Day centre receives £5,000 to help support families

A DAY centre in Wargrave has received a cheque for £5,000 from the Polehampton Charity in Charvil.

Trustees Julia Bishop and Amy Goodall-Smith presented the amount to Charlotte Webb, fundraising manager of Camp Mohawk, and the centre’s project manager Kate Wood.

The funding will help it continue to offer facilities and activities to families on Saturdays during term time and six days a week during the school holidays. The Polehampton Charity supports community groups in Twyford, Ruscombe and Charvil with grants to support projects which benefit the community.

Since April, Camp Mohawk’s day centre has supported an additional 180 families.

Mrs Wood said: “It has been very difficult to secure funding this year for our projects and we have quite a big deficit, which has a relatively significant impact on our funds.

“We are supporting more than 700 families through the family support project and all of those children live with additional needs. Most of our families find it difficult to access suitable public facilities.

“It provides crucial social time for parents as well as children during their visit.

“[Demand] has been stable for the last few years but there is a shortage of suitable facilities in the area.”

Mrs Wood added that some families they help have been actively using their facilities for about 15 years. Mrs Bishop said: “The charity recognises that Camp Mohawk provides exceptional and unique facilities for families with additional needs.

“We support families who are based in the catchment area of Twyford, Ruscombe and Charvil and because it’s so local, we wanted to support the amazing work they do in this area.

“We’re absolutely delighted to be able to give them £5,000 and it was a great opportunity to learn more about the work they do.”