Who are we?

We are Aiming Higher, a small charity based in the heart of Blackpool, Lancashire. Blackpool is the 6th most deprived area in the UK, and we are based in one of the most deprived wards. We provide support to disabled children and young people, and their families, in Blackpool, Wyre, and Fylde area. We deliver this support through a number of projects including a counselling service, a small team of family support workers, a weekly group for young people with autism, Early Years Trips and Activities and monthly activities/trips for disabled children and young people, and their families.

Family Support

The Family Support Service is a holistic service that empowers families with disabled children by offering professional advice and emotional support. It covers various aspects of raising a disabled child, such as diagnosis, education, housing, finances, health, and social care systems. The service offers short-term interventions for families with less complex issues, while longer-term support is for families with more complex issues and requires ongoing support.

Early Years

Community activities for early-year children with disabilities focus on providing opportunities for children to develop and learn through play, improving social skills and independence. These activities also prepare children for school, as many have developmental delays due to hospital stays.

Counselling

The counselling service provides a relaxing environment for parents, carers, and young people with disabilities aged 18 and older. The service aims to promote emotional well-being and help individuals manage the complexities involved in raising or being a disabled child. Workshops are organized every Friday morning at the center to build resilience within the community.

Family events

Family Events are organised monthly, allowing families to interact with like-minded people and create memories. These events promote inclusivity and sharing experiences, while also promoting the overall well-being of families with disabled children.

Workshops

Aiming Higher workshops provide a warm and safe space for parents and carers to come together. We provide hot food and drink, invite guest speakers who share helpful information, and encourage attendees to expand their support networks. These workshops cover a wide range of topics, including sleep issues, confidence in returning to work, Green Doctor energy advice, pampering sessions, crafts, warm and healthy homes, and financial advice. By providing these workshops, we aim to build resilience within the community, where support and advice can be shared between parents and carers.

A Team:

A youth group for young people aged 11-25 years on the Autistic Spectrum. This youth group addresses the needs of young people on the autistic spectrum who feel isolated and marginalised, allowing them to carry out activities, build friendships, learn from each other and have an enjoyable time with their peers.

We monitor our projects through feedback from our beneficiaries. After each trip or activity, we issue feedback forms to our beneficiaries. We always post photos of the trips and activities on social media, following GDPR and Data Protection. Many of our beneficiaries also comment their feedback about the activity/trip on the posts. Finally, we also gather feedback from our beneficiaries at the end of any period of support.

Some of our activities are held in our purpose built, secure and fully accessible activity centre. Our activity centre has a large area that can be set up for almost any activity, a large ball pit, a sensory room with a heated waterbed and a soft play area. The centre has an accessible entrance/exit at the rear of the centre directly accessible from our own private car park. There is also a kitchen area and accessible changing room with toilet, bed, and hoist as well as personal care supplies for the use of our beneficiaries.