Sleaford charity celebrates 10 years of supporting children, young people and adults with additional needs

A grand party was held at Sleaford’s Masonic Rooms for members of Rainbow Stars, which has its community hub next door on Watergate.

Jane Peck, chairman and one of the original founders of the charity, said: “It was a wonderful, lovely evening – we are overwhelmed. Who would believe we have reached our 10th anniversary – it doesn’t seem possible.

"It was very busy and the food was stunning with an amazing cake.”

When Jane founded Rainbow Stars with Hannah Owen, they hoped for a simple little support group for a few families that would meet up occasionally – but it snowballed!

"I remember when we got to 50 members and realising there is a whole family behind each of these people with additional needs,” she said. “We never wanted to become a charity but we grew and the Mayor of Sleaford at the time encouraged to become a charity to unlock funding and now we are just short of 3,000 members – it’s crazy!”

The resources hub is still Sleaford based but they draw families and young people from across Lincolnshire including Spalding, Skegness and beyond the border in Newark.

Evenings at the hub are particularly busy with after school clubs and a siblings evening on Tuesdays, or adults coming in to do gardening, crafting and cooking skills sessions.

"On Wednesdays we have to cut the numbers off at 30,” said Jane. “But we try to scale up to 90-100 people when we do days out or visiting the Kinema in the Woods with the help of the Rotary Club.”

There are lots of smaller group session trips such as goat walking too, as autistic people can easily become overwhelmed by larger groups, she explained.

"We do encourage parents to try taking their children on our cinema trips as they are autism-friendly and no-body bats an eyelid. It is all about inclusivity and trying something new.”

Jane said the trustees and 15 “incredible” volunteers are vital in making it work.

The community hub is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and is split into three rooms where the young people turn up and decide what they would like to do, whether it is chatting, gaming, or cooking and crafting in the kitchen.

Once a month they have a friendship group for children not in education or home schooled in which they may do crafting or drum therapy. They also have a woman who brings in a pet therapy dog. There is also a transitioning day for families to come and get used to the hub environment.

Thursdays tend to be used for occupational therapy, for social workers to bring in a child or for schools to visit and look around. Friday evenings are used for sensory room sessions or for teenagers and adults who sometimes use it as a launchpad for socialising, such as going bowling.

Jane commented: “We have developed some beautiful friendships. They have all grown to be part of this massive family now. A lot of the young people didn’t have a lot of friends before joining us as they would not engage or interact with others, but they get helped to make that special connection.

"Parents have then got involved and now take on their own teen and adult nights.”

Rainbow Stars will be holding a fundraising Christmas Fayre on Saturday November 23 from 12-5pm at the Masonic Hall in Watergate. All are welcome with lots of accessible stalls and a refreshments bar.

For more information go to https://rainbowstarslincs.co.uk/ or view them on X (Twitter).