Diverse Abilities is Dorset's disability charity supporting children & adults with physical & learning disabilities across the county.

The charity invited us to take a look around a new facility that will be opening soon for children with disabilities and special educational needs and this includes sessions and clubs for siblings and parents.

The Treehouse, based at the site previously home to Adventure Wonderland is set to be an incredible new facility for play and support projects for children plus brilliant and much-needed new services planned for the future. The charity will have a couple of acres of secure outdoor play space as well as a large indoor play barn with soft play, sensory room and games zones, space for parents, a wonderful cookery space for children and much more.

The new site will mean that the charity will be able to increase sessions which they hope will double their provision from 8,834 hours in 2023/24 to well over 15,000 hours of support in 2026/27.

This is where they need your help. To get this new and much needed new site up and running they need the local business community. Perhaps you can lend specific skills, trades or supply materials or you’re handy with a paintbrush or pulling weeds. Alternatively, any fundraising or sponsorship of The Treehouse would also help massively.

As the team showed us around what will be an incredible addition to the charity, they talk us through the plans with excitement, explaining all the benefits that this new site will make to the children and parents/carers. However, they need to move fast and this simply can’t happen unless the local community support them.

The list of equipment and materials that they need include microwaves, tumble dryer, wheelbarrows, fridge freezers, cooker, game consoles, paint brushes, rollers and paint trays as well as garden equipment to volunteers, fundraising and donations.

Diverse Abilities look after children who have global development delay, autism, ADHD, downs syndrome, cerebral palsy and children who are showing signs of struggling but do not yet meet the criteria of statuary service thresholds. The charity provides a Short Breaks service for children and their siblings, giving them the opportunity to get out in the school holidays in a safe and comfortable environment.

If you or your team can volunteer your time or help with equipment, skills or fundraising then contact Diverse Abilities Coporate Fundraiser Nick Mahony at nick.mahony@diverseabilities.org.uk

Your help will make a huge difference to families living with disability.