Cork charity Crann says €140,000 from Toy Show Appeal will help more children join activities

The Crann Centre in Cork expects more than 250 children to participate in activities that have received a major boost through a grant from the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal.

It comes as they are seeing a marked increase in the numbers being referred to them, welcoming three new families each week, and now supporting over 700 families.

It was announced that the charity, which provides a range of clinical, educational and social activity programmes for children and families living with neuro-physical disabilities, is to receive a transformational grant of €140,000 over two years from the Toy Show Appeal.

Crann supports children and adults living with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, osteogenesis imperfecta, stroke and other neuro-physical disabilities and crucially their families. The centre, based in Ovens, has a multidisciplinary team of experts, in healthcare, education and career coaching, psychotherapy, social prescribing and case management.

The grant will fund Crann’s Social Capital Programme which includes fully inclusive summer camps, youth clubs, ecology workshops, conservation, visual arts, music, Christmas at Crann, family barbecues and its accessible theatre group called ‘Breaking Barriers’, who staged two performances of Aladdin in Cork City Hall recently.

Demand for Crann’s Social Capital Programme has grown by 30% in each of the past two years. 

A recent evaluation found that 67% of children and adults self-reported that their social confidence was significantly boosted through their participation in the programme.

The programme is led by social capital lead Tara O’Donovan, who said:

“The Breaking Barriers youth group staged an unforgettable performance of Aladdin on Friday night, and it brought a tremendous amount of joy to the children themselves and to their families. 

"It’s important that we continue to develop programmes like this, which offer unique experiences for children and help them to grow their confidence and abilities.

“We are extremely grateful to the Toy Show Appeal for including the Crann Centre this year. This funding will go a long way towards achieving our goals.”