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Florence and Leanne
FamiliesNews
October 17, 2023

Florence’s Swimming Journey at SNAPS

SNAPS and Leanne have been extremely lucky to be finalists in this years aquatic excellence awards with the STA, in the categories for ‘not for profit organization of the year’ and ‘swimming teacher of the year’.

To even be considered for this is such a privilege. Here, Leanne shares her experience of one of our fantastic swimmers, Florence, to showcase  why swimming at SNAPS is so important.

Leanne says: “Florence took my hand and led me on her swimming journey in September 2021. One year prior, she had survived a very rare pediatric stroke and was adapting to a completely new way of life. The moment I saw her medical history alongside her age, I was in shock. How could someone so small survive something so big?! Then I met Florence and it all made sense. She is bold, brave, courageous, and resilient. She had no boundaries, her world in the water was limitless. This might be another day at work for me, but for Florence it was a world in which she could thrive, be the best and try her hand at just about anything. It was a safe space.

“Walking in that door each week with a smile on her face and a ‘can do’ attitude, she quickly progressed through the Rockhopper badges. She of course went beyond the badge skills, and learned how to forward roll, surface dive and complete a kneeling dive. These are skills ordinarily reserved for swimmers who can swim all four strokes!

Florence
“Florence was always one step ahead of me, so she had her first attempt at mainstream swimming. Unfortunately, this led to a huge knock to her confidence. This was absolutely not Florence’s fault. When she returned to me at SNAPS, you would have thought nothing of it, as she got straight in and straight to work without hesitation. The resilience will forever amaze me. Florence was enjoying her time in the water and once again, achieving badges faster than ever expected! 
 
“Take 2…lets try this again. It was time to meet Ethan at Swimbrite Swimming School. Florence was understandably very anxious about trying mainstream lessons again, so her family were able to arrange a 1.1 with Ethan to help her settle. I went along with her, and Ethan gave us both a lesson! Florence and Ethan clicked immediately, he took the time to get to know her and her confidence flourished once again.
 
Ethan explains: “When Florence first came with me, I was unsure what to expect. As soon as she climbed in she had the biggest smile on her face and was so confident in the water. It was amazing to see. Half way through the lesson, Leanne was able to step out as Florence was growing in confidence, which was amazing!
 
“Following this, Florence joined one of my group lessons with five other children, all around the same ability as her. The first week, she had all of her swimming aids: armbands and pool noodle. I was unsure how Florence would compare to the other swimmers, as they had all been in lessons with me the previous term. In only three weeks in however, I was very happy to see that she was one of the strongest swimmers in the class. She has made such huge progress in such a small space of time and is now swimming independently without armbands or floats. She is amongst the strongest swimmers in the group. I really enjoy teaching Florence. It is amazing to see how much she has progressed in such a small space of time!”
 
Leanne continues: “Florence entered the SNAPS pool for the first time in September 2021. By September 2023, she is swimming in a mainstream group lesson with five others and is swimming unaided, and with a beautiful stroke I might add!
 
“She has overcome more than any child at her age should have to, and her bravery and resilience is a testament to her character and her amazing family. SNAPS gave her the best start to her swimming journey, giving her time to build strength in her left side and allowing her to keep up with her peers. She however, brought to SNAPS a whole lot of bravery, strength and resilience of her own. She also took away all of our hearts as she walked out the door!”
Florence and Leanne
By Miriam Watson-Pratt
Untitled design (1)
FamiliesNews
July 27, 2023

Mark Bramfitt’s Step Challenge for SNAPS

500,000 steps in a month sounds a big challenge for some, but one that Mark is taking head on!

Mark Bramfitt has pledged to walk 500,000 steps during the month of July to help fundraise for SNAPS.

Last year, Marks charity was Little Hiccups, who provided his grandson, Jack, with much needed support. Jack was  diagnosed with epilepsy and cerebral palsy due to complications soon after birth.

SNAPS was Marks charity of choice this time, as Jack attends Penny Fields school for hydrotherapy, which is where the family learnt about SNAPS and the work we do to help children with additional needs and their families.

Earlier this year, Mark underwent a full knee replacement and decided that walking 500,000 steps in a single month would be challenging, but would also aid his own recovery.

Mark is the Develop Manager/Coach for North East Leeds Juniors Football Club and works with children from reception up until year 2. He is passionate about football and loves working with kids to instil not only football skills, but the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship. He believes these are transferable skills to other areas of the children’s lives.

We would like to thank Mark for his amazing fundraising efforts and wish him the best of luck as he completes his 500,000 steps in July!

By Miriam Watson-Pratt
Western Awards Winner
NewsServices
July 12, 2023

SNAPS Weston Charity Awards 2023 Winner

SNAPS is thrilled to have had the impact of our current services and future ambitions recognised with our selection as a 2023 Weston Charity Awards winner!

The award gives the charity the chance to invest in its future with ten months of strategic planning support from a dedicated team of four business experts, thanks to pro bono charity Pilotlight and a core grant of £6,500 from the Garfield Weston Foundation.

SNAPS was chosen from over 100 applicants, all of which are frontline charities delivering youth, welfare, community or environment services in the North of England, the Midlands and Wales.

Lucy Owen, Chief Executive at SNAPS, says:

“SNAPS is an amazing charity supporting many familie,s but we know that there is a huge need out there for us to do more.  This exciting award will support SNAPS to grow into the future in a sustainable way to allow us to be there for more children and families in the future. 

“We have ambitious plans for the charity, and we hope that this incredible opportunity with Pilotlight and the funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation will offer invaluable support to help us realise our ambitions to grow our service delivery over the coming years.”

In congratulating SNAPS, Philippa Charles, Director of the Garfield Weston Foundation said:

“Our Trustees are delighted to be able to support a record number of charities this year through the Weston Charity Awards. The Awards underscore the Foundation’s passion for nurturing and empowering charities to thrive and support those who need it most.”

Ed Mayo, Chief Executive of Pilotlight, the charity which is connecting SNAPS with a team of coaches drawn from a range of businesses and other organisations said:

“When you fall, you want someone to catch you. Small charities offer a safety net for so many people who are vulnerable and in need. Yet small charities typically do not have the support and help that they need themselves in order to sustain their work and spread their impact. We are proud to be able to assist 22 inspiring charities through the Weston Charity Awards over the coming year.”

By Miriam Watson-Pratt
National Lottery People's Project logo
In The PressNews
June 2, 2023

People Project Winners!

SNAPS is one of the winners of the National Lottery People’s Project! 

On ITV Calendar News on Thursday 1st June, SNAPS was announced as one of three winners for the Peoples Project. We are absolutely thrilled to share that we will be receiving £67,429 of National Lottery funding to support our work. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who voted for us to help us secure this funding.  This money will help to fund services at one of our sites for a whole year and make such a difference to so many children and families!We couldn’t have done it without the support of all our SNAPS family and friends who help champion SNAPS and vote for us. Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us.Our Chief Executive, Lucy Owen, says: 

“This is absolutely amazing news for SNAPS! We are so grateful to the People’s Project, not only for the funds which are incredible and will make such a difference to our work, but also for the opportunity it has presented to raise awareness of SNAPS and our vital work helping children and families. Thank you so much to our wonderful community and everyone who voted, you are amazing! By casting a vote for SNAPS you have truly made a difference to the lives of so many people.”For anyone who didn’t get chance to see our original film and the work we do at SNAPS, you can view this link or you can get in touch with the team – fundraising@snapsyorkshire.orgFor now we just want to say an enormous thank you!!

By Miriam Watson-Pratt
National Lottery People's Project logo
FamiliesNews
May 16, 2023

People’s Project: SNAPS Needs Your Vote!

We are calling on all our family and friends to help SNAPS secure £63,000 of National Lottery funding by voting for us in this year’s The People’s Projects.  

Please show your support and vote for SNAPS by midday on Friday 26th May via this link. 

SNAPS is one of five groups in Yorkshire in the running for a share of almost £250,000 of funding. If successful, SNAPS will use the money to fund a whole year of support at one our sites! That means more services for you are families!

The People’s Projects not only delivers vital grants to the heart of UK communities, but also raises awareness of the incredible work of the 95 shortlisted community groups vying for your vote. Back after a 3-year break, The National Lottery Community Fund, ITV, UTV and the Sunday Mail (in Scotland) have teamed up to give the public a chance to decide how National Lottery funding should be put to good use in their local area.  

In each region, the three projects with the most public votes will receive grants of up to £70,000. This funding will help make a real difference to people’s lives, particularly in these difficult times. The runner’s up in each region will be offered up to £10,000 towards their project, bringing the total funding up for grabs for communities across the UK to over £4 million.  

SNAPS will be featured on ITV Calendar from 6pm on Friday 19th May, so please do tune in or set your recorder to see SNAPS in action!

Voting is open and if you haven’t already please vote here: https://www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk/projects/view/snaps

 Lucy Owen, Chief Executive at SNAPS, said:

“The People’s Projects has given us an amazing opportunity to raise awareness and support for our work and, with your help, secure this additional much-needed funding. If we win, our project will make a real difference to our local community. These funds could help to fund a whole year of SNAPS’ services at one of our sites and allow us to support even more children and families who need us. We now need local people to get behind us, to show their support and vote for SNAPS to receive these vital funds.” 

David Knott, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said:

“The People’s Projects delivers much-needed funding to the heart of communities and showcases the incredible efforts of hard-working projects across the UK. The short-listed groups are truly inspirational, each delivering life-changing support to their community in different ways. It is now time for the public to have their say in how vital National Lottery funding is used in their area to make a difference to people’s lives, particularly in these challenging times.” 

Since it started in 2005, The People’s Projects has awarded around £45 million to over 1,000 good causes.   

Voting closes at noon on Friday 26 May 2023.

People can vote only once per region and will need an email address or mobile number to vote*.

To support SNAPS and for Terms and Conditions please visit www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk 

We need your votes!

 

By Miriam Watson-Pratt
SNAPS logo
NewsVolunteer/Job opportunities
January 17, 2023

Vacancy – SNAPS Support Worker

We are looking for a Support Worker to join the SNAPS team!

SNAPS is a local charity based in Leeds that supports children with additional needs and their families. We provide specialist activities to aid the children’s development and offer families the chance to take part in activities together and meet others in a similar position to themselves.

We are looking for Support Workers to work from our Leeds sites to assist the running of our Saturday sessions, working with children with additional needs to help them reach their objectives.

This is a rewarding role for the right person and is a chance to really help children fulfil their full potential.

If you want to know more, please visit our vacancies section on there website here. You will find a person specification, full job description and details on how to apply.

By Miriam Watson-Pratt
Ben Milner and family
FamiliesNews
January 10, 2023

Super-dad cycles over 1,300 miles to raise £25k for SNAPS

A Leeds father has cycled 1,341 miles and raised an incredible £25,000 for a charity that helps children with additional needs.

Ben Milner, 33, has conquered both the London to Amsterdam Challenge and the Ride Across Britain, to support SNAPS (Special Needs and Parent Support) and raise funds for the Leeds charity.

The charity is close to Ben and his family’s heart, as it supports his son Phoenix, 6, who has dystonia and cerebral palsy. Ben said: “My son Phoenix has been supported by SNAPS for the past five years. He has made use of the fantastic services SNAPS offer. I’d go as far as saying if wasn’t for SNAPS, Phoenix wouldn’t be the little boy he is today.”

SNAPS provides support services for children with additional needs of all kinds, and their families, which includes weekly physiotherapy, specialist swimming lessons, arts and crafts, dance, sign and sing, music therapy, and accessible football clubs.

To complete the challenge, Ben trained by cycling an average of 100 miles a week and thought of his son a lot, saying: “I’ve always had a ‘do NOT get off this bike’ mantra, and I stick to it. If I ever think I’m wavering on a challenge, I just tell myself that Phoenix goes through more every day and has been through more in his 6 years of life than I have in 33 years. The challenges are nothing compared to that.”

Ben received a lot of support from his friends, family, and his colleagues at the Data Shed, Leeds, not only supported Ben emotionally, they also contributed greatly to his fundraising efforts. Anna Sutton, CEO & Co-Founder of the Data Shed, said: “the Data Shed always supports our own, particularly when they go to the lengths, like Ben Milner has, to support a wonderful organisation like SNAPS. SNAPS has supported Ben and his family throughout the last few years, and we were thrilled to be able to contribute towards that. We loved cheering Ben on from the sidelines during his fundraising ride and getting regular updates on his progress.”

The funds raised by Ben will enable SNAPS to continue its vital work supporting an average of 180 families per term with essential physiotherapy and support. The charity, which is completely independently funded, is open access and non-referral, and has seen a huge increase in demand for its services – currently receiving enquiries from 100 new families a term.

Lucy Owen, Chief Executive at SNAPS, said: “we would like to say a massive thank you to Ben for his incredible hard work and dedication, and to all his supporters who generously donated. The families that we support have found the pandemic particularly difficult, and it has taken its toll on many parents’, carers’ and children’s mental and physical health. This is why fundraising like this so important to keep services going and helping to support children and families that need it the most.”

By Miriam Watson-Pratt
Lucy and Ali at the Compassionate City Awards
News
December 2, 2022

Compassionate City Awards 2022 Winners

 SNAPS are award winners!

Last night – Thursday 1st December 2022 – SNAPS attended the Compassionate City Awards 2022 as a nominated finalised in the category of Health and Wellbeing.
 
SNAPS had been nominated by one of our parents, Kathy Louca, in the category of Health and Wellbeing for our Family Support work. Our Family Support work is wide reaching from making everyone welcome at all our sites and services, to offering specific parent and carer sessions of support, as well as support activities and events. 
 
We are delighted to announce that SNAPS were the winners of the Health & Wellbeing Award! We are incredibly excited and thankful to everyone who was able to make this happen.

Lucy Owen and Ali Mitchell, who attended the  event, were presented the award by Pat McGeever, the CEO from Health for All.
 
Lucy Owen had this to say about our fantastic achievement: “We were absolutely thrilled just to have been nominated for this award and so win is the icing on the cake for everyone at SNAPS! Listening to the nominations on the night, it was clear that there are a multitude of people doing wonderful things across the city. 
 
“Therefore, for SNAPS to win this category is a testament to the incredible hard work of the staff and volunteers and of all our families who come together to make SNAPS the truly wonderful place it is.  I hope this award shows our families that they are not alone, that SNAPS and the city of Leeds recognises their journey and celebrates everything they have achieved.  We collected this award on behalf of you all.  We should all celebrate this win as the SNAPS family!”

To find out more about the Compassionate City Awards, please visit their website here.

By Miriam Watson-Pratt
Football instructor helping a young boy with his gloves
FamiliesNewsServices
March 9, 2022

SNAPS Football Club

We are very excited at SNAPS to share the news that we are starting another football club with the Leeds United Foundation.
 
Football Club number two will run every Saturday in term time at Broomfield South SILC from 10am – 11am. Football Club is £3 per session and siblings can also join in with Football Club.
 
We have places available to start from April with us and also have some free taster sessions available.
 
Please email jo@snapsyorkshire.org  for more information or to book your place.
By Miriam Watson-Pratt
SNAPS logo
NewsServices
March 9, 2022

Donation from Sovereign Health Care

We are delighted to be one of the chosen charities to be supported by the Sovereign Health Care Community Programme. 

Sovereign is a Bradford-based company, which has been concerned with the health and wellbeing of local people for over 149 years and this ethos is reflected in the community organisations and charities they support.

Through the Community Programme, we have received a donation of over £3,486, which will help to fund our stay and play sessions.

These sessions provide an opportunity for children to play, make friends and take part in activities such as music therapy and arts and crafts, in a safe and welcoming environment. They are also a chance for parents and carers to get together and talk to other parents who may have similar experiences. 

SNAPS hires specially trained teachers to deliver classes such as sign and sing, dance and drama, which the children love taking part in. These classes are important as children aren’t able to attend the mainstream versions, and they help to develop confidence, creativity and expression.

Russ Piper, Chief Executive at Sovereign Health Care, says:  “SNAPS plays an important role in the lives of children and families in West Yorkshire and it’s rewarding to know our donation can make such a difference to the Stay and Play sessions they provide”

Lisa Morton, senior fundraising manager at SNAPS, adds: “Everyone at SNAPS was delighted to receive such a generous donation from Sovereign Health Care! This donation will allow SNAPS to continue providing vital services while further developing our services to meet local need. We are so grateful to have been selected.”

By Miriam Watson-Pratt
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