Could you Give the Gift of Play This Christmas?

Hundreds of disabled children are waiting to receive specialist toys from Newlife’s Play Therapy Pod service this Christmas and beyond.

Your support today could change this.

Amelia’s Story

When Amelia was born, her parents Sian and Callum were devastated to learn that she was the only recorded person with her unique genetic sequence which means she faces an uncertain future. Two-year-old Amelia who is partially sighted, can’t sit up on her own, walk or crawl found it too difficult to play with standard toys.

Thanks to Newlife’s Play Therapy Pod service, Amelia has been provided with a loan of specialist toys that are chosen especially for her abilities. Like most young children Amelia loves light and music… and cuddles! She loves all the colourful toys with lights and sound which help her incorporate play in her day-to-day development. The fun, sensory toys have helped her be able to track things with her fingers alongside her limited sight, as well as improving her hand-eye co-ordination and head control. Newlife’s sensory toys can also be a great distraction when Amelia is in pain.

Donate today and help support a child like Amelia.

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What is Newlife’s Play Therapy Pod Service and why is it so important?

Newlife’s Play Therapy Pod service is a free twelve-week loan of sensory and specialist toys especially chosen to suit the needs of children of different ages and abilities.

This service is vital. Many of the children Newlife supports are life-limited or terminally ill, receiving care away from home or are unable to attend school due to serious illness or risk of infection. Disabled children are missing out on the opportunity to play which is crucial to every child’s development.

Newlife’s special pods allow disabled children to try new toys that help them learn new skills and interact with the world around them.

Why we need your support this Christmas

Although we expected that demand for specialist toy loans would rise because of the cost-of-living crisis, we didn’t anticipate that the increase in the number of applications would be as high as it is. We have approximately 300 children on the waiting list for specialist toys with more applications arriving daily.

We speak with families every day and they tell us that for them, the Play Therapy Pod service is vital, especially when they are struggling to make ends meet.

Worryingly, the number of families turning to us that are in financial crisis has risen by nearly 200%.

We want to continue to help as many families that turn to us as we possibly can, but we can’t do it without your support. Many families with disabled and terminally ill children are already having to cut back on essentials and simply can’t afford specialist toys to help their child develop and thrive.

To meet the growing number of applications and make a vital difference to disabled children, we must increase the number of pods we currently have available, replace some of the well-loved toys that have become damaged, and cover the service’s running costs. Please help us to help children like Amelia and Give the Gift of Play this Christmas.

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