Lancashire Life is supporting one of the county’s top charities in marking Lancashire Day with a special event
Lancashire Day will be celebrated all over the county on November 27 – but there will be a special reason to mark the occasion at The Lancastrian Suite in Chorley’s Park Hall Hotel.
The event, supported by Lancashire Life and BBC Radio Lancashire, has been organised by Legacy Rainbow House to boost pride in the county and further raise the profile of this important children’s charity.
As well as stalls selling local produce and traditional crafts, there will be Lancashire entertainment include a cookery demonstration by Lancashire Life food writer Philippa James. Those attending are asked to make a donation.
Legacy Rainbow House is now a national charity working with children with acquired brain injury, multiple disabilities and complex health needs. It uses Conductive Education techniques and while it is based on a 12-acre site in Mawdesley it offers our services to children from across the UK.
The trust provides a team of specialist educators known as conductors, physio-therapists, sports therapists and early years professionals. The team utilises varying methods to gain the best outcomes for a child’s development. Included within the daily physical education plan they use music to enhance movement, creative arts, communication and the outdoors.
The team aims to develop a child’s physical, emotional and social wellbeing, while increasing their health and reducing the likelihood of secondary conditions.
The team has compiled extensive research on the benefits of this service thanks to the funding from Jeans for Genes, demonstrating the inputs, outputs and outcomes of the 25 children supported within this service suffering from various genetic conditions.
Rainbow House was created 13 years ago by local mum Joanne Mawdsley whose two sons suffered with a rare genetic disorder, resulting in brain damage and disability. It was her passion and drive to help her boys that founded this innovative service.
The services were funded by The Mawdsley Family until 2004, at which time it became a charity. Her determination enabled her to gather together like-minded parents who supported and guided each other providing therapy and, importantly, helping their children to help themselves.
‘I particularly recall one young man who arrived never having been able to walk and just recently he took part in our five mile charity ramble,’ said Joanne.
She added: ‘I was born in Wigan and grew up in Eccleston so I’m naturally a proud Lancashire lass. I think it’s important we celebrate the day and remember our roots so we are very pleased to be organising this day.
‘ Legacy Rainbow House has grown almost beyond recognition but it has remained true to its core values of equipping children with independent life skills. No other organisation delivers anything like this service which has been phenomenally successful in giving young people personal freedom and independence.
‘Having a Lancashire Day event is all about appreciating what we have, where we have come from and highlighting our successes.’ And one of those success stories is surely Legacy Rainbow House.
To find out more about the charity go to www.thelegacy-rainbowhouse.com. Enquiries about the event should go to Tricia Hounslow at t.hounslow@thelegacy-rainbowhouse.com
