Children with disabilities bringing bees and butterflies to Durham City homes

More bees and butterflies will soon be winging their way to Durham City thanks to a new project from a community charity which supports children with disabilities. The Sensory Place provides a range of activities, events and support for children with disabilities up to the age of 25, and works with around 200 families from across the region.

The charity is setting up a new project at the Merryoaks Community Centre on Park House Road in Neville’s Cross which will see the young people designing, decorating and planting out their own bee- and butterfly-friendly planters.

And it is now looking to get local residents involved, both to work with the young people in decorating the planters and to enjoy having them at their homes when they start to bloom in the spring and summer. 

The Bees & Butterflies project is being supported with a £2,000 grant from regional employer the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund, which is covering the costs of materials, seeds, tools and staffing.

The Sensory Place was originally set up in 2019 by a group of parents and carers who wanted to provide more opportunities and activities for their children.

Most of its members come from the Durham and Sunderland area, but it also attracts others from as far afield as Washington, South Tyneside and Newcastle.

Alongside its different activities for young people, including sports, arts & crafts, dance and forest school sessions, it also offers events just for parents and carers to give them some shared time with people who understand the different challenges they might be facing.

Amy Henderson, co-founder and trustee at The Sensory Place, says: “Children and young people with disabilities, and their families, often face significant barriers to inclusion in community life, with mainstream environmental and creative activities rarely being adapted to meet their needs.

“This project will provide a safe, inclusive space where our children can take part in hands-on environmental activities and engage in sensory-rich play while also learning about local wildlife and sustainability.

“Decorating the planters also adds a creative, confidence-building element to it and we can’t wait how our young people decide to express themselves.

“We hope that involving local residents with the project will help to bring the community together by breaking down the barriers that can sometimes exist between families with disabled children and people who might not have any personal experience of meeting them.

“We try to keep our costs as low as possible, so that activities remain accessible to everyone who might enjoy them, and we’re really grateful to the Banks Group for helping us take this new project forward.”

Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “The Sensory Place team has a deep personal understanding of the needs of young people with disabilities and their families, and offers an extensive range of inclusive and engaging activities which help to meet them. 

“The Bees & Butterflies project will not only give the young people a great chance to enjoy some hands-on learning, but it will also have a wider positive impact on the local community when the planters come into full bloom in residents’ homes.”

Visit https://www.thesensoryplace.net/ for more information on the Bees & Butterflies project or email hello@thesensoryplace.net   

The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North (formerly the County Durham Community Foundation).

Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project who is interested in applying for funding from the Banks Community Fund should contact the company via its website enquiry form (www.banksgroup.co.uk/contact-us/) to find out if their group or project is eligible.