The Rotary Club of Gryffe Valley has in past years with the support of local businesses and Trusts and with the help of the community of Gryffe Valley raised substantial funding for many worthy local causes. In 2016/17 the club raised £10000 to help Capability Scotland to provide a resource lending facility to disabled children throughout the Regions of Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and Inverclyde. 

  

The toy and play resources lending library is available to be accessed by all children who attend specialist schools, respite and play and activity services across the catchment area. 

This initiative will enable the 272 children who attend the school, after school, short breaks and play and activity schemes to have access to toys and resources that will make a significant difference to their wellbeing, experience, play and development opportunities.

Benefits

1. Borrowing sensory stories to take home expands the numbers of books and stories the children have access to (this type of book is much more expensive than even a hardback so can be out of the financial range of some parents). 

2. Sensory stories extend learning from class to home, provide a platform of contact for   parents and child making learning fun while creating quality time together.

3. Due to limited hand function some children cannot use a wide range of equipment by borrowing, parents and children can assess their suitability before buying them. 

4 .A range of resources meets their developmental, therapeutic and cognitive needs and keeps play and learning fun, motivational and challenging. Some items will allow children to keep abreast of technology by choosing toys and resources from specialist suppliers. The children are involved in the photographing, listing and cataloguing all resources and assisting to develop the lending library, helping to log items in and out and prepare them for uplift from the borrowers. 

It is also envisaged, if suitable, that children can visit the lending library, view the resources and make their choice before leaving with them.

Children who will benefit

Corseford Short Breaks Service provides a person centred overnight respite service for young people with disabilities aged between 5 and 19 years old and is part of Capability Scotlands Learning Provision. Currently young people can use this service three days per week; it is intended to increase this to seven days per week from April 2015. It offers the children and young people an opportunity to socialise with their peer group in a familiar setting

Renfrewshire Project Play & Activity Schemes which provides access to play and leisure fun for over 172 children during school holidays in spring ,summer and autumn. It operates 5 play and activity schemes at 4 units, Kersland, Clippens, St Anthonys and Mossvale Nursery Snowdrop Unit. These units are for children aged 3 to 19 years who attend special need schools or communication units.

These play schemes vary in delivery dependent on the needs of the child, some children presenting with multiple complex needs and some more able but appreciative of the opportunity to play in a safe, nurturing and familiar environment with resources which will maximise their development

Corseford School offers education and play to children and young people with disabilities from 5 - 18 years old. The school is open to pupils from 9 - 3.30, Monday to Friday, term time only.

After School clubs offer places to pupils with complex physical needs on a Tuesday/Wednesday evening from 3.30 - 6.30pm. This for many of the pupils is the only opportunity they get to see their friends socially due the wide demographic area the school covers. The School provides opportunities to support the children to enable them to have fun and to develop through play activities in a stimulating and safe environment.

Clydesdale Breaks 4 All operates as an outreach fortnightly service in the rural area of Clydesdale based at Carluke Leisure Centre where disabled children are brought together from rural areas and they too can benefit from weekends at a lending service.

Inverclyde: Corseford will create links with specialist schools across the area to ensure that children with disabilities have the same access to this initiative as those described above, forging new partnerships with groups and families within Inverclyde