A REDDITCH woman has grown a community of support for families with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) across the town.
Laura Jordan, founded SEND Support Redditch based at Holly Trees Family Hub, to create a welcoming space where parents and carers of children with SEND can come together, share their experiences, and feel understood.
Laura’s journey began five years ago with her own children.
She said: “I was going through a difficult time myself with having three children with SEN, and I was really struggling.”
Laura turned to the Pear Tree Family Hub’s Understanding Your Child course, where she saw how much parents valued talking to each other about their experiences.
With encouragement from a family support worker, Laura connected with her local family hub, who welcomed the idea of starting a group.
Laura said: “Everyone at the hub have been so supportive and gone above and beyond to support me in what I do.”
Today, with the help of a Worcestershire County Council Public Health Community Wellbeing Grant, SEND Support Redditch has grown into a vital lifeline for families across the area.
The group offers weekly peer support sessions every Tuesday during term time, from 9.45am until 11.45am, a monthly SEND stay-and- play sessions for children and families, special events and a WhatsApp group for parents who can’t attend in person.
Coun Satinder Bell, cabinet member with responsibility for health and wellbeing at Worcestershire County Council, said: “The early years of a child’s life is a crucial window for development laying the foundations for a healthier life.
“Our family hubs play a vital role in helping families build resilience, find friendship, learn about parenting and access support.
“By investing in projects like SEND Support Redditch, we are helping to improve health outcomes across the county ensuring every child has the best possible start in life.”
