Lizard CHILD Trust provides a smile during Covid-19 lockdowns

Lizard CHILD Trust provides a vital service to families around Helston and the Lizard area. Thanks to The Goonhilly Wind Farm Community FundA sum of money made available for grant making, often with specific criteria/conditions., a grant of £4,450 was used to support their members throughout some of the most difficult days of the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Like all affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, The Trust had to look at different ways in which they could carry on working with their members. To support parents, staff and children's mental health and wellbeing during this isolation period the Trust used the grant to provide Smile Bags for children of all ages, this resource pack included a handwritten message, one or two games, colouring books and plenty of puzzles. Many parents had voiced that they were feeling the pressures on family relationships, trying to keep all occupied during what was a difficult time. Children often did not understand what was going on or were too young to tell their parents what they were feeling inside. Potentially being fear, frustration and frightened.

The resource packs provided families with the means to break the monotony of lockdown living, helped to ease those pressures on relationships and allowed the families to try new things together. The experiences that parents and children were able to create and share together provided a channel for shared discovery, discussion and joy, shared wellbeing, and a much-needed comfort boost. The packs touched the parents and gave them something to help lift their children’s spirits and their own.

Lizard CHILD Trust wanted to bring a smile to the children and their parent's faces, with funding from The Goonhilly Wind Farm Community Fund, this was achieved.

Beneficiary Report:
A son who is 15 years old and on the Autistic spectrum, has ADHD & dyspraxia.
One of the items in the "smile bag" was a ball which was easy to grip and catch. The boy was so excited as this was the first time he could play catch and throw with confidence, the parent said they had spent every day over the long weekend just throwing and catching the ball to his delight. Five months on the parent was delighted to report that her son still returns to this activity at least on a weekly basis.