Play builds social skills, independence and emotional maturity. Sensory play is important to brain development. Creative play frees the imagination. Physical play develops motor skills, balance and spatial awareness.
About 140,000 children in Ireland live with a disability. This means they face barriers to using playgrounds and community play spaces. In Ireland, there aren’t enough safe, inclusive places for children with disabilities to play.
Places for laughter, fun and games. For make-believe and real friendships. Places to just be children.
We are creating a unique play space that caters for everyone. We asked families and individuals with neuro-physical disabilities about their experience with communal play spaces. Their experiences and insights from the School of Occupational Therapy at University College Cork fed into the design.
Brendan, a child in our research group, told us he was unable to play on the pirate ship at his local playground because it wasn’t wheelchair accessible. So we’re building a fully accessible pirate ship as the centrepiece of the playground so that Brendan and all other children can play together.
Every element of this swashbuckling design has been developed to maximise the potential for freedom of play for children of all abilities.
We are almost at the halfway mark! Your support is vital to raise the €500,000 required to create this unique space. There are many ways your can help raise funds. You can donate to our GoFundMe page. Try creating a Facebook Fundraiser, or hosting your own fundraiser.
With your backing, we can give families with neuro-physical disabilities a space to be themselves, have fun, grow and connect.
With your support, we can make inclusive play a reality for families in Ireland.
My daughter is 11. She wants to do everything, but I can’t lift her. So we don’t go to parks. There is nothing for her around us. And nowhere we can go.
Is your company or organisation driven to support community projects with real impact? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out to our Fundraising Manager Justin Farrell on jfarrell@cranncentre.ie or 085 8804679.
Contact Fundraising Manager Justin Farrell to find out how sponsorship can work for your organisation.
Make a real difference by donating to our GoFundMe Page now!
Create a Facebook fundraiser to spread the word and fundraise through your Facebook friends and family!
The Playground will have accessible swings, see-saws and a roundabout. At the centre will be a swashbuckling pirate ship, where imaginations can run wild.
The sensory garden is there for those looking for a quiet spot to reflect. The raised planters will help clients develop their green fingers. The BBQ pit, pizza oven and dining area will let families eat together. It will give clients an opportunity to host get-togethers in the sun and host cooking lessons.
There will be plenty of car parking spaces, and the Crann building has several fully accessible bathrooms and showers.
Thank you to our corporate partners, who have helped progress inclusive play for families with neuro-physical disabilities in Ireland. Without corporate support, we couldn’t be as ambitious as we are in creating a space that is not just fully accessible but contains a variety of play experiences that children with neuro-physical disabilities often don’t have access to.
If your company would like to join the ranks of our supporters, who have shown their dedication to making inclusive play a reality for all, we’d love to hear from you. Contact Crann’s Fundraising Manager, Justin Farrell on 085 8701624 or email jfarrell@cranncentre.ie
