How was Sky Badger founded?
The idea for the charity came from a conversation in the playground between me and three other mums with disabled children, who have also struggled to find vital information required to care for their children.
It took three years to get the support we needed for my son Max who has autism. The NHS doesn't pass on vital information and SENCOs do their best but don't have much time. The information is out there, but it's a catch 22 as you need to know where it is in order to find it, and there is no single website that provides everything you need.
Where does the name come from?
It was coined by my little boy. Sky Badger is his alter-ego, his superhero.
What do you hope to achieve?
The charity is for both families and children. It was a priority to make it as child-friendly as possible so we have tried to keep things fun.
We're not taking any political standpoint or campaigning, the aim of the charity is to direct families with disabled children to professional advice and information signposted on our website. It can be very isolating for mothers with disabled children who may be stuck at home and feeling hopeless.
We also hope medical professionals and early years staff will promote the website to families of disabled children. The nursery years are the most profound, as this is the time when most children are diagnosed.
The site will equip families of disabled children with the basics and signpost them to forums and other trusted websites. Parents will be able to find out where they can get respite care, apply for grants, or obtain information about their child's medication. The website will also list disabled children's charities, special needs resources and activities and events taking place that are suitable for disabled children.
It has been a great adventure finding all of the organisations, companies and charities. One of my favourites is Free Cakes for Kids, who provide free cakes to families who find it difficult to provide a birthday cake for their child. Lots of people also don't know about the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children website, which provides information on different conditions, and Medicines for Children lets you find out about different medications a child is taking.
We plan to update the website every month with new activities and links to other sites. We have a Twitter account (@skybadger) where we will flag up events across the country for disabled children and places where parents can go to apply for funding. Charities can also contact us with any events they want publicised.
