Dozens of small business owners in Gloucestershire have thrown their support behind a local charity providing care and support for disabled children and young adults as part of a 12-month fundraising partnership.
Resident business owners at Space Business Centres in Gloucester and Cheltenham have chosen the Spring Centre, a Quedgeley based charity which provides care, advice and activities for 90 local children and young adults with additional needs and disabilities and their families, as their charity partner for this year.
The organisation, based at Gardner House in Olympus Business Park, is just a few minutes’ walk from Space Gloucester, with facilities including a playground, specialised sensory play equipment and a young adults centre to support their programme of activities.
Space Cheltenham and Gloucester are owned by property developers AC Lloyd. More than 100 small businesses operate across the two sites, and all will have the opportunity to help fundraise for the Spring Centre throughout the year thanks to the new link.
The first fundraising event, a coffee and cake morning, will take place on Wednesday, April 5 with all proceeds set to be donated to the Spring Centre.
The Spring Centre was established in 1994 and provides support throughout the Gloucestershire area, with services including after school clubs, sensory play sessions and day trips.
Gail Harrison, Marketing and Administration Assistant at the Spring Centre, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the charity partner of Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham for this year.
“The team have been so supportive in this early stage and I am looking forward to working with them to raise money for our wide range of activities and support that we provide to people across the area.”
During school term-time, the charity operates a preschool family drop-in service where parents can get funding advice and access support services, as well as themed sensory play sessions and after school clubs with hot food provision for children over eight.
The centre also organises day trips and respite activities for children over 8, family focused ‘stay and play’ sessions for children under 8 and a sibling support group during the school holidays.
It also runs a young adult day care service for users aged between 16 and 35, which includes a dedicated lounge area, kitchen and craft zone to support a weekly programme of skill-based learning.
Lucy Iles, site manager at AC Lloyd Space Business Centres, said: “It is wonderful to have a local charity that does great work in our community as our chosen charity for the year.
“We will be supporting the Spring Centre through various events and activities to raise funds, so they can continue to support disabled children and young adults, and their families in our community – and we hope to see lots of new faces at our first event in April.”