Lottery boost for charity’s sensory room

The funding will be used to install and equip an innovative sensory room and quiet room in High Rise, the organisation’s new indoor adventure centre at Altona Road, Lisburn.

High Rise has been designed by Employers For Childcare to meet the needs of families who have expressed frustration at the lack of recreation facilities that can accommodate children with special or additional needs, along with other family members. The centre will be inclusive and accessible and will feature a state-of-the-art sensory room, as well as a quiet room, which will benefit a range of users, including children and adults with additional needs.

Employers For Childcare Chief Executive Marie Marin said: “We are delighted to receive this important grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, which will enable us to install these much-needed facilities within High Rise. We have carried out extensive research and would like to thank the range of local groups, parents and young people who gave us their feedback. This has been invaluable in the planning and design of the sensory and quiet rooms in High Rise. We are so excited for the opening of High Rise in the early autumn and we know, from our work with parents and families, that it will be a valuable addition to the leisure and recreation facilities on offer in the area.”

Paula McClinton from a local parents’ autism support group, welcomed news of the grant: “It was great to be involved in the research shaping the design of this new sensory room, and we can’t wait for it to open.

“It can be difficult finding places that suit the needs of my children, so this will be a really important resource for our community.”