The Sensory Place - A Sensory Christmas

The local economy

Through the fundraising we did we were able to hire the church for use. This has provided vital funds for the church to be able to continue with the work they do with the local community. We also tried to source gifts for the children locally however for those that were delivered from online orders, it still required a local courier to deliver them to therefore having a positive impact on jobs in the local area. We also had some people volunteer their time to help us set up, tidy up and deliver the sessions, this helped to develop skills of volunteers which can in turn help the local workforce.

Volunteering, jobs & education

Due to concerns over the increasing Covid cases we did not pursue local actors to socialise and entertain the visiting families as we wanted to keep the groups as small as possible. We did however have a small number of volunteers to help us set up, tidy up, provide refreshments and help run the activities on the day.

Arts, culture & heritage

As part of the project we created arts and craft activities that were accessible to all. We had a range of different craft and sensory activities for a range of abilities and both children and parents could participate in as many or as little as they liked. They were situated at different stations within the setting so families could explore them at their leisure. Many of the children left with something that they had created such as a jingling stick, a home made Christmas decoration or a sand art picture. Some of the children were just happy to enjoy the textures, smells and sounds of the activities rather than making something. All of the families had the opportunity to experience the magic of seeing Santa Claus in a relaxed environment. Some of the children did not yet understand Santa as they had not been able to visit a traditional grotto and this event gave them the opportunity to experience this even if it was just for a few minutes.

Activity, health and leisure

We gave 82 children and their families the chance to experience the magic of Santa and of Christmas in a calm, relaxed and safe environment. Some of these children had never seen Santa in a grotto before. We had a range of activities for children to choose from as well as being able to regulate if needed in the sensory tent if they were becoming overwhelmed. One family who attended said that they had not attended a session that was catered to children with special needs and disabilities and that it was great that there are things out there where they can go where people do not stare or pass judgement on what their child was doing. We had another family where the child may be seen by others as being too old to see Santa therefore hadn't seen Santa for several years, again due to misconceptions by the general public. We have also been able to signpost some families to other activities we run and to other charities and community groups who are able to offer activities for their children to access.