Funding boost for 'lifeline' children's charity

WHISH project manager Yvonne Harrison and chair of trustees Tony Walker

Parents have praised a charity for children with special needs as a "lifeline" as it received a funding boost from the region's mayor.

Whitby Hidden Impairments Support and Help (WHISH) provides a food bank for families and multi-sensory room for youngsters with disabilities.

A fund led by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, has provided the charity with £44,000 towards an accessible lift and toilets, as well as funding for sport and public transport initiatives.

Cheryl, a foster carer to 12-year-old twin boys, said: "This is a place where they fit in, they're happy and the staff are brilliant."

WHISH provides a multi-sensory room, food bank and activities including swimming and cookery lessons

She added: "It gives us other people to talk to and the children do so many different things from horse riding to sports days, and days out."

Project manager Yvonne Harrison said WHISH had seen increased demand since the coronavirus pandemic and due to the rising cost of living.

She said: "If you have a disabled child, you're more likely to be poorer.

"We've had parents say they can't afford to buy washing powder because they have had to spend the money on food.

"We're currently reaching around 30% of the children with disabilities in the area, but we'd like to reach all of them."

WHISH also provides activities for children and teenagers including after-school clubs, swimming lessons and cookery classes.

More than 20 community halls and hubs, including WHISH, were given a total of £600,000 from the mayoral fund for renovations.

Skaith told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that supporting rural charities and community groups was a top priority for his administration.

He said: "As a combined authority we can look over the whole region and see where those areas are that are in need of certain services and we can step in.

"If we can find those gaps and there is a need for a service in Whitby or Scarborough or wherever then we can work with organisations that are already there to ramp up their offering."

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