A talented Wokingham artist is helping to transform Building for the Future’s new play therapy centre for disabled children into a warm, welcoming space designed to inspire growth, creativity and hope. Last Christmas, mural artist Tom Bazeley, 43, donated his time to create a beautiful snowy window scene at the charity's Our House centre, bringing festive cheer to children and families attending sessions. While working on the seasonal artwork, Tom learned from Centre Manager

The latest episode of Let's Take Care, the podcast created by and for parent carers of disabled children, tackles an important and timely topic: the growing number of celebrities and public figures speaking openly about raising disabled children and young people. Hosted by Jane Holmes and Melissa Paulden - two mothers with nearly 60 years of combined lived experience as parent carers - Episode 11 explores how increased visibility in the media is helping to bring SEND family l

Jane Holmes, CEO of Building for the Future, has written Extreme Parenting - a deeply personal and thought-provoking book about raising her daughter Kitty, now 24, who has Cerebral Palsy. Part memoir, part call for change, the book offers an honest account of the realities faced by families raising disabled children in the UK. Through her own experiences, Jane shines a light on the challenges, battles and resilience that often remain hidden from public view. Why Jane Wrote th

Building for the Future was presented with a surprise £10,000 donation from the Peter Willmott Foundation recently, in what the charity described as a "completely unexpected" and a hugely welcome boost as we prepare to open the new Ability Hub development this summer. The donation comes through the Peter Willmott Foundation, established by Willmott Dixon, to support life-changing causes and create positive impacts within communities, with 80,000 hours of Willmott Dixon employ

More than 100 guests came together for an unforgettable evening of fundraising, entertainment and community spirit at the Building for the Future Charity Ball, held at The Mill House Hotel on 15 May. The event raised an impressive £5,000 towards The Ability Hub, Building for the Future's new SEND play and skills centre at Thames Valley Park, which will provide vital opportunities and support for disabled children and young people and their families. The Ball brought together

A new episode of the parenting podcast Let’s Take Care is shining a light on the realities of raising neurodivergent children, with a candid and thoughtful conversation between hosts Jane Holmes and Melissa Paulden and their guest, Steve Newton, a father of two adopted teenagers and himself on the autistic spectrum. The episode explores the complex intersection of adoption, trauma and neurodivergence, offering listeners both practical strategies and a deeply personal account

In the world of parent-caring, there is a recurring myth: 'the Super-Parent.' To the outside world: friends, neighbors and even GPs carers look like they have it all under control. They’ve been doing this for years. They are experts. They are resilient. But as the latest episode of Let’s Take Care reveals, that perceived resilience is often a trap. When society sees a parent 'coping' they assume they don’t need help. And when people assume you don’t need help, they start to

It takes a certain kind of strength to admit that you no longer 'fit' into the world the way you used to. This is a harsh reality that many parents carers of children with a disability face. Whether it's in an instant, or slowly over time, the vision of the future you planned changes and to survive in the 'new normal' you have to adapt - fast; sometimes against the grain; and often with no understanding of why. The very essence of a person can change to cope with the constan

We were delighted to welcome so many parents and carers to Our House on Friday 6th March for our first of our Parents’ Coffee and Chat: Ask the Experts sessions. The event brought together families of children and young people with disabilities and additional needs in a relaxed and friendly setting, with the opportunity to speak one-to-one with specialist therapists and get practical advice about any concerns they may have. Speech therapist Katy Rimmington, occupational ther

New episode of Let’s Take Care – The Podcast for Parent Carers - is out now. Listen below on wherever you get your podcasts. Things go wrong daily in busy family life and families raising children and young people with disabilities are certainly not exempt from the mayhem. Parenting is challenging, colourful, exhausting, joyful and unpredictable all at once and disability doesn’t remove any of that - if anything, it sometimes amplifies it in unexpected (and occasionally hilar

We’re delighted to share some exciting news from BftF Plus: we’re launching a brand new Friday lunch club called Lunch@Plus, designed especially for disabled young adults looking for connection, activity and a welcoming place to belong. Starting Friday 13 February, Lunch@Plus will run three Fridays each month (the second, third and fourth Fridays) at Our House in Wokingham, from 12:30pm to 2:30pm. Created with Our Members in Mind This new session has grown directly from conve