge achievements are in the community where she now frequently goes for walks and she has been bowling and gone to the Air Hop Trampoline Park which reduces her need to empty juice jugs if others are drinking. She will choose activities by repeating the choices given to her. She now eats her food in the main dining room with others and has managed to cope well with different noise levels. She has also expanded her food choices which were very self-limiting. When she first came to us we had to use plastic cutlery and plates as she would throw them but now she can be trusted to use normal cutlery and plates like others which is an incredible improvement. Her huge achievements are in the community where she now frequently goes for walks and she has been bowling, gone to the Air Hop Trampoline Park and she even managed our Circus event this year which was really challenging on her sensory needs. All these activities need major planning but every young person should have opportunities to try out new experiences.
Karen has periods of good behaviour but sometimes she will regress to historical traits if her anxiety levels rise. We are, nevertheless, incredibly proud of the achievements she has made and huge thanks goes to the incredible Cherry Trees Staff for the time, patience and dedicated support offered to Karen which has brought her so far on her journey. She has come a long way from the young lady we met three years ago. Her Senior Carer Emma, has become a good buddy to Karen, and she says she loves having fun, being tickled and pulling funny faces together. The pair have shared many happy outings – memories and moments created, Karen smiling and showing great tenderness. In Emma’s words – ‘Karen is a joy’.
We are incredibly proud of the achievements KAREN has made and huge thanks goes to the incredible Cherry Trees Staff
Karen is a joy 9
looking forward With AN EXCITING FUTURE in our sights, we aim: o see the completion of our newly extended and T renovated sensory bathroom and enclosed walkway. o renovate our garden to provide new sensory areas, and T a quiet calm space for children, staff and parents to sit. o expand our database through a marketing campaign in T Surrey promoting awareness and income generation for Cherry Trees. o Introduce a new database to the house allowing parents T to book online and staff to access care information easily to share with parents and professionals.
Volunteers Cherry Trees is greatly supported by our wonderful volunteers of which we have over 100. They support in many ways: from driving our minibuses taking children to and from school, baking cakes at home for our fundraising events, turning up and helping out at those events, giving time in the office to help support all the administration of the charity and of course our trustees whose role it is to ensure that Cherry Trees remains true to its purpose, values and culture. This year we had over 5000 voluntary hours given which is just priceless to the charity and we hope they know how much they are valued and appreciated.
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With demand for respite care on the increase and now holding a waiting list, we aim to look at how we can support this need and grow Cherry Trees to meet our mission and vision. Trustees are working with the staff team looking forward to how we can achieve this and we are excited for Cherry Trees’ future and how best we can continue to support the families and children in our community. To all our volunteers we say
Thank You You
You
You
You
You
You You
You
You
You
WHAT A RESULT! The big numbers, and what they mean
57,772
hours of care PROVIDED
12,405
5036
hours of care provided on a one to one basis,
hours of VOLUNTEERING
790
OVERNIGHT STAYS
This is a significant increase on last year which demonstrates the higher level of care we are now needing to deliver.
1,072 24 HOUR STAYS
362
661
teA visits
DAY visits
CHAMPION!
On a parent survey, when asked ‘does Cherry Trees meet the needs of your child’, the response was...
100% positive AND EVEN MORE...
£17,000 Bursary provided
1,130 Hours of bursary given
THA SO NK YO MU CH U :)
DID YOU KNOW: 81p in every pound goes back into the services we provide
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our staff says... I cannot believe it’s been more than five years since I joined this remarkable organisation of childcare and left behind a long career of more than 30 years working for blue chip international Investment Banks in the City. I have always been excited by my career and feel privileged to have worked in prestigious and well respected organisations of which I count Cherry Trees as being one. I really enjoy working with our amazing children and dedicated staff and am delighted to have exchanged the trading floor for the playroom floor for the latter years of my working life. Cherry Trees will always have a special place in my heart. GRAHAM: Senior Care Assistant, 5 years
e c a l p l a i c e p a s y heart in m I don’t ever really see my shifts as ‘work’ because, no matter how challenging they can sometimes be, the children give back to me with all the things they do. When I think back, there are so many special moments across the 16 years I’ve worked here. One boy with limited verbal abilities would often call out at night time and just hearing him wanting to reach me with the word ‘night’ really touched me. We do have some very funny moments in our playroom too – there’s often a lot of singing and impromptu playing of Coldplay on the piano which you can never predict. They just have these musical moments bursting into song! JAMIE: Care worker, 16 years
w o n k o t g n i t get n e r d l i the ch
mus momical bursents into ting song !
I t’s when you take some time and sit down with some of the children who struggle with communication and, through reading to them or playing a puzzle with them, you get to know them better and are able to relate to them on some level, especially those who are non-verbal. Having only joined the team in January it was a real boost when one of the Senior Care staff praised the effort I was making to read and respond to our non-verbal children’s needs. ELLIE: Care worker, 6 months Cherry Trees, School Lane, East Clandon, Surrey GU4 7RS 01483 222507 I www.cherrytrees.org.uk
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Registered Charity no 800222
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