This year, SensationALL will be six! We have achieved so much since we registered our charity, now employing six staff and working towards the Community Asset
Transfer of the Old Schoolhouse in Westhill too. In 2017, SensationALL set-up an associated social enterprise business, Schools Out! Club, to provide a much needed out of school care provision in Westhill.

From this partnership, a joint monthly after-school social group was developed. Children who already attend the Schools Out! club have the option to join the SensationALL Social Group, which runs after school every second Monday. This Inclusive Social Group is for primary-school aged children and their siblings; and is a safe environment perfect for building friendships, learning new skills and having fun.

In 2018, we were absolutely delighted to win the AVA Award for Innovation for our work with Schools Out! Club and the Inclusive Social Group and we have recently been named finalists in the Celebrate Aberdeen Awards as our Suz Strachan is up for the “staff member of the year” award for her work with the Inclusive Social Group, training, workshops and SensationALL services.

SensationALL aims to provide support and therapeutic experiences for children and adults of ALL ages, with various Multiple Support Needs (MSN) and conditions, and as far away as Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Moray & Shetland! An extensive timetable of groups includes; Sensory Playgroup and the Early Communications Group; family Stay & Play sessions, self-regulation; social; music; adult groups and Life Skills classes.

SensationALL’s unique approach involves accepting children without confirmed diagnoses which in turn allows for early or timely input often when most needed by families. It also involves a focus on lifelong support for not only MSN individuals, but the whole family. Specialist advice and training sessions for parents/carers and newly developed siblings groups are delivered in response to demand.

Recent busy times have resulted in SensationALL being the gold charity sponsors at Run Balmoral in April, having supported runners in the Baker 10k in May, were the charity partners for the Westhill 10k in June and the upcoming Ride The North cycle challenge. Fundraising has included; our annual fundraising Tipsy Tea Party, attendance at the Westhill Gala and the Aberdeen Highland Games.

Improvements to the Old Schoolhouse earlier this year have seen the refurbishment of the Sensory Room with a donation from Apache and now features state-of-the-art sensory equipment. The Old Schoolhouse also enjoyed a makeover, as we hosted Corporate Social Responsibility days from Subsea 7, M&S Westhill and CATS ml.

What’s on for the rest of the year? Alongside our regular events and services for both adult and children (MSN) users, SensationALL will continue to delivery specialist training sessions and workshops for parents, carers and professionals, and be developing outreach sensory pop-ups, Flexible Learning Pathways for schools, sensory profiling assessments and the upgrading of their small soft play room.

If you are interested in being part of the SensationALL vision (as a benefitting family, volunteer or potential trustee to join our board), please email info@sensationall.org.uk.