Ten years ago when Jane Hook discovered that there were no social outlets for her autistic daughter, she set up a club herself. The start-up grant was just 500, but last year the club received 250,000 in funding.
The Buddies Club Playscheme at the Netherton Community Centre in Glasgow now caters for up to 50 children a day, taking in children with autism and other disabilities and mental health problems. The club has a waiting list that spans the whole of Glasgow and further afield.
The idea behind the club name was simple - a buddy is what Jane and her husband Bill felt that their daughter Rachel needed. It all began with a Sunday club in a church hall. Knowing others in a similar situation meant that it didn't take long for the club to fill up and within weeks it was full. A summer club followed, before they decided to conduct a pilot for an after-school club. For this they received 10,000, the first of many funding applications they were to make.
Today the playscheme includes a parent and toddlers group, a positive parenting course, as well as an after-school club, a youth club and a holiday playscheme. Unlike many other clubs it is not geared towards working parents, although some parents do work part time.
ALL WELCOME
Jane is vice-chair of the Scottish Society for Autism and was last year awarded an MBE for her services to the cause. In order to obtain funding, Jane and her late husband found it beneficial to make the club open to all types of disabilities, so that they weren't seen as an autism-only club.
Jane says, 'We cater for the full range of special needs child - cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome and ADHD. Some children are referred to us by their school or social worker, while others may come from an educational psychologist.'
The children come from all over Glasgow and the surrounding areas, with many requiring a high ratio of help, sometimes two helpers for one child.
Each child is assessed beforehand.
Jane says, 'Our core staff have all the childcare qualifications, and we also invest heavily in different training depending on the individual's needs. For example, before a child with epilepsy is accepted, we will ensure that the staff are adequately trained.'
Due to the nature of the care, staff costs are high (some days there may be more staff than children), and Jane does not see how they could ever be self-sufficient. Help has come mainly from Childcare Partnerships and Sure Start, with funding coming from sources such as the Lottery and Children in Need.
Despite their success, Jane does admit that there are constant hurdles. The methods for applying for funding change and accessing funding for particular referrals can be hard.
All parents pay a set fee of 3 a day, and 3 for transport, but as Jane says, this does not go far. 'My transport bill alone last year was Pounds 16,000.'
GOOD RAPPORT
With more funding, more groups could be started and waiting lists reduced, but for now the Buddies after-school playscheme must be content helping the children that it is able to.
'We receive many letters from parents telling us about the benefits their children have received from the club,' says Jane. 'The children will be excited about coming.
'Often the children have been heavily protected by their parents, and it can take them a while to settle in, but when they do, we see them make friends, and in many cases their behaviour improves, simply because they know the limits.'
Much time and effort has been put into expanding the Buddies Club from a small Sunday club to what is now a limited company and registered charity.
Jane puts its success down to several factors. 'We have a good relationship with people and have built up a good rapport. When we opened the club, we met a need that wasn't already being met.
'We have also received good support from our local councillor and have been lucky in that the parents who got involved in the club at the beginning have stayed with us.'
