Hello! My name is Nicholas, I’m 5 years old and I live in Bournville with my mum and dad and little sister. If you live near there too you might recognise me - although I can’t speak at all, I love running around outside and I’m definitely not quiet!

I’m severely autistic and in lots of ways I’m very different from most other children, but like everyone I love to play! But a lot of the play opportunities other children have aren’t open to me because my differences mean that I need specialist care and I need to be watched 24/7 to make sure I don’t hurt myself.

For many children like me and with other disabilities, there’s nobody except their parents/carers (and schools) who can look after them. This means that the children miss out on play opportunities and the parents/carers can struggle to cope with all their obligations and to continue to work and provide for their families.

Parks for Play is a charity based in Kings Heath which delivers weekend and school holiday play provisions for children with all kinds of disabilities. Because of the high staff:child ratio required for children with disabilities, the charity relies on funding so that parents of children with disabilities can access the play provision at subsidized rates.

Children are looked after by trained professionals who understand their individual needs and can engage them in a range of play opportunities and social experiences – I always have a smile on my face when I go to the play sessions!

I go to the scarecrow festival every year – I may not understand what all the scarecrows are supposed to represent but I love running around spotting them and particularly enjoy it when my mum buys me a cake at the Community Hub! My family is very excited to raise money this year for the charity which has helped us and so many other local families.

To find out more visit www.parks4play.org, www.facebook.com/ParksforPlay

www.twitter.com/Parks4Play