BRAINWAVE FUNDRAISING PROJECTS 2013

Project funding list 2013

1. Clinical Staff

Brainwave employs twenty therapists at its three Centres in the UK (Somerset, Essex and Cheshire), plus a peripatetic music therapist and speech and language therapist. They currently support about 560 children with some level of developmental delay. Our therapy Programmes will focus on one or more of the following developmental areas – co-ordination, balance, hand function, speech, comprehension, spatial awareness and education. The exercises are carried out at home by parents and carers for a maximum of ten hours per week. The Charity is committed to delivering the highest levels of service and provision and in this regard must ensure it retains its professional, qualified therapy team. Please help Brainwave to meet this significant but vital cost by contributing towards one of these posts:

 2. Family Facilitators

We employ a regional team of three Family Facilitators whose sole purpose is to support the families in their homes. Their professional backgrounds give them the experience to engage effectively with a cross section of mainstream and independent sources allied to the needs of children with disabilities. Most importantly, they provide a listening ear and a tangible link between the families of the children on Programme and our Therapy Team.

The areas are split as:

A. Scotland, Northern England and North Wales
B. Ireland, South West, West Midlands and South Wales
C. East Midlands, London and South East

To support the part time salary costs, training and overheads of one Coordinator:

Each Facilitator can arrange one family event a year to provide a forum for parents and carers to meet each other and provide peer support. These often involve other local groups working with families with children with disabilities.

They will also organise a number of smaller peer group meetings such as coffee mornings.

In addition they produce a 6 monthly newsletter with national and local information for families, which 66% of families found useful (Family Survey 2009/10).

3. Hydrotherapy Pool

Some 284 children and a number of adults use this facility at Brainwave’s Somerset Centre each month. With the water temperature averaging 35 degrees the immediate benefits of pain relief and reduction of muscle spasm allow exercise without the physical limitations faced “on land”.

The uniqueness of the water lies with its buoyancy. Hydrotherapists can use its properties and turbulence to create an exercise programme offering as much assistance or resistance specifically needed for each individual.

Hydrotherapy is an effective treatment method in maintaining joint range of movement and prompting muscle strength. For children the exercises can be hidden in an activity that is fun and interactive. All children need to experience active movement to develop and for some disabled children water may be the only environment in which total independence can be achieved.

As the hydrotherapy pool is ageing (the pool is now 8 years old), there is a need to replace various items. One area is that the “media” (in our case, sand) in the tanks needs to be changed. This needs to be done every 3 years and would be the same scenario even if we changed the tanks.

4. Cognitive Programmes

Cognitive programmes are designed on an individual basis and aim to encourage sensory awareness and establish simple cause and effect responses. Tasks including picture recognition, matching and sequencing are used to promote focused attention. To support this, children benefit from the cognitive suite consisting of switch operated equipment, computer software and touch screen technology. A Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is available to encourage functional communication and speech.

In 2010/11, these programmes will benefit over 100 children, who suffer a degree of learning difficulty, attending the Centres for an integrated programme of rehabilitation.

There are:

SW: Three full time and one part time Developmentalists plus one part time Occupational Therapist
NW: One Developmentalist and one Occupational Therapist
SE: One part time Developmentalist, one full time and one part time Occupational Therapist

 5. Bursary Fund

This fund was set up to ensure that every child, irrespective of their family’s situation, could be offered a home based, Brainwave Programme for as long as each child would benefit. Many parents who attend our Centres for their child’s assessments are full time carers. They have given up their professions to look after their disabled child and other siblings. As an organisation that is committed to equal opportunity, we strive to raise sufficient restricted income to ensure that every family is given the same 80% level of subsidy and where necessary, 100% of subsidy is available. From a donor’s perspective, we seek to make their child sponsorship as transparent as possible by identifying the child by its Christian name, its age, the family’s location and, if appropriate, a photo is supplied of the child, together with six monthly progress reports. This enables a donor to measure the benefits of their contribution as the child hopefully achieves developmental milestones.

Each child’s Programme costs on average £3,500 per annum. This sum is made up of a package of provision, some of which is included in this list.

6. South East Centre

This Centre was opened in April 2007 to provide a more local facility for children following a Brainwave Programme who live in London and the Home Counties. It has been an enormous success and is ideally placed in Witham, Essex, just off the A12. It offers 3,000 sq ft of therapy rooms and office space, but we need to find some £49,000 annually for the rent and other overheads.

Any level of contribution would be appreciated, there are clearly opportunities to ‘recognise’ the contribution in an appropriate way at the Centre.

The cost of heating and lighting a therapy room per week is £200, or £40 per day.

7. North West Centre

This Centre was opened in September 2009 to provide a more local facility for children following a Brainwave Programme who live in the North of England and North Wales. It has been an enormous success and is ideally placed in Birchwood, near Warrington, close to the M6 and M62. It offers 3,000 sq ft of therapy rooms and office space, but we need to find some £52,000 annually for the rent and other overheads.

Any level of contribution would be appreciated, there are clearly opportunities to ‘recognise’ the contribution in an appropriate way at the Centre.

The cost of heating and lighting a therapy room per week is £200, or £40 per day.

8. Physio balls, software and switch lending Library

Families have varying needs, both personal and financial, and the Charity is committed to helping every child reach their potential. The equipment library enables Brainwave to provide appropriate “tools” to ensure that parents start the Brainwave Programme of therapy exercises immediately on returning home,. This reflects the Charity’s Equal Opportunities Policy and sets it apart from other providers in terms of its provision and holistic approach.

 9. Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

The quality and efficiency of the Charity’s programmes need to be regularly evaluated. As an Investor in People, the Charity is proud of its commitment to continuous professional development and the recognition which it has achieved through the Standard. Furthermore, because the therapists are all members of their professional bodies they are required to attend appropriate training to keep their registration. If they were employed within the NHS, their CPD would largely be delivered in house, but we need to send staff on external courses to ensure their level of expertise is maintained and to give them exposure to their colleagues within a mainstream environment.

The cost of formal training courses increases annually and this appeal is to provide a bursary for the CPD of staff.

 10. Home Monitor Fund

In parts of the Country where there is no Regional Co-ordinator or in circumstances where the child needs the specialist support of a qualified therapist, a Home Monitor is arranged. The cost of the therapist’s time and travel averages £250 per visit.

 11. Speech & Language Therapist

The Charity employs qualified and experienced peripatetic speech and language therapists when a child needs this specialist support. Sessions typically last 4 hours and costs around £500 per session. This service is provided in the NW and SW for up to 18 children a year.

 12. Newsletter

Two Newsletters are produced per year, which are distributed free to families of children on programme, to donor companies, individuals and charitable trusts. 84% of families who read it found it useful. The reason for this is because they find it motivating to read case studies about the successes of other families.

Each Newsletter costs approximately £500 to produce and a supporter can enjoy an endorsement on the front cover. The Newsletter is high quality and in full colour. As a direct cost to the Charity, any support represents a saving which is passed directly to benefit the children following a rehabilitation programme. The current print run is 4000 plus 2000 emailed.

 13. Security at the South West Centre

Due to the location of the South West site, the facilities and families staying here are vulnerable to occasional opportunist theft and vandalism. The existing security system is old and unreliable, and police have recommended replacing it with more up-to date equipment.

 14. Volunteers

Brainwave has established link with various colleges and universities where students are willing to volunteer at various events including family events. However, although they give up their time free of charge, they do need their travel costs paid.

 15. Leaflets and loose leaf sheets are produced by the Charity from time to time, to provide specific guidance on its range of services.

Thank you for considering these specific funding projects and for any contribution which you may decide to make The funds will be ring fenced and spent specifically as allocated.