Jolly Josh is a Registered Charity based in Rochdale which was founded by devoted mum Carole Kelly following the passing of her son Josh at just 15 months old.

Following Josh's diagnosis at four months old, Carole and her family faced the realities of caring for a child with disabilities. It is Caroles experiences of a lack of local services for families of children with complex needs and physical disabilities, that inspired her to establish Jolly Josh.

Opened in April 2022, The Jolly Josh Centre has been designed to provide a safe, accessible and inclusive flexible space, offering a variety of group sessions for children and young people aged 0-19, living with complex medical and physical needs, along with their parents, carers and siblings.

The Centre offers Early Years, Junior Group, Youth Social and Open Age sessions throughout the week, including evening and weekends, for children and young people, their parents and carers. Every session is meticulously planned and led by Session Facilitators who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, having worked for many years in nursing and Special Educational Needs settings. Our play based and social sessions are on a drop-in basis and are free of charge, thanks to the generosity and fundraising of our local community.

Jolly Josh sessions also offer parents and carers, as well as siblings, the opportunity to meet, make new friends, support each other, and benefit from the groups experiences. Our Early Years session on Tuesday morning, also plays host to visiting professionals from a range of local organisations and agencies.

The Jolly Josh Centre is also home to a purpose-built Hydrotherapy Pool. We offer sessions hosted by our experienced Hydro Lead, as well as life-guarded Family Splash and Baby Splash Together opportunities for families who visit our Centre.

Everything we do at The Jolly Josh Centre is aimed at providing children and young people living with complex medical needs and physical disability, along with their families and carers, an inclusive and safe environment to meet, bringing them out of isolation and into a welcoming place where they can connect with and support each other, and thrive.