Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I’m inspired by many people to take on this challenge, but none more so than our amazing son Matthew who faces incredibly complex challenges everyday simply by trying to communicate. At six years old Matthew remains un-diagnosed and has no named condition. He remains almost completely non-verbal, which makes daily life for him a real struggle.

Many children like Matthew start regular school with no verbal communication. This has a marked impact on their ability to learn and develop intellectually and socially. Even worse is the terrible isolation, frustration and poor self-esteem that they visibly experience by not being able to connect with others, interact and make themselves understood.

I CAN is a charitable organisation that runs a number of community organisations and schools including The Meath School. They do incredible work in supporting families and children who have severe and complex communication, speech and language difficulties. Through the dedication of their amazing staff, their educational knowledge and expertise in speech and language and occupational therapy they are able to help children develop the speech, language and communication skills needed in everyday life.

The Meath school also offers excellent residential care and the opportunity for children like Matthew – who has never been invited for a sleepover, to spend the night under their roof in a safe environment alongside friends. All of the Meath Teaching and Care staff sign, so that children like Matthew can communicate with them and with each other and feel confident in their ability to build friendships.

Please help me to achieve my goal of raising £1,500 for I CAN Meath School to provide holiday clubs in the summer for children like Matthew. This is an opportunity for children who cannot access regular holiday clubs due to their communication difficulties to enjoy summer activities in a safe environment, where they can be understood and where they can continue to find their voices!

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.