On September 11th 2016 Jamie Rayner and Faye Strachan will be taking on the 13.1 miles of the Great North Run up in Newcastle in aid of Dorothy Goodman Special Educational Needs School, where both of them work.

 At Dorothy Goodman we cater for children and young adults aged between 3 and 19 years with a wide range of learning disabilities: autism to cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome to ADHD and everything in-between. Dorothy Goodman School caters for students across Leicester and Leicestershire at our five sites in Hinckley.

Our aim is for every child and young adult, whatever their background or circumstances, to have the support they need in order to thrive and achieve. An inspirational culture and ethos informs all aspects of our school’s work so that all of our young people develop the following personal qualities:

• Confidence and Courage (able to try new things
  and knowing it is alright to make mistakes)
• Independence
• Curiosity
• Thoughtfulness
• Inspiration
• Enthusiasm for learning

We truly appreciate any support we receive from individuals, businesses and community groups, every penny raised goes towards helping our young people aim high and achieve. Below are a few examples of how donations help our young people
thrive:

£300 will fund the purchase of a communication
aid for our young people. 

Children with specialeducational needs often have
difficulties with communication or learning because of disease, injury or a disorder or syndrome. Some children just have learning difficulties for no
apparent reason. However, no matter what the level of communication difficulty, it is likely that there are ways to facilitate children to communicate. Even
children with profound difficulties have the potential to increase their level of communication, allowing them to initiate, respond and make choices. We have
witnessed the huge benefits equipment such as IPads, Androids and other tablets have as communication aids for our pupils and would like to be in a position to
offer every pupil a communication aid of their own.

£650 pays for one young person to attend boccia
after school for one academic year.

The school offers popular after school activities such as boccia, an inclusive sport that tests muscle control and accuracy. After School activities offer parents the opportunity of additional respite care for their young people enabling them to work or take time with
siblings and other family members whilst also allowing our young people to socialise with their friends and take part in a wide variety of fun activities.

 £2,500 pays for 12 young people to attend anoutdoor pursuits residential for five days. 

Family carers of people with learning
disabilities are often unique amongst carers. For many they will be experiencing a lifetime of caring, for a son, daughter or sibling with learning disabilities. Short breaks and respite care are incredibly important for both the carer and the young person. Caring for somebody with learning disabilities can be a tiring experience which leaves little time for  other family
members or yourself. Short breaks and respite give carers the chance to rest, hold down a full or part time job and spend time with other family members.
These breaks also offer the young person the chance to try new things, socialise with friends and in some cases experience a level of supported
independence.

 £5,000 provides  a student with an iGaze  tool& software allowing a non-speaking young Person to Communicate through sight.

iGaze technology opens up the world to a young person who due to their additional needs cannot or will not communicate verbally. This technology allows the young person to communicate their thoughts and feelings through selecting words and pictures on a screen.

£19,000 will employee a qualified job coach to
support up to 5 young adults whilst on a year-long internship programme.

Research shows that 65% of people with a form of learning disability want to work. Despite this Government statistics indicate that young adults with a learning disability only have a 7% likelihood of finding some form of paid employment, whether that be full time, part time or low pay. Students on our employability scheme undertake an internship during their final academic year at Dorothy Goodman. Interns on the programme are given the chance to experience working life, develop their skills and confidence on their journey towards paid employment.
Weprovides qualified job coaches that support the Interns, initially with training and as their confidence Increases they are on hand to offer guidance and
support if and When it is required.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.