Challengers Eastleigh Youthscheme

Challengers is an independent charity that, for more than 35 years, has delivered inclusive play and leisure for disabled children and young people across Surrey, Hampshire and surrounding areas. Challengers Eastleigh Youthscheme offers a fun and stimulating environment with a variety of activities for everyone. There are a variety of activities and games and lots of enthusiastic play staff. We believe that through ‘free play’ children can make new friends and find new ways to express themselves in a safe, caring and friendly environment. Whether you like getting creative (and messy!) with arts and crafts,  having a water fight, or just hanging out and making new friends, there is always plenty to do. Most important of all, Challengers Eastleigh is a place where all young people can have fun playing together. This scheme runs once a month on a Saturday and during the school holidays. Challengers has developed an approach that has established the confidence and respect of families and partners, including local authorities, trusts and foundations and private donors. Our approach is guided by a commitment never to exclude any child or young person and works towards providing fun normal play and leisure experiences for disabled children and young people. We will never exclude a child, no matter how difficult that might be, and all this is done in a positive, intelligent, non-institutional environment

Please visit https://disability-challengers.org/about-bookings-2/ to register, and to begin the process of booking a first visit. You will be able to meet the scheme leader, see the centre, what Challengers offers and discuss your child’s likes and dislikes to make sure Challengers is the place for them.

Please visit https://disability-challengers.org/about-bookings-2/ to register, and to begin the process of booking a first visit. You will be able to meet the scheme leader, see the centre, what Challengers offers and discuss your child’s likes and dislikes to make sure Challengers is the place for them.

Anyone in Hampshire with a HCC Gateway Card can attend this scheme as Challengers does not operate geographical boundaries.

The scheme welcomes all disabled young people age 13 - 18

Parents are able to make bookings for spaces online via our booking website. Parents receive regular updates about schemes and what is happening at Challengers via email and can also visit the main website for information. Yearly we conduct engagement sessions where parents are encouraged to give feedback about schemes – good and bad. Decisions for the organisation and schemes are then based on the information gathered during these sessions.

Challengers offers a fully inclusive and accessible service, if you have any concerns please call a members of the Operations team to discuss individual requirements on 01483 230 930.83 230 930.

Staff are recruited through group interview sessions before starting an induction training programme which is designed and delivered by the in house Quality team. Staff then attend regular training workshops throughout their employment with Challengers to continuously increase their knowledge and skill set to ensure they provide high quality, safe and stimulating environments for children and young people. On the surface they are fun, energetic welcoming and endlessly enthusiastic, underneath that they are highly trained, calm, in control, empathetic to young peoples needs, professional and equipped to deal with any situations that may arise.

Every scheme under goes a strict risk assessment to make sure children and young people are safe at Challengers. Our staff are highly trained and each scheme has a leader and a deputy overseeing the running of the day. Individual requirements of children and young people are discussed on a first visit to understand the level of support they will require while they are at Challengers. As young people develop the level of support is re-assessed on a regular basis.

• Secure environment
• Sensory adaptations
• Low stimulus
• Our service is delivered in the community
• Physical Adaptations
• Accessible changing
• Disabled parking
• Accessible toilets
• Wheelchair access

• PECS
• Signs and symbols
• Sign language
• Braille
• Makaton
• AAC
• Sign supported English

• Visual impairment
• Physical disabilities
• Personal care needs
• Any impariment
• Hearing impairment
• Autistic spectrum conditions
• Challengine behaviour
• PMLD
• Communication needs
• SLD
• SPLD
• Complex health needs
• MLD

For more information about Challengers schemes, call the Service team on 01483 230930 and they will be happy to answer any questions.