This year, Springboard Opportunity Group is proudly celebrating 40 years of supporting children under five with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.
To mark this important milestone, we welcomed staff, volunteers, families, supporters and friends to our Clevedon setting on Saturday for a special afternoon of celebration, reflection and community.
Guests heard from Ann Ramsey, one of Springboard’s founders, who shared the story of how the charity first began in 1986. Originally created by a small group of local mothers who were unable to find the support their own children needed, Springboard was built with determination, compassion and a vision to create the kind of service they wished had existed for their families.
Forty years later, Springboard has grown significantly and now supports more than 150 families every week across the region.
We were also delighted to hear from our ambassador, Sonya Cassidy, who spoke about the importance of Springboard and the care and dedication shown to every child and family who comes through our doors. Sonya also unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark our 40th anniversary.
We were pleased to be joined by local MP Sadik Al-Hassan and Councillor Catherine Gibbons, who both recognised the importance of specialist early years SEND provision and pledged their support in helping raise its profile and importance within the wider agenda.
Although much has changed over the last four decades, Springboard’s vision remains the same: to create a community where every child under five with special educational needs and disabilities, and their families, are empowered to thrive.
Today, Springboard remains the only charity in the region offering this specialist early years support – something we are incredibly proud of. Here’s to the next 40 years!
Our sincere thanks also has to be shared with everyone who helped support the event as well; Linda Meaton Photography for working the room armed with camera to caption all of the afternoon for us, our Family Practitioner Catherine for baking such a beautiful cake, Trustee Di for baking some scrumptious scones, Tesco Clevedon for adding the fancy bits to them and also Wahida Phillips Art, Tyntesfield, Clevedon Pier, Clevedon Theatre Shop and Clevedon’s Curzon Cinema for kindly donating some amazing prizes for our raffle which raised £350. Thank you all.
