A state-of-the-art facility offering amazing opportunities to young people with disabilities or development difficulties is a ‘unique, wonderful and vital’ lifeline for families in the south of the region.
That was the verdict from Natasha Asghar MS after she visited Serennu Children’s Centre in Newport recently to see first-hand some of the work that goes on there.
Serennu, which is based in Rogerstone, is managed by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and is supported by the wonderful charity Sparkle.
Natasha met with some of Sparkle’s trustees, staff, and volunteers, including the group’s founder and chair Dr Sabine Maguire, to find out more about the work they do.
The centre provides assessment, treatment, care, information, support and leisure services for children and young people all under one roof.
Sparkle’s main aim is to provide young people with disabilities and developmental difficulties, who cannot access mainstream activities, the same opportunities as able-bodied people.
Some of the things on offer include swimming lessons, play club, fully equipped sensory rooms, a climbing wall, and a MediCinema – which is open to families for free.
Young people are also taught vital life skills such as cleaning, ironing, booking train tickets, budgeting, and making reservations which will come in handy when they live independently in the future.
Activities are also put on to help young people with agility, balance, coordination, socialising, making new friends, building confidence, self-esteem, and problem solving.
Not only does the centre offer activities for youngsters, but it also offers valuable information and support to parents as well as a bit of respite.
Dr Sabine Maguire explained that even though some 200 young people come to Serennu every week, they would love to expand services to reach more people in other parts of the region – but it all boils down to funding.
Sparkle is entirely dependent on donations and grants to run its services – which cost upwards of £700,000 a year.
Natasha also caught a glimpse of the centre’s impressive specially designed disabled playground, which includes a wheelchair swing and is open to the community, as well as its multi-use games area.
During the tour, Natasha was able to meet with some of the young people at one of the clubs and talk to them about what Sparkle, and the Serennu Centre, meant to them.
Natasha Asghar MS said:
“To say I was blown away by what Serennu Children’s Centre and Sparkle offer would be a huge understatement and it was an absolute pleasure to meet some of the young people who use the clubs and services.
“From my brief conversations with them, I got a very clear picture of just how much they cherish Sparkle and the centre.
“For a charity like Sparkle, which relies solely on donations and grants, to run so many different activities and support networks is a major achievement and must be rightfully applauded.
“To put it in no uncertain terms, Serennu and Sparkle really are unique and provide vital lifelines for people living in the southern areas of South East Wales and they are determined to expand its services to the rest of the region.
“I am very much looking forward to working with Sparkle and the centre on a range of projects and initiatives going forward, including doing all I can to help them expand in a bid to provide its services to those living in the north of the region.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Mae cyfleuster o’r radd flaenaf sy’n cynnig cyfleoedd anhygoel i bobl ifanc ag anableddau neu anawsterau datblygu yn achubiaeth ‘unigryw, hyfryd a hanfodol’ i deuluoedd yn ne’r rhanbarth.
Dyna oedd barn Natasha Asghar AS ar ôl iddi ymweld â Chanolfan Blant Serennu yng Nghasnewydd yn ddiweddar i weld â’i llygaid ei hun rywfaint o’r gwaith sy’n mynd digwydd yno.
Mae Serennu, sydd wedi’i leoli yn Nhŷ-du, yn cael ei reoli gan Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Aneurin Bevan, ac yn cael ei gefnogi gan yr elusen wych Sparkle.
Gwnaeth Natasha gyfarfod â rhai o ymddiriedolwyr, staff a gwirfoddolwyr Sparkle, gan gynnwys sylfaenydd a chadeirydd y grŵp Dr Sabine Maguire, i ddarganfod mwy am y gwaith y maent yn ei wneud.
Mae'r ganolfan yn darparu gwasanaethau asesu, triniaeth, gofal, gwybodaeth, cymorth a hamdden i blant a phobl ifanc o dan yr un to.
Prif nod Sparkle yw darparu'r un cyfleoedd â phobl abl eu cyrff i bobl ifanc ag anableddau ac anawsterau datblygiadol, na allant gael mynediad i weithgareddau prif ffrwd.
Mae rhai o’r pethau sydd ar gael yn cynnwys gwersi nofio, clwb chwarae, ystafelloedd synhwyraidd llawn offer, wal ddringo, a MediCinema – sy’n agored i deuluoedd a hynny am ddim.
Mae pobl ifanc hefyd yn dysgu sgiliau bywyd hanfodol fel glanhau, smwddio, archebu tocynnau trên, cyllidebu, a gwneud archebion a fydd yn dod yn ddefnyddiol pan fyddant yn byw'n annibynnol yn y dyfodol.
Mae gweithgareddau hefyd yn cael eu cynnal i helpu pobl ifanc gydag ystwythder, cydbwysedd, cydsymud, cymdeithasu, gwneud ffrindiau newydd, magu hyder, hunan-barch a datrys problemau.
Nid yn unig y mae'r ganolfan yn cynnig gweithgareddau i bobl ifanc, ond mae hefyd yn cynnig gwybodaeth a chymorth gwerthfawr i rieni yn ogystal ag ychydig o seibiant.
Eglurodd Dr Sabine Maguire, er bod tua 200 o bobl ifanc yn dod i Serennu bob wythnos, byddent wrth eu bodd yn ehangu gwasanaethau i gyrraedd mwy o bobl mewn rhannau eraill o'r rhanbarth - ond cyllid sy'n bennaf gyfrifol am hyn.
Mae Sparkle yn gwbl ddibynnol ar roddion a grantiau i redeg ei wasanaethau – sy’n costio mwy na £700,000 y flwyddyn.
Cafodd Natasha gip hefyd ar faes chwarae anabl gwych y ganolfan sydd wedi’i ddylunio’n arbennig, sy’n cynnwys siglen cadair olwyn ac sy’n agored i’r gymuned, yn ogystal â’r ardal gemau amlddefnydd.
Yn ystod y daith, cafodd Natasha gyfle i gwrdd â rhai o’r bobl ifanc yn un o’r clybiau a siarad â nhw am yr hyn roedd Sparkle a Chanolfan Serennu yn ei olygu iddyn nhw.
Dywedodd Natasha Asghar AS:
“Rwyf wir wedi fy syfrdanu gan yr hyn y mae Canolfan Blant Serennu a Sparkle yn ei gynnig, ac roedd yn bleser pur cyfarfod â rhai o’r bobl ifanc sy’n defnyddio’r clybiau a’r gwasanaethau.
“O’r sgyrsiau byr y cefais gyda nhw, fe ges i ddarlun clir iawn o faint maen nhw'n caru Sparkle a'r ganolfan.
“I elusen fel Sparkle, sy’n dibynnu’n llwyr ar roddion a grantiau, mae cynnal cymaint o wahanol weithgareddau a rhwydweithiau cymorth yn gyflawniad mawr ac mae’n haeddu canmoliaeth.
“Yn sicr, mae Serennu a Sparkle yn wirioneddol unigryw ac yn achubiaeth hanfodol i bobl sy’n byw yn ardaloedd deheuol De-ddwyrain Cymru ac maen nhw’n benderfynol o ehangu ei wasanaethau i weddill y rhanbarth.
“Rwy’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at weithio gyda Sparkle a’r ganolfan ar ystod o brosiectau a mentrau yn y dyfodol, gan gynnwys gwneud popeth o fewn fy ngallu i’w helpu i ehangu mewn ymgais i ddarparu ei gwasanaethau i’r rhai sy’n byw yng ngogledd y rhanbarth.”
