22% of the school population in NI have special educational needs.  During 2021/22 I needed the support of SENAC when I had to embark on a 'Parental Request for Statutory Assessment' so that my young person could access the support they needed in education.  Statutory Assessment is a complex process, and due to chronic underfunding it is often left solely to parents/guardians to navigate and advocate for their children, this is all whilst simultaneously dealing with the variety of emotions which can come with a diagnosis of special educational needs. 

SENAC guided me, and many other parents/guardians in a similar situation, step by step through this process; they provided advice, templates for letters/emails, explained and provided access to Education Authority documentation, and those on the helpline just listened and provided reassurance when everything seemed so overwhelming, and felt like it was taking forever.  

Like many charities they are staffed by volunteers, who give their time selflessly to support others, and rely on fundraising to keep their services going. I'm so grateful for all they've done and so am doing this triathlon as a thank you.  Btw for those of you who don't know what a sprint triathlon is, it's a:

1.  750m swim (in dark, deep, cold Castlewellan lake ... apparently there are fish and other creatures in it too!!!)
2. 20K cycle (meant to be quite a hilly route).
3. 5K run (around Castlewellan lake) .... with no break in between, whilst being soaking wet, trying to get a wetsuit off, and basically trying to follow rules regarding dismouting bikes, puting on cycle helmets etc.  I haven't a clue!     

So thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page and if you can donate to this great cause I would be so appreciative.  Hopefully I survive it now :-)!!!

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.