Matchroom Charitable Foundation made a £30,000 donation this year, and pledged the same amount for 2025 and 2026 to help fund SNAP’s Holiday Clubs.
SNAP’s Holiday Clubs give children and young people with any additional need or disability a safe, welcoming, non-judgemental space to meet their peers and make new friends, whilst giving parents access to respite and information. These sessions are unique because there are few holiday activities that can support both children with additional needs and the wider family.
SNAP’s CEO, Karen Boath said, “We are incredibly grateful to Matchroom Charitable Foundation for this amazing grant towards our Holiday Clubs. Many of the children visiting SNAP during the holidays find change to their routine extremely challenging and struggle to participate in many existing holiday groups because the activities cannot be adapted to their specific needs. Thanks to Matchroom’s help, the whole family can continue to rely on SNAP for tailored support and exciting activities during school holidays.”
Through SNAP’s Holiday Clubs children and young people with additional needs build their social skills and confidence, trying new activities that they would not have access to at home. This really helps them to make new friends, reducing the isolation and loneliness that many of these children experience during the school holidays. Meanwhile, parents can seek advice from a Family Support Adviser and meet other parents, widening their personal network of support.
One parent recently said, “They both love coming to SNAP, they are always excited. SNAP is definitely somewhere my son loves to come and enjoys being able to use all the sensory toys and have his freedom. I’m always worried to take the boys out together in the holidays, it’s normally too busy and difficult on my own. SNAP is always enjoyable and somewhere I can feel relaxed whilst the boys play. They give us a safe place to go in the holidays when we tend to cancel a lot of plans or go to quiet places, just the three of us. SNAP allows us somewhere to go where they can interact with other children, explore, and have fun.”
Matchroom’s vital long-term funding will ensure that SNAP can continue to meet the growing demand for support, and that Essex families continue to have access to tailored services that will help them when they are most in need.
About SNAP:
SNAP supports Essex families who have children and young people, aged 0-25, with any additional need, disability, or developmental concern. Crucially, no formal diagnosis or professional referral is needed to access SNAP services.
SNAP aims to inform, encourage, and support parents so that they can grow in strength and knowledge and become better equipped to give the best possible help to their children. The overriding principle of our work is to help and empower the whole family.
Over the past 30 years, SNAP have gained an in-depth understanding of the everyday demands of supporting a child with an additional need or disability on the whole family. In response to their needs, SNAP has developed a variety of services including a helpline, tailored advice service, specialist library, online directory, talks and webinars on specific challenges and conditions, a counselling service and a range of therapeutic and developmental preschool, afterschool, and holiday clubs for children and young people. These services fill a gap in the current provision and complements existing services, which SNAP collaborate and signpost families to.
More than 4,000 families across Essex are currently receiving help from SNAP.
You can find out more about SNAP: snapcharity.org