WOW! cherrytrees.o rg
.uk
WHAT AN IMPACT WE’VE MADE! A LOOK BACK AT 2019-2020
WHAT’S INSIDE?
CHERRY ACHIEVERS SUPPORTING THE WHOLE FAMILY CHERRYTASTIC OUTCOMES WHAT OUR FAMILIES LOVE ABOUT CHERRY TREES FUNDRAISING IMPACT FUN AT EVERY VISIT
Registered Charity No. 800222
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CHERRY ACHIEVERS!
little steps, big impact CELEBRATING goals At Cherry Trees, we see the child first and their disability second. We believe that each and every child or young person that comes to us has the potential to challenge themselves to achieve a set of personal goals.
The Cherry Achievers’ Tree Whether on outings, joining in with entertainers or baking sessions in our dining room we make sure children have fun when working on their goals, encouraging them to go for it, to earn their ‘Cherry’.
We recognise that for our children these goals may need very small steps to achieve, such as putting on their own shoes and socks after staying with us, but with time, practise and help from our carers they can learn to do things for themselves.
Families and visitors love the handpainted artwork which is all around our reception and hallway. Last June we transformed one painting, a beautiful candy pink and white mural of a Cherry Tree that bends into and around our staircase into ‘The Cherry Achievers’ Tree’. It’s been a focal point celebrating the children’s achievements, when they reach one of their goals each month. Over 120 Cherries have been hung over the last year showing the child’s photo and a little account of their achievement for all to see and be proud of.
“ The children’s reaction to the tree has been wonderful; they will often stop to see who has a new Cherry and congratulate their friends on their achievements.” Paula Rankin, Head of Care 2
Considerate and thoughtful BECOMING INDEPENDENT We love this cheeky photo, taken on a day trip to Portsmouth Aquarium. A well-deserved Cherry was awarded to this young lady after she made a real effort with her independent self care, and even stopped biting her nails. A huge step for independence and well-being.
Carer Rosie was really pleased after this young man volunteered to help her serve drinks and biscuits one afternoon from the refreshments trolley – a big step towards building independent domestic skills and being helpful.
Trying new experiences
LEARNING LIFE SKILLS
A well-deserved Cherry was awarded after an outing to a local reptile centre where after encouragement, there was engagement in a new sensory experience with courageous strokes of various reptiles. Well done!
Carer Steve, was delighted to award a well deserved Cherry for great listening, being independent and learning how to do their own laundry – really useful life skills from one home to another.
THANK YOU!
None of this would be possible without you, be it as a supporter, event participant, volunteer, local community group, school, company, sponsor, trustee, patron, dedicated carer or a behind-the-scenes member of staff. 3
supporting the whole family
KATH AND STEVE TELL US HOW CHERRY TREES HAS GIVEN THEIR FAMILY TIME AND SPACE Our story We’re Kath and Steve and we have two sons; Luke 16 and Joe 14. When Joe was born we were delighted to have a little brother for Luke. But soon we were launched into a bewildering world of doctors and hospitals when Joe developed epilepsy at 3 months old. It was heartbreaking to watch Joe being wracked by convulsions. He was tested for many underlying conditions but still there was no diagnosis. Conventional medicines weren’t working, and the best option to avoid permanent brain damage was a drug that risked making him blind. We took the chance, the drug worked, and Joe has been seizure free. Once the epilepsy was under control, it became clear that Joe was not developing normally. It seems like his early years were a constant round of visits to hospital. He had cataracts and for a time was registered visually impaired. His brain scans showed abnormal development. He had a hole in his skull which gradually repaired itself. He was floppy and couldn’t grasp things, couldn’t sit up or crawl or walk. However, Joe attended a great nursery and then we were lucky that he got a place at Gosden House School, then Ridgeway School in Farnham and then Cherry Trees.
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Family life with Joe With all that help, Joe has made amazing progress. He is now a strapping 14 year old. He is cheerful, funny and loves to sing and dance. He has a remarkable memory for names and events. He brings us a lot of joy and we love him to bits. Steve works full time and I am able to work part time when Joe is at school. This gives me mental stimulation and social company outside of the house, but it makes for an incredibly busy life. Joe is entirely dependent on us. He has autism and has no sense of danger. He can’t navigate even short journeys on his own. He can be very noisy and is unable to sit still. Trips out to unfamiliar or busy places make him anxious and he is
terrified of certain noises such as dogs barking, which can make him panic and run. So we’re not able to easily go to places as a family such as a shopping centre, a restaurant or the cinema.
The difference Cherry Trees makes Caring for Joe as he grew up meant that we were exhausted and there was little time or space left for Steve and I as a couple, or for Luke. Cherry Trees has given us back that time and space over the past four years. It’s a cliché but Cherry Trees really is a home from home. We found it hard leaving Joe there at first, but quickly found that he loved it and that was such a comfort.
Building independence Joe really enjoys the many trips and walks Cherry Trees arranges, particularly anything involving animals, ice cream or cake! He loves one-on-one attention from the carers and being able to talk about his imaginary world. He also really loves the entertainers who come in to play music or games. He has a great time seeing the other young people there, has gained confidence and is building up his independence.
The other half of our story Joe is half the story of our family, the other is Luke, who has his own difficulties in the form of severe multiple food allergies which have seen him hospitalised twice with anaphylaxis. He has been forced to grow up fast and as well as taking
responsibility for his own challenges, he has the responsibility of being a sibling carer for Joe. We are very proud of him. I love to run, even for half an hour and Luke is now old enough to look after Joe so I can head out. Luke is extremely good caring for Joe and can calm him and engage him in activities. He’s also another pair of eyes when Joe’s at home. It’s a responsibility most teenagers don’t have, on top of all the other pressures they have themselves at that age.
Family time with Luke Joe goes to Cherry Trees at weekends which enable us to spend time with Luke. Joe stays overnight four times a year, so we can do special things with Luke like going to the theatre or cinema. This time is precious to us as a family. It brings the balance we
need to keep going and gives Luke the attention he deserves. It only works because we know Cherry Trees looks after Joe so well and we know he is happy and safe. “ Cherry Trees really helps. The overnight stays allow us to spend a little quality time together, without the conversation barriers that my brother creates. We can talk properly and enjoy ourselves while not worrying about doing things that Joe is comfortable with. It lets me have a bit of personal time with my parents that most kids take for granted.” Luke Cherry Trees stays give us time to relax. The peace and quiet is treasured when Joe is having fun at Cherry Trees. Without Cherry Trees we would really struggle. We cannot thank all the staff at Cherry Trees enough for all they do for Joe and for us as a family.
“ Cherry Trees stays give us time to relax. The peace and quiet is treasured when Joe is having fun at Cherry trees”
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CHERRYTASTIC OUTCOMES
for children, for families
Our trustees, management, care and fundraising teams strive every year to develop the quality of our services and facilities to give the highest standards of care and to provide a wonderful ‘home from home’ experience, with improving outcomes and
impact for our children. We always listen to our families to understand their needs, via carers, keyworkers and surveys and work with local authorities to implement ongoing improvements.
We were delighted to achieve ‘Good’ in our full inspection by Ofsted in January 2020, with notable positive comments from the inspectors:
“ Staff understand the needs of children”.
Some of our highlights • Camping, sharing a tent and sleeping outdoors was a brand new experience for three children (and a first for us!). All were a bit nervous to start but soon settled in. They enjoyed an open fire and going for walks, but their favourite activity was toasting marshmallows. It was great for their social and listening skills, they found new friendships meeting other children and playing in the great outdoors.
A new partnership with Woking Football Club gave some of our youngsters an ‘access all areas’ tour, with opportunities for families to go to games with the compliments of the club. Thank you Woking Football Club!
“Absolutely amazing what you do for our children.....we are forever thankful, our son had never been camping before and he loved it!!”
We introduced a children’s newsletter, plus weekly updates on their own noticeboard – all to keep them informed about activities and so they have a place to make requests.
October half term was one of our busiest weeks of the year. A calendar of in-house entertainers for those that prefer the safe surroundings of the house was laid on, whilst other children joined outings to new places such as Clandon Reptile Centre. 6
The new year brought the completion of our downstairs sensory bathroom extension. This created a much needed independent shower room, increased the toilet facilities and has given a spacious main bathroom with sensory equipment. Our new high tech bath is the centrepiece, boasting numerous features to give a relaxing experience with lights, a Jacuzzi and more comfortable access thanks to a height adjustable platform – voted by the children as one of their favourite things.
We also unveiled our new covered walkway to safely connect the house with the main sensory and art rooms in the Barn. No more getting wet on the way to have fun with paints or the bubble tube. Our grateful thanks go to all whose financial support helped make this and the sensory bathroom suite a reality. Volunteer yoga instructor, Anna Coate delivered free sessions for parents, and gratitude was shared by all in attendance. We benefitted from over £5,000 of goods from the Help Sick Children charity including toys and mattresses to freshen our upstairs bedrooms. The donated drum kit has had great use and created new friendships between children. Families enjoyed the fun atmosphere of Happy’s Circus last summer, free for all our families. For many it was a rare chance to have ‘a normal day out’ and meet other families like themselves. Siblings could also play and have fun, free from responsibilities and meet other people their own age. Plus there was unlimited popcorn!!
Not forgetting… We introduced a new flexible and easy-to-use care database to ensure we can capture details of visits and give end of visit reports.
e established a Green Committee with members W from across Cherry Trees, which looks at energy use, equipment, recycling rates, food waste, grants, water usage, the impact of running fundraising events and other green initiatives.
The year at a glance…
AND FINALLY...
57,092 hours of care provided
825 Overnight stays
13,739 of which were one to one
993 24 hour stays
99 children from 95 families
719 Day visits
22 new children started
449 Tea visits
£19,950 Bursaries given
1,294 bursary hours
E OMEON “ DID S KE?” SAY CA
Benefiting
17 children from 16 families 7
WHAT OUR FAMILIES L VE ABOUT CHERRY TREES
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SUPPORTED Cherry Trees means everything to our family.
Whenever he comes back from Cherry Trees we notice his behaviour and communication are much better.
LIFELINE The visits enable our son to experience living outside his immediate home environment and make friends in a residential setting which he likes and feels a valued member of. As well as building his confidence, this will help prepare him for adult life.
sibling time
Her diet has improved tremendously and she is so proud of being able to stay overnight without us.
SLEEP! My child enjoys a sleep over with his friends and we as a family have a break and a good night’s sleep. Sleep overs! The best!
My son was without a school placement for 9 months, so he went to Cherry Trees for one week per month to give us a break and him a change. This helped us so much and really helped him too.
When our son is at Cherry Trees, it gives us peace of mind to know that our son is in a safe, caring environment with staff who are fully trained and understand his needs well.
PEACE OF MIND Our daughter loves it and gets so many social opportunities and the chance to sleep away from home that she wouldn’t get otherwise. Our family gets to recharge and we can focus some time on our other daughter.
re-charge A heartfelt THANK YOU to all staff at Cherry Trees for the wonderful work you do.
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Fundraising impact
fundraising contributes nearly half of cherry tree’s income each year... thank you Fundraising directly supports almost every single stay, right up to 100% for bursary places. It also funds capital and other projects, improving quality of life for our children and families, including siblings. Your support ensured our children and families were able to access the lifeline short break respite care they needed during the year, contributing to family resilience for what are often 24/7 caring responsibilities. We were also able to fund our new sensory bathroom and a fabulous new safe walkway
link from the main house to our art and sensory rooms. We send our heartfelt thanks to the individuals, companies, Cherry Champion regular givers, local community groups, schools, faith groups and trusts who donated gifts and legacies, sponsored, cooked, baked, painted, ran, swam, cycled, danced, played bridge, walked, climbed and sang for Cherry Trees over the past year. Your amazing efforts raised an incredible £564,000. Thank you.
Silent Pool
GOLF DAY
CHERRY MASCOT
Our thanks to Silent Pool Gin for the generous donation of their 2019 silver-gilt winning Chelsea Flower Show garden, designed by David Neale for incorporation into the new Cherry Trees garden refurbishment.
Our invaluable Patron Jeremy Lowe, a knowledgeable and passionate golfer was again integral to the organisation of our Patron’s golf day at West Hill, Woking. The charity’s largest fundraising event raised us in excess of £25,000 thanks to team play, then a luxury auction and bumper raffle as guests tucked into a delicious lunch with wine.
Our mascot Cherry helped at numerous collection days, school sports days and local fetes, introducing our charity to more people in the community and of course meeting lots of young people out and about with her cheeky and playful character. Here she is having fun at the Ripley Court sponsored walk in the summer – thank you to all who took part.
Thank you also to Scott Brownrigg for supporting the installation, we love the teal mesmerising, etched botanical water wall.
The National Lottery Our thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund for their ongoing support for Cherry Trees. 10
Bridge Club Our thanks to our loyal Bridge League players for the 2019-20 season (albeit impacted by Covid-19 at the end) who raised almost £13,000. We also enjoyed hosting wonderful sell out Bridge events - one with 29 teams playing. Assisted by volunteers from exam board AQA, based on the University of Surrey campus, players enjoyed tasty afternoon teas served on reclaimed antique cake stands! Emma Parker, from AQA, brought her team along to volunteer at one of our Bridge Teas and shared her positive experience of volunteering;
“I can’t tell you how invaluable we have found volunteering to be – having a team involved in the Cherry Trees Bridge Afternoon Tea and making sure it was a success, really brought people together from across our Division and helped establish good relationships with colleagues
we may not work with regularly but with whom we need to have links in order to do our day jobs effectively. The day was a fun and fulfilling one where colleagues could get together and really get to know one another on a different level”
finalist We raised over £24,000 through our Big Give Christmas Challenge, to fund activities and outings for the children. Thank you to our special pledgers who generously set up our funding pot in the summer, so we could secure our sponsor The Hospital Saturday Fund, who doubled all your Christmas donations!
We were delighted to be finalists in the Surrey Business Awards 2019 for Charity of the Year. The judges visited the house to learn about our breaks, fundraising and ongoing projects and we were invited to attend a glitzy awards ceremony at Epsom Race course. We are hugely proud to have been just one of 4 finalists selected out of 22 charities from across the county.
The Surrey Advertiser We’re also most grateful for the monthly Cherry Trees column we are able to produce for The Surrey Advertiser – helping build our profile and reach new supporters.
Our Wonderful Volunteers Our deep thanks also go to the varied and unstinting efforts of our 100+ volunteers. We are so grateful to all our loyal drivers, gardeners, administrators, trustees, designers, washer uppers, cake bakers, deliverers and researchers for giving your time to Cherry Trees. We also thank our dedicated Trustees and Patrons for their hard work, behind the scenes, to make sure Cherry Trees is a safe, well run, financially sustainable charity.
For every £1 we raise 77.3p goes towards our charitable activities. Cherry Trees operates its fundraising to the highest possible standards. We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and abide by their Code of Fundraising Conduct. 11
FUN at EVERY VISIT
meet some of our vibrant, experienced carers GLORIA
STEVE
ELLA
“I joined Cherry Trees four years ago and absolutely love working here; no two days are the same. It is lovely getting to know the children and them getting to know me. I like to take them out for walks and stop for a drink or ice cream or to take them out on the minibus to places like Birdworld, farms or the zoo.
“I have worked with Cherry Trees for 15 years because I enjoy the work that I do as an experienced carer. Safety and protecting the children and staff I work with is, and always will be, top priority for me at the house and while driving the minibus.
“Working at Cherry trees for the last two years has given me the opportunity to go on lots of lovely trips with the children. One of my favourites is our yearly trip to the farm.
It’s such a pleasure to see the enjoyment on their faces. We are a great organisation with amazing children and dedicated staff. Helping children achieve things that we all take for granted is priceless.” GLORIous GLORIA
The difference I feel I am making is clear to me when we receive an email or a Christmas card thanking us for all the hard work we do and seeing the children come into the building shouting your name ‘Hello Steve’ - it’s great!”
The children get to see how a farm works and have a lovely swim before devouring a barbeque dinner. I have had some fantastic art moments and always enjoy a messy play session… almost as much as the children.”
super steve
EXCELLENT ELLA
WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR WONDERFUL FRONTLINE CARERS With the help of our community, we managed to remain open for those families most at need when COVID-19 struck in spring 2020. We are immensely grateful to all the Cherry Trees team who adapted to new ways of working, despite understandable concerns, resulting in our integral service being the only commissioned provider of short break respite care in Surrey to remain open throughout.
HELPING US HELP OTHERS - how to donate Cherry Trees relies on the support of our donors to continue running. Having read about the huge positive impact we have on the lives of our children and their families, you may like to make a donation. You can do this online, call us to donate by card, or send a cheque payable to Cherry Trees. All the details you need are shown below. Thank you for your kindness. Cherry Trees, School Lane, East Clandon, Guildford, Surrey GU4 7RS I 01483 222507
Registered Charity No. 800222
www.cherrytrees.org.uk
Registered Company No. 02241223
facebook.com/cherrytreesuk
@cherrytreesuk