Testimonials

  • Comments received for Manchester 2016                She loves going - she gets lots of exercise which helps to calm her a little when she gets home. (parent)                    She loved the scheme. She went happily and came home happy. She was more settled at home. (parent)                  Have time to stay with other children. Have rest. (parent)                       It has given me and my husband some valuable 'us' time to relax and enjoy ourselves. We benefit from time for each other and time to do activities and hobbies. (parent).                      This is invaluable as her brother was able to have days out and friends around, which he cannot do when she is home. (parent)                    I think it is brilliant. (parent)          Excellent. Nice staff. Good communication with parents and be aware about the children's needs. (parent)                         I would like to express my thanks for the fantastic scheme. My grand daughter had the most wonderful time with such a varied programme of events. The staff are incredible and I feel that she is in such safe hands - they are so caring and kind. (parent)              The scheme is fantastically well run by the most dedicated staff who understand our children and who greatly care about them. We find the schemes invaluable and she loves not only the activities (which are many and varied) but the staff as well. I feel very confident that she is safe and happy when she is in their care. The scheme is essential for both children and carers. (parent)                    Am very grateful for the scheme. Don't know how we would cope without. Can't praise the staff who run it enough, they are kind and patient and know her well. She benefits in so many ways - exercise, educational, socially etc. Thank you for all your efforts. They are appreciated by all the family. (parent)
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  • Comments from our parents and carers about our Manchester 2018 scheme.                             How did your child benefit from attending our scheme?                                        T loved the mini bus journeys to the activities, meeting other kids and have a different adventure every day.                                      He got to visit a lot of places which was fun and adventurous.                                                               M went happily every day and came home in a great mood. She is a very active child, so the scheme allowed her to use her energy in a positive manner, as well as develop her social and interactive skills. These holidays are particularly long and M is not able to access many other activities, so it really is a fun, safe and stimulating club for her.                                   He got to use and advance his communication and social skills.                        A was happy when he came home.                                 It helped to keep her fit and active, to enjoy a sense of adventure, and to explore different perspectives each day.                                     L was able to go on a variety of activities that otherwise he wouldn't have been able to do, especially when I'm on my own with him and his brother during the holidays. The 2 weeks playscheme also helped to break up the long summer holidays which he finds particularly hard to cope with. He enjoyed every activity and had lots of fun.                                    They have the opportunity by going to the seaside, swimming, playground and also visiting new places which they never been before. They have had a great time during the Summer Scheme.                               How did the rest of your family benefit?                                  Saving money. Happy child.                          Short break while he's on playscheme. Burden of taken him out and about was uplifted.                                     It is a long summer break so it takes some pressure off us, finding and doing activities with M during the rest of the holidays can be exhausting. It allows us to spend time with other children in the family, and them some quality time. Having M happy and in a good mood because she's being stimulated is the best thing as it makes home life so much easier.                                 Time to enjoy each other's company. Time to catch up with our own activities and time to do the things which need to be done such as going to the supermarket for essential supplies (a job which is extremely difficult with an autistic child).                                              I was able to spend some quality time with his younger brother and take him to places that aren't possible with him. I could relax knowing L was safe and happy and having lots of fun on each activity with the brilliant staff.                                                 I have time to take my two kids out also for football, swimming which could have been difficult if I am to go with 4 of them. It is hard to manage them. It has given me a great opportunity to have time with by two kids thanks.                                         Do you have any other comments including how we can improve ours service?                         Playscheme time span was too short. 4 hours and sometimes 5 hours per day feels short.                                             We appreciate that the staff are working in their holidays and it's hard work but a slightly longer day would be helpful. It's 2.30 before you know it.                                       Excellence overall. The playscheme was loaded with variety of activities with visit to different places, which makes it exceptional. Well done for a well put together playscheme that was worthwhile. Thank you.                                              We are very grateful to the staff and people who run the scheme. They are so kind, patient and positive that it actually makes you feel more confident and positive when you meet them.                                     Thank you very much!                                            A fantastic experience for both children and carers- thank you so much to all the wonderful Staff who gave up their time to give our children such fun.                                                 Just to take this opportunity to say thank you for your kindness and your help to the family needs and your great support.     
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  • Comments from parents on our Manchester 2017 summer scheme.                           What an absolutely fabulous time she has had. The wonderful staff have given her so much enjoyment from the great days out she had. She had a great time giving her endless supply of energy a workout. When she got home after an activity packed day she was happy and a little calmer.                                        Really enjoyed it. Gets to "socialise", gain skills and have lots of fun.                                  It gave us time for ourselves to re-charge our batteries. It enabled us to do the necessary chores such as washing, ironing, preparing meals and gave us time to enjoy each other's company.                                    Her brother was able to have 1:1 time with us and fun days out without coping with her behaviour.                                      It meant his sister had more attention. We could go to places and do things that she wanted.                        It is so hard to entertain her for about 16 hours a day without your help. Thank you so much. A wonderful service - vital to families. A six week summer holiday is impossible to fill without the help of the play scheme. She requires 1:1 help all day and as her main carers it is exhausting. The care she received was fantastic - a wonderfully varied fortnight of activities with the most caring and dedicated staff. She loves going and has a great time using up some of her endless energy. Please, please continue this wonderful service.                                        We are very grateful for the service. The staff and organisation is brilliant. The holiday in summer is very long and two weeks allow her to enjoy her break and relieves a great burden from us. Would like to thank all those involved - there are so many volunteers and we are really grateful for their involvement. Would be terrible if it did not continue and have a big impact on us and her quality of life.                                                He really enjoyed this opportunity. He doesn't get the chance to attend out of school clubs. His behaviour usually stops this. I am extremely grateful to all the organisers and volunteers for making the scheme possible. 
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  • Comments from our Trafford 2017 scheme.                             He benefits from days out socialising, interacting with others, learning independence.                                  The scheme allows her to interact and socialise with her peers. Outside of school this is her only opportunity and the scheme was her only chance to do this over the summer.                                All days out fully focussed on what our children enjoy. They love the journey to their activities. He was so happy very day. The best scheme we've ever used.                                     He gets to go out to new places with familiar adults. He always comes back happy and smiling.                                      Kept him fully occupied and gave him the opportunity to visit a variety of places in a safe environment when he may not have been otherwise able to.                                      He became more confident and also his social skills improved.                                    He enjoyed 2 days of entertainment in the school holidays. He did not appear anxious going for the second time - testament to the preparation and confidence of the helpers. He has limited language and socially isolated but said after his first day “New friend”. Priceless! His behaviour also seemed better, perhaps because less bored.                                                   He benefitted in so many ways - chances to go to interesting and stimulating places with people who understand his needs, building his independence and confidence to name but a few.                                     We have the confidence that my son is safe, happy and well looked after in the group.                             She is happier which makes our family life much smoother.                                      Invaluable help for the family - it enabled his sister to have quality time doing activities it's impossible to do if he is with us.                                       Usually our attention and focus is on him. When he goes with LfA his brother takes our full attention and we get to do normal things with him.                                              He is an only child but it certainly helped me enormously. I was able to have a few hours to myself which I wouldn't have had. Thanks.                                            Since my son's condition requires constant attention his attendance on the scheme allowed the family more quality time.                                  This was the first year we did the scheme. It gave grandparents 2 days off babysitting to help elsewhere. We were delighted with the scheme and just wish we had found it sooner.                                    His younger sister benefitted enormously from him being on the scheme. It gave me the chance for some 1:1 time with her.                                    It's an excellent service, approachable staff. They make sure needs of all individuals are met without prejudice or discrimination.                                            The care that she received was exemplary. Outings are well planned and she is happy and sociable when on them. This service is vital for her because she cannot socialise independently due to her disabilities. A huge thank you to all involved.                                   This is the best form of scheme / activity / respite we've ever found. In our experience this is head and shoulders above any [other scheme].                                     LfA is well organised.                                           This scheme is fantastic for him. The carers are excellent and work really hard to ensure he benefits form his days out. I appreciate that this scheme is extremely popular now but if at all possible it would be great for him to attend all the days out as he is now familiar with this and feels confident enough to go without me. This is the only opportunity that he gets to have time away from me and I feel that this will be beneficial as he gets older.                                      We are hoping that LfA can continue with the fantastic service and help that they have been offering to the children, and their families, in the future.                                           We were overwhelmed at the start of the holidays by need for childcare and so little options. As he has got older it is hard for us to find carers to fulfil his needs. It was daunting handing over our almost non-verbal boy to strangers but as soon as arrived felt reassured by the level of organisation and preparation. He clearly enjoys himself and enabled him to develop social skills.                                      This is a brilliant play scheme. I wish it ran for longer over the holidays as it is so beneficial for my son and the rest of the family.
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  • Comments from our parents and carers about our Manchester 2019 scheme.                  Perfect leadership! Staff given many different children to work with and everyone enjoyed themselves.         Very well organised.                     Excellent. Couldn't do anything more. Outstanding.                      Well organised and put the children first.                            They did a great job of running summer play scheme; well attended and well loved by staff and students alike.                                 All youngsters had a great time.                     The children get to do things that they might not be able to do with their families.                                       It’s an amazing charity offering our young people the chance to experience activities they may not always have access to. It promotes their independence away from parents/caters, helps them make new friends and helps them to grow individually whilst having a great time and lots of fun!                 It provides an essential and much needed service.                           This is fabulous for the young people attending. They all get the chance to try different things.                  I love working the play scheme and really enjoy myself. Look forward to the next one.                              I find the team leaders to be very good at what they do. They will try their very best to ensure all children have a place and a great time no matter what.                               It's a fantastic time for our children and for their families and siblings to get time to do other things too. I know first hand as I had a son that used to enjoy going on a similar play scheme in Manchester. It gave me and my daughter the time to do the things that we wouldn't have been able to do as a family. Thank you for keeping them running. And I now enjoy working on the play scheme.                   
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  • Comments received from parents and carers of our Stockport 2018 scheme.                                How did your youngster benefit rom attending our scheme?                              Social interaction and support.       Independence, getting him away from mum for a few days, being able to access a scheme that can meet his needs, he loved it.           He had lots of fun and came back happy and smiling away. He definitely gained more confidence attending summer club.                              They get the opportunity to go out and do activities in the community. Social interaction with other young people and a change of scene as well as physical activity.                         He got to go out with someone other than family and enjoy nice experiences. Especially the airport, he loves aeroplanes.                                        Independence. This is the only club that R has enjoyed and stayed with. He's nearly at his teenage years, so he needs to start enjoying time away from his parents. He really enjoys his time with the group. He likes seeing the other children and loves seeing all the friendly staff. He gets to visit places, that he might not be able to get to otherwise. He gains self-confidence, with every trip out and learns to have trust in people. He's always so happy when he returns, which is lovely to see.                                          Independence (being able to go out for the day without family). Enjoys going on a minibus.                                        F had 3 months off this summer - between the end of high school and the start of college. It was extra important that he had some purposeful, busy days so the 2 days he attended LFA were great. F was nervous turning up on the first day, but he recognised a member of staff and was a lot more relaxed. All the staff were friendly and welcoming. F really enjoyed both days.                                              Went off happily each of the 5 days. Seemed eager to go so was obviously enjoying the timetable and company of staff and other young people.            He benefits so much from this playscheme. He enjoys going to all the places. And leisure for autism gives him a chance to go to places we wouldn't normally take him.                                       J really enjoys going out. I can’t take him to most of these places due to problems with money and transport. It helps him to see, that he can enjoy things, without me being with him, it gives him some independence. He loves all the people that look after him.                      Going out without parental support.                             Having to communicate with adults and peers independently.                                    Enjoying a range of great experiences whilst parents work.                                        Experiences in fun, supportive settings.                  He was able to spend quality time with a mixed group of peers and staff, of different ages and abilities, enjoying fun activities and promoting social interaction and independence from family.                             How did the rest of your family benefit?                                         Time for S to have in a social environment without me which helps her confidence.                                   A few hours knowing he was enjoying himself and having a life outside the home. Being able to do some chores and work so I could save some days holiday to spend with son                                     As a mum, it was lovely to see G so happy. I was also incredibly grateful that he was offered the whole 5 days, as he is a child that needs lots of activity.             The rest of the family get a break from caring and an opportunity to participate in normal holiday activities.                                          I have a younger son (2) and am unable to take both out together because W can be unpredictable. It is a massive help W coming to the scheme.                                               This is the only respite we have, so it's extremely important to us. We do need a break sometimes, and knowing that R is with trusted people, and will be really enjoying himself, allows us to fully appreciate the rest. It helps us to be able to work more, to gain more income too.                                                  I was able to go to places with his brother that usually we can't go to with G because he is very anxious about meeting people he knows out of context. Also he doesn't sit down for very long so usually we can't go to cafes etc.                    It was great for me to have a bit of time to myself in a long summer.                                                   Able to give time to other offspring and have a break myself as summer holidays can be exhausting for a carer.     As a family we benefit so much from the scheme. It gives me a chance to spend time with my daughter going shopping, the cinema etc. Things we couldn't do with R.                                            It helps me, have some much needed time, with his younger brother, who is really struggling at the minute. As a single parent, I struggle to give enough time with just me.                                  Time for our daughter to choose activities that she enjoys.                                  Respite from the focus being predominantly on A.                     We were able to spend time helping our daughter, who herself has additional needs, prepare for transition from high school to college and to experience excursions which K would not tolerate. Knowing that he would be well cared for gave us the peace of mind to enjoy that quality time together.                                   Any other comments you would like to make about how we can improve our service?                           It would be nice if there was a way of getting a little more info about how they got on each day. I guess that's always going to be difficult though. It's just that picking is rushed, so we don't really get to ask much and unfortunately, it's very hard to get my child to say much about his day. It's nice when we get pictures put on social media, and that does help, to try and prompt him to talk about his day. Not sure how this could be done really, like I say, as you're all busy. Maybe just lots of pictures and a write up with it, about the day’s events, although that doesn't really help with individual info. I'm really not moaning, just interested in how my son’s day went.                                                       G won't go to places in the local area because of his fear of meeting people he knows out of context, so Lyme Park wasn't a good option. Also, I wouldn't pay £20 for somewhere 5 mins from home where we can get in free.                                                     It is always delays and hanging around before leaving that causes anxiety and for A to change his mind. This is improving though.                                             Absolutely fantastic scheme. My daughter struggles socially and this scheme is fantastic for our family in supporting her to develop important skills. Staff are amazing and the trips are always fantastic.                                                    Extremely valuable, when there is no services locally that your child can access, LfA is a life line.                                             Just to say many thanks. G had a great time and told me each day what he had been doing. So very happy with everything. xx                                    Really well organised and feel my son is in very safe hands!                                    I would just like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you. We think you're all amazing and we're sssssooooo grateful. R tried a few similar groups, and yours is the only one has stayed with, and is always happy to return to, so that speaks volumes to us, and hopefully, to you too. Thanks again.             Your scheme is on its own in terms of what it offers - trips out with lots of carers. There used to be 11+ run by Stockport CP but that doesn’t run any more so what you offer is really important to F. I also think the scheme is really affordable - if I book a carer to take F out it’s £16 an hour and socially it’s not so good for him as he’s on his own with 1 carer.                                         Would have liked more days but realise demand for places is high.                                                A fantastic scheme without which the summer holidays would be very difficult. A big thank you to all involved.                                                        I am very grateful that J gets to go out and enjoy some fantastic days. I think everybody is fantastic and great with him! He had a fantastic time.                                                            We are always grateful to the helpers who give up their time/holidays. It is really appreciated and the broader range of activity on offer this year was a real improvement. A loved them all. Thank you.                                                       K has been lucky enough to attend the scheme for many years now and I honestly believe that this year's scheme was the best yet! Carolyn and Siobhan managed the daily running perfectly, going above and beyond their remit to ensure parents' and young peoples' needs were met. Fantastic teamwork all round and an absolute Godsend to us.                                                  We can't thank you enough for the support we, and in particular, K has received from Leisure for Autism. Aside from our family's 2018 fundraising efforts on your behalf to give something back, if there is anything else we can do to support Leisure for Autism, please do not hesitate to ask. THANK YOU ALL.  
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  • Comments received from parents and carers of our Stockport 2019 scheme.                                How did your youngster benefit from attending our scheme?                  Socialised. Loved getting out. Doing activities he relies on his mum doing with him.                     Got him out of the house doing something he enjoyed.                 He benefits so much from attending the scheme. He loves going out and about with staff and his peers. He gets the opportunity to mix with others and gets so much out of going to different places.              Confidence.               Independence.                   Access to places he might not be able to go to otherwise.                  Making friends.                            The group is a good size, not being too big, so he knows most of the staff and most of the other children well, which makes him happy.                    A chance to access the community in a social atmosphere, really loved all 4 days! All the team at Leisure for Autism are highly trained and passionate about what they do!                                    Got to go to places with other adults – usually only goes out with mum and dad or school. Really enjoyed where they went and being in the mini bus.                                  K was able to spend time interacting with peers and staff, enjoying a variety of activities and having fun in a safe environment.                                 Independence, interesting days out, socialising with new people.                                          He had fun days out, I can’t manage to get him out, I have no transport and another child whose anxiety stops him leaving the house. He has fun and mixes with other people. This is the only thing he does, he has never settled at any other group that we have tried.                                              Being able to go out to do an activity away from the home, to socialise with others in a safe environment and to be able to do new things and try new experience.               How did the rest of your family benefit?                              A break. Being able to work some days knowing he was doing something he likes.                                    Less stress as he was able to attend activities that were suitable for him, with 1:1 support.                               I can do things with my daughter that wouldn’t be able to do with him.                              We don't have a P.A for him. We've been trying for a long time to find one, but have had no luck, so far, so this break, really helps us. It gives me and his father, a chance to have some quality time together. We also get chance to get lots of jobs done, that can be very hard work, when he is with us. The school holidays last a long time and can be hard work, so this break makes a big difference to us.                                       A chance to spend time with my 3 year old and do activities his autistic brothers find stressful.                                   I have a 3 year old and can’t take both children out together so it massively helped me in the holidays.                              Happy in knowledge that my son is having fun with capable and experienced carers.  We got a break too!                                       Our family activities usually revolve around K's needs. When he attends the scheme, we are able to devote time to his sibling and experience activities he would not tolerate. We are able to relax and enjoy precious time with our daughter, safe in the knowledge that K is happy and well cared for by an experienced, enthusiastic staff team.                                                     We are able to spend 1 to 1 time with his siblings which we can’t always do and have a break from the needs and attention he requires which enables us to relax a little and re charge our own batteries.                                    It gives me time with his younger brother, he never gets enough one on one time with me.                      
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  • Comments from our Stockport 2017 scheme.                          [He was] mixing with other children and adults in a safe environment.                                  He was able to socialise with other people and was occupied on his days out.                                        He loved going to some places in an independent way. He loved feeling like his sister by joining a "club" and not always being with Mum and Dad.                Confidence building. Social skills developed. Fun.                                              He loves coming. He gets to enjoy days out. He enjoys being with his peers. He gets very excited about coming and his happy when I pick him up.                                The scheme allowed him to have fun with peers, while developing life skills, social skills and independence.                                         He gets anxious and doesn't get to mix with others or go out on days out so going with LfA helps him socialise and interact in a group he feels safe and happy in and gives him experiences outside of the home.                                            Got to go on a train, which he loves and go to two different parks. He also liked going on the mini bus.                                   I could feel relaxed knowing my son was enjoying himself in a safe supported environment.                                        We could spend time with our daughter knowing he was having fun and was with a Team who understand his areas of difficulty.                                       [We loved] seeing our son feel included and valued.                                                 We are able to do things as a family which would be difficult with him - take our daughter shopping, cinema etc.                                           It gives his brothers a chance to have some time alone with Mum and Dad and gives them some attention they want and need.                                     I was able to take my other child out without worrying about him running off.                                       We can't thank LfA enough. This feels like a great opportunity for him as he loves it. It is the only support we access to allow us time with our daughter too, so is a really important club to us. Thank you all!                                   A big "thank you" to everyone involved with LfA. Without you all the long summer holidays would be very difficult to deal with. He really enjoys coming, getting very excited about coming and being happy when I pick him up.                                          LfA has been a lifeline for our family for many summers offering a calm, safe environment for him to grow as a person, whilst fully supported by highly trained staff. We have been able to give our daughter lots of experiences she would be unable to have if he was at home knowing that he would be well cared for. The managers and staff behind the scenes show a wealth of knowledge and understanding. As parents we feel fully supported by the whole team and we thank you for your help, support and compassion.                                             The staff are great and make him happy which is what we want and it gives us as a family a short respite but much needed so we are very grateful. Thank you.                                     It was his first time on the scheme and he seemed to enjoy himself. I felt confident he was well looked after.  
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  • Comments from our Stockport 2016 scheme.                    He loves coming to LfA. He enjoys all the activities that you do with him. (parent)              The scheme gave him the chance to have fun and socialise with new friends and carers, increasing his independence and further developing social skills and life lessons. (parent)                     He was really happy to go and we are finding opportunities like this help to increase his independence. (parent)                       It allowed him to have some routine and structure which really helps him during the long school holidays. (parent)               We benefit enormously as we know he is having a good time and I can do things with my daughter that I cannot do when he is with us. (parent)            It gave his sister the opportunity to spend quality one to one time with both parents and visit places we are unable to go when he is with us. (parent)                        His sister had some respite during the scheme as he can be quite aggressive with her. (parent)            I was able to send spend time with his brothers. I was able to go shopping. The scheme tired him out so I was able to get some sleep.  (parent)                 A valuable and rewarding service for both young people with autism and their carers. It's a shame there is no horse riding any more. (parent)                    He is loving his time going on trips. He is so happy. (parent)                   A huge thanks to the whole team, but especially his key worker. He really took to him and this played a significant part in the success of his time with LfA. It is something he now looks forward to and we have built into our thoughts for summers. (parent)                   A super day out for autistic kids / teenagers. Positive, nurturing environment. (parent)                     We would like to say a big "thank you" to everyone involved in LfA. This playscheme is the only one suitable for him to attend as they go out to places that he enjoys. We know he is having a great time and so can do other things that we wouldn't be able to with him. Thank you all again. (parent)                    LfA is a well organised scheme run by caring, understanding, friendly staff, who are experienced and well trained. The scheme is an absolute god send to our family. No other playscheme has bee able to cope with his complex needs. We leave him at the scheme relaxed in the knowledge that he will be happy and well cared for. thank you all so much. (parent)                       We are really pleased he had the opportunity to attend. He had a great time and it gave us some time with our daughter over along holiday period. The staff were amazing and he was very comfortable with them. Thank you to everyone involved. (parent)                The service is excellent. It was vital to help us cope over the summer. We would really have struggled without the help that the scheme provides. (parent)
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  • Comments received from parents and carers of our Trafford 2019 scheme.                                How did your youngster benefit from attending our scheme?                      She had a fab day out and the opportunity to socialise both with her peers and other adults.                                     He gets so many benefits from the scheme. He loves going out for the day with you and gets very excited when he realises that I'm taking him there. He always comes back from a trip happy, wherever he has been. I also think it's really good for him to mix with the older children.                                 Endless! This is THE best holiday club/care/respite we have ever used.                                     He bounces onto the bus, happy and full of smiles. He feels safe and secure with the caring staff. Activities are totally appropriate, levels of staffing means you know your child is safe and getting the best experience.                                     He gets to mix with his peers. He gets to do numerous activities, which is beneficial for him emotionally and physically.                                   Meeting and joining in with other children having lots of fun and being with new people.                          Days out during long summer break.                              Time with adults other than parents.                        A measure of independence from parents.                          Some socialisation with other kids.                          The chance to mix with other children as he doesn’t have any siblings.                                    The variety of places he visited and gaining confidence from the experience                       He really enjoyed. Loved it. ❤️    Inclusion, happiness.                        He was excited about attending and talked about it afterwards. It gave him a small sense of independence going off on a trip without us like his sisters sometimes do with friends.                                                He is with his peers. And gets to access activities that he would probably not get to use.                    How did the rest of your family benefit?                                  Some vital time to myself in what is the busiest time of year for a carer.                                     It gives me and my daughter a chance to spend some quality time together and gives us time to go and do things e.g. cinema, trips out etc that we wouldn't be able to otherwise. It's really good for me to know that he's being so well cared for whilst he's out with you, by people who understand him and his needs.                          Total peace of mind that he’s in safe hands bit also really enjoying himself. Time to spend with my daughter doing typical things much are otherwise impossible to do. It’s a lifeline without doubt.                          We have the confidence that he is using a service which understands his needs. It gives us time as his carers to spend time with each other or spend time with other members of the family.                               It’s a break for us.                                          Gives me time to catch up doing things and I know she is doing something she likes and is not stressed.                                       Help managing the long summer break around work and other commitments.                                 Energetic days out help reduce problems at home during long holiday.                                              A chance to catch up on things that can’t be done easily when he is at home such as cleaning and shopping etc.                                    Family had some quiet time as he is very hyper.                                Spending time with other siblings.                                        I (Mum) was able to do an activity with his sisters that they wouldn't otherwise have been able to do.                                 Free time for us. Peace knowing that he is in safe hands.                          He had a possible seizure when he was out one time, but the actions of his carers were superb, and he was in very safe hands with them while he was out.                     Everything is perfect.                    Is there anything else you would like to share with us regarding the Scheme or the charity in general?                                    The days out you provide for the kids are vital to all members of the family. In the current climate of austerity there are so few places that my daughter can socialise and simply have fun. I know that she is safe and cared for. Don’t ever stop doing what you do!                        Thank you all so much.                                     The staff are wonderful. Many are the same friendly faces who’ve been helping for years! Always positive, never fazed. Thank you from us all!                                  LFA is an amazing charity. What you do for us as parents/ carers goes above and beyond. We are so very, very grateful for what you do and by doing this we get time as parents/ carers to have a little ‘me time’ in the knowledge that your young person is well looked after and having a great time.                                     It’s an amazing charity. I don’t let her go anywhere without me, but the staff have been outstanding with her complex needs and I am comfortable leaving her with them and so is she. Thank you for all being so kind and understanding.                           This is a hugely valuable resource for us as parents managing a child with very significant needs. For J it provides variety during the long holiday. What is great is it is staffed by people who work in the local SEN schools so there are always helpers who are familiar to J and who already know his particular needs.                      Really happy with this scheme and really grateful for all the hard work that everyone puts in and hope it continues as he thoroughly enjoys himself on his days out.                                 I love the scheme and really appreciate all the members.                            Brilliant play scheme. Keep up the good work.                    
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  • Comments from Trafford parents and carers in 2018.                                         What benefits did your youngster obtain by attending our scheme?                        A break from his usual daily routine accessing activities he would not be able otherwise.              The scheme is BRILLIANT. The children get to access different places. Everyday there was something new for the kids to do & enjoy. Gives the kids opportunity that they possibly would not have otherwise.                 He loves attending the scheme and gets really excited when he realises that's where he's going. He's had the chance to experience lots of different activities with people who really seem to understand him.                               Enjoyable days out to interesting locations. New experiences, interacting with others, supporting independence                              J liked going on them it was good for him we had that time when goes on them. We don't have a lot of that.                 A chance to socialise with others and a chance to experience new things.                        J really enjoys the company and interacting with other children. It gives him a bit of independence and time away from home in a safe environment.                   Good day out for social skills and parents feel safe he is in safe hands, I.e. staff understand his needs.                         Enjoyed the days out and kept her in routine.                          Socialising, meeting new people and going to new and different places.                 Made friends familiar faces C knows everyone. He goes places he won’t go with us.                          H struggles to access activities in the general community. Leisure for Autism organises specific autism friendly activities which meant that he can have enjoyable days out in the summer holidays, something family struggle to offer.                       Felt safe. New friends lovely staff he liked, enjoyed the activities and had lots of fun.                               T was so happy to get on the bus, full of smiles and happy flapping hands. Was even trying to shoes on before or was time to leave. Arrived home in a great mood, settled better for rest of the evening. Wonderful to see how happy his days out make him.                                A good variety of activities helped to keep a bit of a routine in the holidays gave mum some time to catch up too.                     He is having fun and enjoying .                          L is a challenging young person who loves being out and about. Going out with the scheme is his favourite thing. Even now he will wake and ask for playscheme.                      P benefitted enormously from getting out of the house - if it wasn't for LFA he would be confined to the house all holiday.                        Had a brilliant time with understanding people who care for him fantastically.                  A diverse set of days out.                                        Interaction with a large group.                Lots of time outdoors.                 Supervision by staff qualified and willing to deal with his behavioural issues .           Independence, society interaction with his peers, B loves going to L4A, he loves being a big boy and being away from mum for a bit having fun with the caregivers and friends he has made over the years he has been coming, over ten years that is.                                                                                                                                What benefits did the rest of your family enjoy?                    Chance to do “normal daily chores” etc in peace knowing M was being well cared for and also enjoying himself with well structured activities.            Knowing that our son could access different things & have another focus with like-minded peers is invaluable for us as a family & we don’t have to worry, we could drop him off & go to work knowing that he would be well looked after.                I got to spend some time alone with my daughter and this benefitted us both greatly.                       Opportunity to spend time with our daughter, some respite.                  To be able to go shopping and go and have coffee and not worry about him being unsettled and wanting to go.                       It is something to look forward to and not feel guilty thank you.                             Valuable school holiday respite allowing us time to relax as a family and recharge whilst knowing that S is having a great time with people who care about his needs.                   Invaluable time out from having to constantly occupy J 24/7 as he is unable to self-occupy. This lessens the stress of the summer holidays                   Break. Relief.                              Respite was lovely and routine was so important for P.                        Chance to do jobs C doesn’t like doing.                                 Leisure for Autism is a lifeline for families. The summer holidays are an extremely challenging time and It is invaluable to families to have the extra support this service provides.                         Knowing he was safe and enjoying himself and a bit of respite                          This gave us absolutely invaluable time with T’s sister. We were able to do “typical” holiday activities which are impossible to do with her brother. We planned some lovely things. Even a chance for her to friends to the house.as even this is not possible with T home due to his unpredictable and challenging behaviours.                           Gave us chance to do day to day tasks and gave us a break.                     We have a bit more free time for ourselves where we can go somewhere that it is not suitable for E to go.                     Attending the scheme relieved a lot of pressure for the whole family. Due to a broken arm I can't drive and this means P would be housebound.                              This summer I was unable to drive and as a consequence L would not be able to go anywhere. However, attending the scheme took the pressure off the whole family. If L is happy we are all happy.                          Massive help during the long summer holidays. Couldn’t manage without it!                         Respite during school holidays.                         Able to continue working.                         The whole scheme is an absolute lifeline for us as a family.                             Give us time to do things we don’t normally do, or things which are normally B focused therefore when we do things when B is at L4A it’s great for his sister to have my full attention, which she doesn’t always have due to B’s needs.                                                 Any other comments on improvements we could make:                                2 weeks per playscheme is never enough. Once we have got our child in there we don’t want it to end. So longer if that’s possible but I suppose it’s not.                                        Generally very well organised. I would have personally liked more flexibility over dates as my son attends school out of area and has different holidays, but I understand this may pose problems. It would be good to spend more time at places, perhaps get fuel before children arrive or have slightly longer days if travelling further afield?                               More of the same please! As this scheme is fantastic for his development.                                      Maybe could visit two places close to each other during the day out. So kids get more ‘legging’ time.                                    H was offered 5 days out of 10. This was made up of 4 in the first week and only 1 in the second. It would have been great to have had 6/7 days and a better spacing across the 2 weeks.                                 More dates in the holidays, there’s not a lot of 1-1 places only mainstream which he is unable to attend.                           The only thing I would say is more places. We used to get the full 10 days for C, which was fantastic but due to demand not as many allocated days this time.                                    Win the lottery, get unlimited funding to get more buses and careers that would enable more children to benefit, but I do live in the real world, I’m just dreaming xx                                   You do an AMAZING JOB, with the activities that are put into place for our kids to access. I am not sure if you know how invaluable the playscheme is for us parents who have children with additional needs. You are a god send.                                  Thank you very much for all you did for B, it's most appreciated.                                        I would like a family day out/ picnic at the end of the scheme to allow more opportunities to meet children, carers and other families. A Christmas party may be another option. Thanks SO much for all your hard work. S loves the outings and is always very eager to attend. We really appreciate the effort that goes into making this a success.                 Fantastic scheme! This has been invaluable for J, enabling him to visit lots of different places, having the peace of mind that he is completely safe with a great set of people who have worked extremely hard to give him and others a great summer. Keep up the good work!                                          We are grateful it’s been organized and run every summer. Thank you.                          Thank you. There is not much available for C club wise and the team is the friendliest and understands all the children. Not many do sadly                  The scheme is well run. H is an extremely complex individual with significant challenges. He requires 2:1 support in most settings, yet he was able to access and thrive in the scheme. This is a credit to the staff who run the placement.                                    Great opportunity for A.                                     Really organised. Staff amazing as always.                                          Hand on heart the best scheme ever, to know the youngsters are on such great days out with amazing staff, days out they clearly love. Fantastic! Staff are all so upbeat, caring and never fazed! Huge thanks from us all.                                          Feel that extra funding from Trafford for you would be beneficial to give more children a chance to benefit fully from this excellent service Also personally think that the Saturday Club would be good more regularly as for a lot of parents it is the only available respite they get.                                     As always the staff go above and beyond - they have a wonderful relationship with P working hard to meet his complex needs.                     The wonderful staff work hard to meet his complex needs. L loves attending the scheme.                 Everything is first class!                                      The staff all deserve medals! LFA has become an integral part of his life.                                       I think you are all wonderful and I really don’t know what me and B and the rest of the family would do without you, he loves coming to L4A on both the summer dates and the monthly dates, so thanks you all very much. xxx
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  • Comments from parents on our Trafford 2016 summer scheme.              He loved every minute of it. He makes friends.                       Enabled him to go on trips with other people to places otherwise not able to get to.                     He enjoyed it Immensely!! Happy, stimulated, loved it the minute we showed him it was "L4A" Day on his communication app.                It gives him an opportunity to get out of the house and take part in activities he would otherwise not be able to.                 He very much enjoyed the trips. He was looking forward to going each day. He benefitted from a variety of activities. It helped him to mix with other children and not stand out from the crowd. He really enjoyed every day.                  He enjoyed days out which he would not usually be able to go on. He interacted with other people, not just members of his family.               The break does us all good. We can do errands that he hates.                    Gave us some free time to just do everyday normal activities. I work in a school so holidays are always spent looking after him, so any "free time" is a bonus.                 Invaluable time to spend with his siblings doing the things which are typical yet impossible to do with him.                       We and our two other children were able to enjoy activities together in a more relaxed way e.g. going out for a meal together.                   It was an absolute godsend as it gave us a little bit of time to be able to get on with everyday activities.              Just want to thank you all for everything you do.                Excellent scheme - would be so much harder during summer holidays without it.             I have several children all with ASD. I have used various schemes but LfA is the best thing we have ever found. Staff are caring and totally positive. Days out are well thought out and structured. It's a quality fun day out - you feel that your child is getting great care.               I just cannot praise this organisation enough - just amazing. Thank you.                        It is clear to see how much the children enjoy it. They all look content and happy at the start and end of each day. Fantastic scheme!                      It is so difficult to manage particularly in the school holidays. LfA has over the years provided our family with the opportunity to work and spend time with non-disabled siblings. Some years it was the only time that our daughter got some time alone with us to do an activity of her choice in the school holidays. Both our children can display challenging behaviour and have been turned away from other LA funded services. LfA has never turned us away.                       We think the scheme is very well organised. He feels comfortable and knows what to expect. The staff are kind and caring. The trips are varied and interesting for the children. It is very exciting for them to have a trip out on the bus. It is a nice day for them - just the right length of time and enough time for the rest of the family to enjoy doing something together. The set routines of the day work well for the children. There is a lovely atmosphere at drop off /pick up times. The staff are lovely and clearly enjoy taking the children out. We always feel he is being very well cared for. Everybody gets 1:1 support. This is excellent. LfA is a fantastic scheme. Thank you for all your hard work. It is very much appreciated.                                He had such a wonderful time and really seemed to enjoy himself. It gave him a little bit of time away from us and gave him the chance to mix with other children, which he loves, without being the odd one out. It was so lovely for him to be included in everything and hopefully this will build his confidence a little and gave him the opportunity to try things that he otherwise wouldn't have been able to do such as going horse riding - which I thought was amazing.                       He has to have one on one care and every carer who looked after him was brilliant. They couldn't do enough to help him and encouraged him to try new things, which I know couldn't have been easy for them. I was given really good feedback from them each day which I found reassuring. He seemed calmer in the evenings after going out for the day with LfA which was great as he usually doesn't sit down until he goes to bed. He slept really well also as he always wakes up several times in the night usually so as you can imagine this was an immense benefit to us.  
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