Impact Report 2017-18

Impact Report 2017-2018

The difference you helped us make

“Thank you Wooden Spoon. Your support has had a meaningful, tangible impact on the experiences of children and families facing extremely distressing times.�

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Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

Contents 4

Welcome

5

Our Vision

6

Our Support

7

A Special Year

8

A Volunteer’s Perspective

9

Keeping It Local

10

Near You

11

Team Building With Social Impact

12

Our Approach

21

Case Study: Widnes Vikings

13

How We Help

22

Sensory Rooms and Gardens

14

Who We Help

23

Case Study: Bright Sparks Sensory Room

16

Health and Wellbeing

24

Specialist Equipment and Facilities

17

Case Study: Oak Tree Primary School

25

Case Study: Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice

18

Playgrounds and Outdoor Activities

26

How We Raise Funds

19

Case Study: Coedpenmaen Primary School

28

Finances

20

Education Projects

31

The Future

Contact: Wooden Spoon, Sentinel House, Ancells Business Park, Harvest Crescent, Fleet, Hampshire GU51 2UZ T: 01252 773720 E: charity@woodenspoon.org.uk W: woodenspoon.org.uk

Wooden Spoon is a company Limited by Guarantee. Reg. Office Address: Sentinel House, Ancells Business Park, Harvest Crescent, Fleet, Hampshire GU51 2UZ Company Reg No. 1847860.

Wooden Spoon is a registered charity in England and Wales (Reg. No. 326691)) and in Scotland (Reg. No. SC039247).

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Welcome In my first year as CEO for the charity, I am both privileged and humbled to be part of the amazing team at Wooden Spoon.

As you will see in this report our committed team of volunteers, supported by our staff, have been working tirelessly across the UK and Ireland to help change the lives of children with disabilities and facing disadvantage.

I have visited many of the projects we have funded and seen first-hand the impact they are making to real people’s lives.

Mums in really difficult circumstances are finally getting the support they need for their child to enjoy school and develop their learning; Dads are in tears as their child with a profound disability gets to play sport for the first time.

But most heart-warming of all, is watching the courageous children our projects support being so delighted by every day things that were previously not accessible to them.

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Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

To see a five year old boy squeal with delight as he goes on a swing without having to travel 15 miles or to see a teenage girl able to communicate with their sibling for their first-time is the real difference you are making.

So thank you for everything you do, to enable Wooden Spoon to continue its life-changing work in local communities across the UK and Ireland.

And please continue to help us, because together there is still so much more that we can do.

With best wishes,

Sarah Webb CEO

Our Vision Through the power of rugby every child and young person, no matter what their background has access to the same opportunities.

Our Mission To positively transform the lives of children and young people with disabilities or facing disadvantage across the UK and Ireland through the power of rugby.

Our Values Our rugby heritage drives our core values of Passion, Integrity, Teamwork and Fun.

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Papworth Trust, 2018 The Children’s Society, 2011 & Disability Rights, 2013 Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2016

Why Support Us? More than 930,000 children are living with disabilities in the UK1 and 4 in 10 children with disabilities are living in poverty2. Low-income families with disabled children can often find it harder to access support3 and many go without activities that other children take for granted. With more and more pressure on public services families in your area need your help more than ever.

Working closely with the rugby community, we fund projects in local communities that support children and young people with disabilities or facing

disadvantage in the UK and Ireland.

By supporting Wooden Spoon, you will know that every £1 raised locally is spent on life-changing projects where you live and you are transforming the lives of children and young people most in need.

Our regions are supported by our national office, which raises the funds required to ensure our volunteers receive the support they need, adhere to best fundraising practice, comply with charity law and ensure we spend our funds where they will have most impact.

Our History The woeful performance of England during the 1983 Five Nations Rugby Championship left an unexpected but wonderful legacy.

After watching their side condemned to the bottom of the tournament table with a 25-15 defeat to Ireland at Landsdowne Road, five England supporters seeking solace in a Dublin bar were presented with a wooden spoon, wrapped in an Irish scarf, on a silver platter.

Accepting the gift with good humour and grace, the group – which included Wooden Spoon’s now-president Peter Scott – resolved to hold a golf match to see who would have the honour of keeping the tongue-in-cheek gift. A few months later, the round at Farnham Golf Club in Surrey raised more than £8,500 which was used to provide a new minibus for a local special needs school.

Stirred into action by a rugby routing, Wooden Spoon was born and we have been supporting disadvantaged and disabled children ever since.

Help us change children’s lives today at woodenspoon.org.uk Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

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The project categories that we fund: Education Projects We engage socially disadvantaged children and young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

Health and Wellbeing We believe no child should miss out on the health and wellbeing benefits of sport.

Sensory Rooms and Gardens We want to enthral, engage and excite young minds by stimulating children’s senses.

Playgrounds and Outdoor Activities We value the power of play in learning new skills.

Specialist Equipment and Facilities We provide firm foundations for brighter futures by backing building works and tackling transport and activity aids.

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Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

Our Support: 2017/18 in numbers

71

25

Projects supported by Wooden Spoon

Regions in the UK & Ireland supported

£1,094,216

139,000

Worth of projects supported

Children and young people supported

Projects approved by Wooden Spoon in 2017/18 shown by number:

Projects approved by Wooden Spoon in 2017/18 shown by value (£000):

20 Sensory Rooms and Gardens

315 Sensory Rooms and Gardens

15 Special Equipment and Facilities

300 Special Equipment and Facilities

13 Playgrounds

108 NEET

7 Equipment and Activity Aids

99 Playgrounds

6 Health and Wellbeing

56 Buildings and Extensions

4 Buildings and Extensions

56 Equipment and Activity Aids

3 Disability Rugby

46 Disability Rugby

3 NEET

16 Health and Wellbeing

A Special Year WOODEN Spoon was delighted to celebrate its 35th Anniversary in 2018.

To commemorate, we hosted a special royal reception at Trinity House on 27 June 2018 in the presence of our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal.

Wooden Spoon has a strong history, with a loyal group of supporters.

Our durability has ensured that we continue to have the biggest impact of all rugby charities in the UK and Ireland, consistently delivering over 70 projects to our beneficiaries each year.

The reception was attended by many of the charity’s Founders, including Founder and Life President Peter Scott MBE and his wife Sheila.

Sarah Webb, CEO, said: “It was an honour to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to the event. We’re extremely grateful for her backing over the years, helping Wooden Spoon launch many projects and always giving her time so generously.”

Peter commented: “We did not set out to launch a charity but decided that whilst we were having fun we should continue to raise money together. So here we are 35 years on, having raised over £25 million and helped thousands of children and we are still having fun.”

The Princess, who became Patron of Wooden Spoon in 1997, congratulated the charity’s volunteers, supporters and staff on the life-changing work Wooden Spoon has carried out since it was founded in 1983, helping hundreds of thousands of children and having fun whilst doing it.

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“If one is involved in establishing something and seeing it develop and grow through its first 35 years, then it is impossible not to feel a strong tie,” said Nigel, who Chairs the National Projects committee and is a trustee, Chilterns and Governance committee member.

“Wooden Spoon is fundamental to my thinking and I believe we all have a responsibility to put something back into life and this – helping to improve the lives of those with a disability or facing disadvantage – is the way I choose to do it.”

That Wooden Spoon now funds more than 70 projects each year is an obvious source of satisfaction for Nigel, but – as a founding father – he is equally excited about the future.

Nigel Timson: A volunteer’s perspective AS A co-founder and trustee of Wooden Spoon since its inception in 1983, Nigel Timson is rightly proud of his guardianship of a charity that has improved the lives of more than one million young people.

The 71-year-old has been instrumental in the charity’s healthy growth and insists his enduring passion for Wooden Spoon’s work is what motivates him to continue to volunteer as one of its custodians.

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Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

“A big issue for those with a disability is they have very little independence at home and we want to find a long-term solution to that need,” he concluded.

“We have funded work by Imperial College in London to develop software that allows users, through either a joystick, robotic arm, voice- or eyerecognition, to manage a universal controller that can do things like turn on the TV, open the door or even boil an egg [see page 30].

“How we help is changing but we remain focused on giving disadvantaged young people a better quality of life.”

Keeping it local OUR regional volunteer groups work tirelessly across the UK and Ireland, in your local communities, to fund lifechanging projects for children and young people with disabilities.

Many of our supporters tell us what really sets us apart from other charities is that for every £1 we raise locally, we spend 100% of those funds on local projects.

Donna, Lisa and Claire; three intrepid 40 something ladies, ran the London

Marathon for Wooden Spoon also told us: “Wooden Spoon’s core values of Passion, Integrity, Teamwork and Fun were the driving force behind our fundraising and training!”

In the words of one child, about sensory play equipment at a project funded by Wooden Spoon Kent: “Going on it makes me feel as happy as a unicorn watching rainbows.”

The chart on the right shows the local communities where we funded projects in 2017-2018:

Projects funded by geographic area, by number of projects: 23 Midlands and Wales 21 South West and Channel Islands 18 South East 17 Scotland 14 North and Ulster 7 National

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Near You YOU are never very far away from a Wooden Spoon event or project and we work hard to fund projects in local communities across the UK and Ireland. We are always looking for more people to get involved locally. Please get in touch today if you or your business would like to help near you.

South East

Midlands

Bedfordshire Chilterns Eastern Counties Hampshire Hertfordshire Kent London Oxfordshire Surrey Sussex

Leicestershire Northamptonshire Nottinghamshire Shropshire Staffordshire Warwickshire West Midlands Worcestershire

South West & Channel Islands Bristol and Bath Cornwall Devon Dorset and Wiltshire Gloucestershire Guernsey Jersey Somerset

North & Ulster Cumbria Durham Isle of Man Lancashire Manchester and Cheshire Northumberland Merseyside Ulster Yorkshire

Ireland Leinster

Wales

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Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

Scotland

grassland into a wheelchairaccessible recreation area in just eight hours.

Under the expert guidance of Fusion’s ex-military coaches and mentors, volunteers constructed facilities that included a 50-metre decked Wooden Spoon Walk, a playhouse and an outdoor classroom area.

Team Building with Social Impact IN THE last couple of years volunteers and supporters from across the country have taken part in a new initiative that provides the platform for a dynamic and different team-building exercise that is helping to bring about life enhancing projects.

that delivers a project build in just one day.

Wooden Spoon has partnered with Fusion Community Initiatives; a company that specialises in team building with social impact, to enable volunteers to take an active role and be part of a team

One of the early builds was the creation of an exciting new outdoor area for the children at Christopher’s Shooting Star Chase in Guildford where volunteers transformed a barren patch of

The builds range from outdoor classrooms and adventure trails to the re-build of stables and the conversion of a bus into an activity zone.

The completed project is proving an invaluable asset to many of the 700-plus families supported by Christopher’s children’s hospice at Shooting Star Chase and the organisation’s Head of Care, Geraldine Sheedy, was full of praise for everyone who helped to make it a reality.

to the sensitive needs of the environment they were working in and showed compassion and understanding to the children and their families, encouraging them to observe what was happening in the garden and, where appropriate participate in the project.

“We now have an outdoor classroom, a wonky playhouse and an amazing sensory walkway for the children and families to enjoy when they come to stay at Christopher’s. This will add to the opportunities available for play and memory making.”

She said: “The team were respectful Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

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Our Approach METHODOLOGY Wooden Spoon’s working definition of impact is the positive long-term changes that are made to a project by our funding.

This works towards our vision of giving every child and young person, no matter what their background, the access to the same opportunities, through the power of rugby.

MEASURING CURRENT PERFORMANCE The best available measure of our current performance is the total number of beneficiaries supported by Wooden Spoon projects within April 2017 to March 2018.

On page 6 we highlight the number of projects approved in this time period; the Wooden Spoon regions that the projects are situated in; the annual number of children and young people who will be supported by the projects and the total cost of projects committed to.

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WHO WE ARE SUPPORTING We asked representatives from all the projects we supported in this period to provide information on the age, sex, ethnic origin of beneficiaries and the conditions that they have. This enables us to paint a better picture of the beneficiaries we are supporting and where there may be any gaps in our funding.

ACHIEVING OUR VISION AND MISSION Our project criteria state that all projects must have a minimum life span of five years.

Therefore for the purposes of this report we have written to all projects funded in 20152016 to gather information to measure the impact of projects we funded two years on in 2017-2018.

We wrote to all projects funded in 2015-2016 and asked the same questions around the project reach and beneficiary demographics.

We also asked them to share data that shows how Wooden Spoon is working in achieving our vision and mission.

Each project has been asked: 1. The degree to which the project has provided beneficiaries with new opportunities not previously available to them 2. The degree to which the project has a lasting impact on beneficiaries The projects were asked to respond with a percentage that reflected significant, some, little to none, or don’t know.

Within the section on each project category, we have selected the demographic data which we believe is most thought provoking for that section, when compared to the averages shown on pages 14 and 15.

We have also shared some of the comments shared from projects to further illustrate the impact our funding has made. Sometimes words convey more than statistics.

We are delighted that we have been working with Deloitte, as part of a pro-bono project to identify even more meaningful data as a longterm project.

How we help IF A project application shares our aim of making a positive impact on the lives of children and young people with disabilities or disadvantage through a commitment to quality charitable work, it may be eligible for a Wooden Spoon grant.

While there is neither a minimum nor maximum grant level, it is unlikely projects of a physical nature under £5,000 in value will have sufficient substance and scale to qualify within the “projected life span” criteria.

Educational or disability sports: Must have a rugby element to engage children and young people.

We fund two types of projects: 1. Capital projects 2. Educational or disability sports

Grants will be considered for kit and equipment, salaries and administration costs.

QUALIFYING CRITERIA

To be considered for Wooden Spoon funding, projects must: Enhance and support the lives of children and young people (under the age of 25) that

Capital projects: Must have a minimum life span of five years (preferably ten) Must be non-transferable and of a permanent nature Special consideration may be given to funding life-enhancing/medical equipment if it can be shown that the useable life of such equipment is likely to be at least five years.

Grants will not be considered for salaries, administration costs, professional fees and ongoing overheads related to a capital project.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

are disadvantaged physically, mentally or socially Work directly with children and young people and have a positive influence on their lives as a result of the activities or service provided Benefit those located in the UK or Ireland Support a group – we cannot make grants to individuals.

All projects must have a clearly-defined brief detailing the project’s need and objectives; stakeholders; description of participants (age, gender, geography); recruitment of participants; project activity and budget; legacy planning; monitoring and evaluation and mechanism for reporting to Wooden Spoon.

Once an application has been received it will be checked to ensure it meets our criteria and sent for approval to the regional committee.

If the region agrees to support the project an Inspector will undertake a site visit and report back to the Project Committee which meets monthly. Successful applications will go forward to the next quarterly Council meeting. If approved at Council a formal grant letter will be sent to the applicant.

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Who we help The information below gives a view of the mix of beneficiaries supported by Wooden Spoon funded projects in 2017-18

Ethnic origin of children and young people supported by Wooden Spoon projects

Male 61%

Female 39%

Gender of children and young people supported

by Wooden Spoon projects 14

Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

81% White 8% Mixed 5% Asian 4% Black African/Caribbean 2% Other

0-4 years 3%

5-11 years 44% Conditions of children and young people supported by Wooden Spoon projects 28% Specific Learning Disability 22% Multiple Disabilities 15% Emotional Disturbance 13% Autism

12-18 years 37%

19-25 years 16%

9% Intellectual Disability 7% Speech/Language Impairment 3% Blindness 1% Hearing Impairment

Age of children and young people supported by Wooden Spoon projects

1% Vision Impairment 1% Other Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

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Health and Wellbeing

Our health and wellbeing projects aim to make sport accessible to children and young people from all walks of life.

83% White British 8% Asian 5% Other Ethnic Group 2% Black African/ Caribbean 2% White Other Data relates to health and wellbeing projects

Local Council research shows that access to sport helps children and young people to grow

healthily, safely and responsibly1.

The first project within the Health and Wellbeing category was in 2016 in Leeds. During the reporting period 2017-18 projects were funded that directly benefitted more than 1,580 children and young people. The projects linked to the Riding for Disabled Association are within this category with whom we are continuing to work closely.

Key messages

80%

Said that the funding has significantly helped to positively transform the lives of beneficiaries

90%

Said the project has had significant to some lasting impact on beneficiaries

90%

Said the project had provided beneficiaries with new opportunities not previously available to them 16

Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

School Wellbeing, Leeds City Council, 2016

At Wooden Spoon, we believe no child should miss out on the health and wellbeing benefits of sport, no matter what their circumstances.

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Children and young people supported by ethnic origin

Case study: Oak Tree Primary School PRIMARY pupils in one of Nottinghamshire’s most deprived areas are engaging with the great outdoors thanks to a Wooden Spoon-funded space.

The Wooden Spoon Courtyard, at Mansfield’s Oak Tree Primary School, has allowed nearly 290 children over the past year to watch plants and flowers grow, get up-close-and-personal with birds and bugs and even enjoy open-air lessons.

Opened in 2015, the Courtyard – which contains wooden planters, seating and a pond – also provides youngsters with a tranquil environment in which to calm down during the school day.

Parent Katie said the facility has made a huge difference to her daughter Aspen (9), who has additional needs, explaining: “She has quite a lot of issues with anxiety, so the ability for her to enjoy an outside space, run off some energy and manage her behaviour levels is vital.”

The Courtyard has sprouted a gardening club, which enters its tomato plants in a local festival each year, serves as inspiration for drawing projects and is frequently used by teachers for lesson planning and meetings.

Extended services coordinator Corinna Brown said: “The Wooden Spoon Courtyard has made a huge impact on our school.

“It has created a place for children to let off steam; those who are struggling to stay in a classroom setting all day now have an outdoor space where they can safely wander, watching the fish or touching leaves.

“It has generated great opportunities for listening, plant spotting, touching, smelling, watering and watching – all of which are much-loved by the children, many of whom do not have a garden like this at home.”

“The Wooden Spoon Courtyard has generated great opportunities for listening, plant spotting, touching, smelling, watering and watching – all of which are much-loved by the children.”

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Playgrounds and Outdoor Activities

Beneficiaries by age

Play is fundamental to children’s happiness and wellbeing, and evidence shows that it is also influential in their health and future life chances.

Play is important for healthy brain development and it is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them.

playgrounds and a wheelchair trampoline.

Wooden Spoon regions fund a wide variety of playgrounds and outdoor facility projects at schools and organisations locally. These range from outdoor classrooms to accessible

Three years ago Wooden Spoon funded 14 playgrounds and outdoor activity projects. This report looks at the ongoing impact of the funding in 2017-18.

“Due to their learning difficulties, our children can find it hard to interact in a playground situation. Having this fabulous Wooden Tower play structure allows them to be imaginative, to be brave when they are climbing, to be a little safely scared when they are on the wobbly rope bridge, to be outside in the fresh air getting exercise.”

– Five Acre Wood School, Kent – 18

Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

7% 0-4 years

24% 12-18 years

67% 5-11 years

2% 19-25 years

Data relates to playgrounds and outdoor activities

72% Reported a positive transformation to the lives of those they supported

71% Reported that the funding had a significant lasting impact on the children and young people they supported

64% Reported that the project had provided beneficiaries with new opportunities not previously available to them

Case study: Coedpenmaen Primary School THE creation of an outdoor classroom in 2016 has provided pupils at Coedpenmaen Primary School in Rhondda Cynon Taff with far more than just year-round protection from the Welsh elements, according to their headteacher.

Jeannette Loveridge said the Wooden Spoon-funded shelter continues to be cherished by the school community, which had previously been confined to cramped conditions following a fire at the site in 2006.

“The outdoor classroom is used for a wide mix of things,” explained Coedpenmaen’s head, who oversees the education of 280-plus students – 22 per cent of whom are on the special needs register.

“During break times it is accessed by lots of our children as a quiet space to sit and chat away from the rough and tumble of the school yard, but it is during class-time that it proves really useful.

“The outdoor classroom has provided space for this and the children much prefer to do their exercises without having to worry about others stopping to have a nose.”

“We are very tight on space and have a number of Emotional Literacy Support Assistant staff who, rather than being stuck in a corridor, now have somewhere to work with students without other people passing.”

The shelter is also benefiting those pupils with behavioural difficulties, providing a safe space away from other children who may disturb their calming strategies.

Jeanette said the privacy afforded by the facility was greatly appreciated by those children at the school with cerebral palsy.

“We only have one hall and with assemblies, shows and lunches there used to be nowhere for children to complete their physiotherapy in peace.

“During break times it is accessed by lots of our children as a quiet space to sit and chat away from the rough and tumble of the school yard.”

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Where the young people supported by the HITZ programme progressed to

Education Projects We actively engage socially disadvantaged children and young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

Statistics covering April to June 2018 indicate that there are approximately 783,000 young people aged 16-24 years old who were classed as NEET (HITZ 2017/18 impact report).

Wooden Spoon funds HITZ, the Premiership Rugby delivered programme, and also the Viking Sports Foundation which is delivered by rugby league’s Widnes Vikings. The funds provided by Wooden Spoon to HITZ releases central government funding to drive the educational part of the programme.

Data extracted from HITZ 2017/18 Impact Report

HITZ

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33% Employment (retail, construction/ building, hospitality, mechanics, logistics, restaurant, agency, farming, social work/child care) 33% Education 17% Disengaged 12% Actively seeking employment 5% Apprenticeships (leisure, chef, carpentry, construction, sports, youth work) Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

In 2017-18 the Wooden Spoon supported HITZ programme helped 299 young people by entering them into personalised study programmes or traineeships which helped increase their focus, discipline, confidence and aspiration.

73% completed the course and 66% went on to achieve a positive

progression into further education, training or employment.

The number of learners entering employment and apprenticeships has increased significantly since last year, which indicates that the added focus on employability skills and work experience has had a positive impact on the young people.

Viking Sports Foundation In 2017-18 The Viking Sports Foundation helped 95 young people all of whom reported significant new opportunities as a result. The Foundation offers weekly sport opportunities that were not previously accessible and the opportunity to engage with professional rugby league players.

Not only does this give the young people the chance to develop skills in sport but also wider skills such as leadership and communication.

Case study: Widnes Vikings WHEN it comes to measuring the success of Widnes Vikings’ Spoon Rugby Drive, the most telling metric is the number of smiles it has put on young faces over the past three seasons.

Run by the Championship club’s Vikings Sports Foundation in partnership with Wooden Spoon, the project delivers a programme of touch rugby coaching to special needs schools across Halton and Merseyside, and a new multi-sports club for young people with disabilities.

And its impact on the 150-plus young people it engages each year is immediately evident, according to Widnes Vikings’ community director Richard Munson.

“The biggest benefit we’ve seen when we deliver the sessions in schools is the enjoyment that young people get from them,” he said.

“Whether they’ve played rugby before or are experiencing it for the first time, they love it. The smiles are the biggest pay-off we could wish for, 100 per cent, and I don’t know a better sport

than rugby that does that.”

Widnes Vikings, which was the first Rugby League side to sign up to Wooden Spoon’s Partner Club Programme, regularly sends firstteam squad members to support the initiative and hosts participants on match days.

“The Spoon Rugby Drive is a great initiative to get young people with learning and physical disabilities playing sport,” Richard concluded.

“Without the support of Wooden Spoon these young people would not have had the chance to access rugby and experience the fun and healthy benefits of doing so.

“It is vitally important that members get behind the work of Wooden Spoon to enable more money to be raised and invested in community projects like this.”

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Sensory Rooms & Gardens SENSORY rooms and gardens funded

by Wooden Spoon offer a specially designed environment to give a sensory experience to children and young people with a range of abilities.

We fund sensory rooms or gardens that have a specific set of requirements such as developing hand and eye co-ordination skills. Research has shown that for children with special educational needs where a child’s ability to learn in the same way as their peers is affected, sensory play can be highly beneficial. It also helps to relax children and young people

with specific conditions who can often suffer from sensory overload and need time out in a calming environment.

Three years ago Wooden Spoon funded 14 sensory rooms and gardens.

This report looks at the ongoing impact of the funding in 2017-18.

Key messages: Since the last report the majority of the sensory rooms and gardens we funded have increased to include the younger age range of 0-4 years, although children aged 5-11 remain the main beneficiaries of sensory room funding.

“Children who have previously had to be collected early, or found particular options too much, have been able to benefit from using the space enabling them to reconnect with peers.

It helps them to deregulate, become calm and remain in the setting for whole sessions. Previously we have had to contact parents or carers to come and collect them.”

– Bath Area Play Project – 22

Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

Beneficiaries by age

39% 0-4 years

20% 12-18 years

40% 5-11 years

1% 19-25 years

Data relates to sensory rooms and gardens

96% Have been provided with new opportunities not previously available to them as a result of the funding

85% Reported that the project has had a lasting impact on beneficiaries

Case study: Bright Sparks Sensory Room A PURPOSE-BUILT play room at a Scottish centre is bringing joy to more than 250 children with severe and complex needs each and every week.

The Wooden Spoon Sensory Room at Bonnyrigg’s Bright Sparks Playgroup was opened in 2016 and is now recognised as one of the premier facilities of its kind in Midlothian among families, schools and other community groups.

Kitted out with strobe, bubble and strip lighting, audio-visual equipment and a light-up ball pool, the room enables children with a

range of conditions to relax, explore and even change colours and sounds using an interactive cube.

Ellen, who has Down’s Syndrome and global development delay, has been visiting Bright Sparks with mum Suzanne for four years.

Suzanne said: “It is a nice quiet area for Ellen to watch the fishes on the screen and listen to the music. She also adores the hammock and loves changing the colours.

“There is no other facility locally for families to access and myself and Ellen are supported by staff and

“It is a tranquil space where all children feel safe and relaxed and everyone who visits is surprised at how fantastic a facility it is.”

other parents, which is invaluable.”

Bright Sparks, which is run entirely by volunteers, supports more than 170 families every week and chairperson Louise Gough said that the Wooden Spoon Sensory Room has become the “flagship for Midlothian.”

She added: “It has been a fabulous

addition to our service. There isn’t a similar one in our community that is available to so many and even specialised schools aren’t able to offer what we can.

“It is a tranquil space where all children feel safe and relaxed and everyone who visits is surprised at how fantastic a facility it is.”

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Specialist Equipment & Facilities SPECIALIST equipment and facilities, including tailored buildings and rooms, wheelchairs, seats, communication aids, beds and postural support systems, can play a vital role in protecting the health of children and young people with disabilities and those who care for them.

Specialist equipment and facilities help

promote independence, safety, social inclusion, quality of life and improved end of life care.

Three years ago Wooden Spoon funded 27 projects with a need for specialist equipment or facilities. This report looks at the ongoing impact of the funding in 2017-18.

Key messages:

77% Of the projects reported that the funding has provided beneficiaries with new opportunities not previously available to them

71% Of the projects reported that the project has helped to positively transform the lives of beneficiaries and has had a lasting impact

“The project has enabled us to work with many more young people with disabilities and give them great access to creative projects which benefit their health and wellbeing.”

– Soft Touch Arts – 24

Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

Disabilities supported

17 Specific Learning Disability 16 Multiple Disabilities 13 Intellectual Disability 13 Speech or Language Impairment 13 Visual Impairment 11 Emotional Disturbance 10 Hearing Impairment 10 Orthopaedic Impairment 9 Autism 9 Deafness 9 Traumatic Brain Injury 8 Other Health Impaired 7 Blindness Data relates to specialist equipment and facilities projects

Case study: Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice A SENSORY soft play facility has brought joy, engagement and entertainment to users of Belfast’s Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

Opened in November 2016, the Wooden Spoon Soft Play Room is kitted out with slides, foam shapes and sensory equipment and was used by more than 220 youngsters – as well as 400 family members – in the last year alone.

Head of Children’s Hospice Services Grace Stewart explained that the room plays an important role in the Hospice’s mission to enhance the lives of its users, including youngsters with life-limiting conditions and illnesses.

She said: “A lot of the children who use the facility will have profound disabilities and may spend a lot of time in wheelchairs or systems

that restrict their movement. The Wooden Spoon Soft Play Room gives them a bit of freedom and a chance to interact with their peers and, indeed, their siblings in a safe, protected way.

“Wooden Spoon helped us to introduce the sensory elements and it’s really powerful to see the children experience cause and effect and to see smiles and hear laughter once they catch on that they are changing the colour of the room.”

Grace concluded: “Palliative care is about enhancing life and creating every opportunity we can for the children and their families.

“We can’t change the journeys they are on, but what we can do is change their experience. Facilities like the Wooden Spoon Soft Play Room are hugely important in enabling us to do that.”

“Palliative care is about enhancing life and creating every opportunity we can for the children and their families. Facilities like the Wooden Spoon Soft Play Room are hugely important in enabling us to do that.”

Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

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How we raise our funds

3. Corporate support and sponsorship

WOODEN Spoon has five primary income sources...

2. Membership

1. Events The majority of our fundraising comes from events and challenges. Wherever you are in the country you can choose from sporting dinners which often feature high profile members of the rugby community, golf days, events at partner rugby clubs and a variety of testing physical challenges. The vast majority of our events are run by the regional volunteer committees whose dedicated support is at the heart of the charity.

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Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

Our squad of over 8,500 members help children and young people tackle some of the biggest challenges they face in life.

Members are invited to attend local events and challenges, such as rugby festivals, dinners and cycles which raise funds for projects in their local area.

Significant income is generated from our engagement with the corporate community through sponsorship of regional and national events, corporate donations and CSR programmes. We also receive great support from our partners with merchandise which includes items such as branded rugby balls, playing kit and mouthguards through to sponsored beverages.

A large number of our regional and national events benefit from corporate sponsorship.

4. Trusts, foundations and legacies Wooden Spoon receives no public sector funding. We have a small dedicated resource to appeal to charitable foundations and are looking to develop a long-term legacy programme with our membership.

5. Donated goods and services Wooden Spoon receives donations of goods and services from corporate and individual supporters. We are very grateful to all donors and in particular to Clifford Chance, Deloitte, GSG Group Ltd, VM Ware and TNT for providing their services on a pro bono basis.

“I was so proud to be part of team TNT raising money for Wooden Spoon, a charity I am passionate about. I really would recommend [the Virgin Money London Marathon] to anybody; it is so worth it – although I think it will be a while before I get my trainers out again.”

– Katey Harding, TNT – Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

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Finances

Charity income

WOODEN Spoon relies heavily on its regionally and nationally organised fundraising events for its income. These events are also the main channel for increasing the membership base, which is a substantial source of revenue.

32%

Donations

28%

Net regional events fundraising

Throughout the reporting year of 2017/18, Wooden Spoon has funded projects supporting an additional 139,000 children and young people compared to last year.

19%

Gross national events fundraising

19%

Membership

2%

Legacies

£797,969 £698,222 £473,794 £473,794 £49,873

Total income

£2,493,652 (Computed using the net contribution from regional events)

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Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

Charity use of funds

48%

Projects

20%

Administration costs

17%

Staff costs

14%

Fundraising costs

£1,094,216 £446,618 £379,625 £312,633

Total use of funds

£2,233,092 (A surplus of approximately £260,000 has been added to reserves to be spent on projects in the new financial year)

Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

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Moving forward: Investing in a Global Legacy INNOVATIVE software developed for the children’s charity of rugby

by Imperial College London has the potential to enrich the lives of millions, according to Wooden Spoon volunteer Barrie Mair.

The former aeronautical engineer has been at the forefront of our efforts to exploit assistive technology to support the special needs community, and believes the concept of a Universal Controller will gift those with disabilities unprecedented independence.

Created by a team of research students at Imperial College and funded by Wooden Spoon, the system acts as a bridge between the user’s preferred control method – whether a keyboard, joystick, eye tracker or speech generator – and the ever30

Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

expanding range of smart devices found in the home.

The concept, which evolved from a Wooden Spoon appeal for ideas from special needs schools and institutions, is at prototype stage and creating a buzz within the technology industry.

Imperial College London

Barrie, a former chairman of the children’s charity of rugby’s Chiterns region, said: “Much of the equipment found in special needs schools is old hat because it takes time for new technology to filter through.

“Historically, people with a disability have been a forgotten audience because for many big tech companies, they are not a large enough market to target.

“The opposite is true of the

“The Universal Controller will help everyone with a disability – not just children – all over the world.”

– Barrie Mair –

Universal Controller and it will help everyone with a disability – not just children – all over the world.”

Reflecting on the potential impact of the project, Barrie concluded: “I’m 76 years old and I’d like to leave something for this world that will be very meaningful.

“I know that I have an eye for technology and its application and the Universal Controller will make sure people don’t get left behind.”

The Future UNDER the direction of new CEO, Sarah Webb and new Chairman, Quentin Smith, Wooden Spoon is currently working on its five year business strategy to be launched in Autumn 2019.

Wooden Spoon’s direction remains clear, to deliver our vision: Through the power of rugby, every child and young person, no matter what their background, has access to the same opportunities.

YOU can help us change children’s lives in a number of ways: Volunteer – in your local area or at our national office Take part in, or sponsor, one of our local or national events Become a member for £5 a month Fundraise Ask your business or workplace to support our projects Ask your school or rugby club to support our projects Leave Wooden Spoon a gift in your Will To find out more visit woodenspoon.org.uk or call 01252 773720.

Follow us Facebook – WoodenSpoonCharity Twitter – @charityspoon

Instagram – @charityspoon LinkedIn – wooden-spoon-charity Wooden Spoon Impact Report 2017-18

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Changing lives...

We fund life-changing projects across the UK and Ireland, using the power of rugby to support children and young people with disabilities or facing disadvantage.

Wooden Spoon is a registered charity in England and Wales (Reg No: 326691) and in Scotland (Reg No: SC039247)

Find out more at woodenspoon.org.uk @charityspoon

facebook.com/WoodenSpoonCharity