Charity funding boost to help more deafblind children in London

New £371k grant from City Bridge Foundation to help disability charity Sense support disabled children to communicate, play and connect with their families

7 October 2024 – The national disability charity Sense will support more deafblind children living in the capital thanks to a new £371,000 grant.

The City Bridge Foundation, London’s biggest independent charity funder, has provided the money to help Sense offer tailored support to children living with deafblindness. The charity’s services focus on helping families to connect, communicate and play together, through support delivered in person, in the community and online. The charity also runs group sessions and networking events, bringing families together to form connections and support one another. 

Sense is the only organisation that supports people with deafblindness, and other complex disabilities, throughout their lifetimes, offering services across the country. According to government data*, as of 2023, there were 4,573 deafblind children in England, yet it’s an issue that few health, social care and education professionals specialise in. The charity says** more than half of local authorities in London do not employ a single teacher specialising in children with multi-sensory impairments, resulting in service gaps with some children not receiving the support they need.

With new funding from City Bridge Foundation, Sense will be able to support more children who are referred directly to the charity from parents, carers, professionals and clinics including Great Ormond Street Hospital. The funding will begin from this financial year and run for five years.

Case study: ‘Sense gives me the opportunity to interact with my child and just be his mum’

Elijah is one of the children supported by Sense in London. When Elijah, now 2, was born, his brain was starved of blood and oxygen, leading to HIE (hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy). He is deafblind and has cerebral palsy.

Elijah’s mum, Lenora, contacted Sense after another mum recommended the charity. Lenora, from East London, said:

“With Elijah, I wear lots of different hats. I’m his carer, his physiotherapist, and I’m his occupational therapist. I feel like I’ve had to become all these different people, and I don’t get a lot of time to just parent. Sense gives me that opportunity to interact with my child and just be his mum, playing with him and doing all the fun stuff. Sense has helped me focus on all the things he is capable of.”

Rebecca Liddiard, who heads up Sense’s Children and Young People’s Services, said:

“It’s vital that every child, no matter their condition, gets the best start in life, but we know there are children across the country who are falling through the gaps. This new funding boost will help Sense reach more children and families in London, helping them to communicate, connect and play together.”

Paul Martinelli, City Bridge Foundation deputy chairman, said:

“We’re really pleased to support Sense in their work. The charity’s life-changing support for deafblind children and their families makes a huge difference in enabling parents to feel more supported and to break through communication barriers with their child.”

For more information and support from Sense visit: www.sense.org.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors

* Department of Education, Special Educational Needs in England, 2023/24. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england

** Sense’s 2021 Freedom of Information request to English local authorities evidenced that 52% of the London LAs do not employ any multi-sensory impairment teachers at all. https://www.sense.org.uk/about-us/research/msi-teachers-shortage-in-england/

For more information:

Please email [email protected] or call 0203 833 0611.