Phoenix FM marked another small milestone in its move to Thorndon Country Park last week, as Jo Bailey welcomed the first official guests to her Drive show from the new Pavilion studio. The guests, Karen and Callum Boath from SNAP, joined Jo to discuss supporting families through the summer holidays and the charity's plans for the months ahead.
Supporting Families During School Holidays
With several weeks of school holidays to fill, Karen shared practical advice for families planning everything from airports and theme parks to more straightforward days out. For children with additional needs, unfamiliar surroundings, crowds, and changes to routine can make an ordinary family outing rather more complicated, so a little preparation can make a considerable difference.
SNAP supports families with children and young people aged up to 25 across Essex, Thurrock and Southend. Importantly, families don't need a formal diagnosis or professional referral before approaching the charity for help.
Services and Opportunities at SNAP
From its Brentwood centre, SNAP provides advice and support for parents alongside activities for children and young people. These include drama and activity groups, music therapy, holiday sessions and sibling support, while the centre itself has a multi-sensory room and specialist IT facilities.
Callum also spoke about his own journey with SNAP and the satisfaction he gets from supporting families. There are plenty of ways for local companies to become involved too - and that doesn't necessarily mean simply writing a cheque. Businesses can offer staff volunteering time, donate prizes, share professional skills or work with SNAP on other projects. Fundraising does, of course, remain important.
Upcoming Events and How to Get Involved
Coming up is the Thorndon Park Golf Day in September, while the charity is also introducing some new events, including Musical Bingo. It seemed rather fitting that the first visitors to the new studio should be from an organisation with such strong local connections - and one that Phoenix FM is always pleased to welcome back.
More information about SNAP and its services can be found at snapcharity.org. As always, the interview can be heard again at phoenixfm.com. The Brentwood Gazette covers areas including, but not limited to, Billericay, Brentwood, Hutton, Shenfield, and Wickford in Essex.
