Official opening of facility at Glenlaw House in Dundee
Tayside youngsters with severe and complex healthcare and medical needs are to benefit from a new sensory room which provides therapy through soft lights, bright colours and different textures.
The sensory room at Dundee’s Glenlaw House was opened on Wednesday, June 18, thanks to local children’s charity The Archie Foundation and funder Spifox.
Special guests, including Spifox trustees Andy Clark and Tom Cromar, Archie chief executive Paula Cormack and the families of children supported at Glenlaw House, have been invited to attend the opening.
The unit provides respite care for up to four children at a time and currently supports 31 families from across Dundee, Angus and Perth, providing an NHS service not offered anywhere else in Scotland.
The £22,000 funding for the revamp of Glenlaw’s previous sensory room was donated to Archie by Spifox, which raises funds for beneficiaries to buy purchase equipment or provide facilities to help support those they care for.
Spifox was first launched in 1983 by a group of property and construction professionals, who have now raised and donated more than £6million to charities which support children and young adults in Scotland.
Rebecca Duncan, business development and fundraising manager Tayside at The Archie Foundation, said it was honoured to be able to provide much-needed support to Glenlaw House.
“We are extremely grateful to Spifox for awarding us the funding for this amazing new sensory room, which will be much used by the team at Glenlaw House and, most importantly, enjoyed by the children,” she said.
“Archie has built a strong relationship with the staff and parents and carers support group at Glenlaw House and we know this innovative space will be well used. It has been designed to provide a calming and relaxing atmosphere for some children, while simultaneously creating vital opportunities for sensory stimulation for others.
“Alongside our ongoing work at the Tayside Children’s Hospital at Ninewells and across the whole region, we are looking forward to continuing to work with Glenlaw House.”
The room is thoughtfully equipped with a range of specialised features, which have been carefully chosen to engage and soothe the children.
Fibre optic spaghetti has soft, glowing strands that can be gently draped over children, offering a mesmerising visual and tactile experience, while a floating cloud light creates a serene and ever-changing visual display, promoting relaxation.
Vibrating walls offer gentle, rhythmic vibrations and tactile wall panels provide textures and materials encourage exploration and diverse sensory input.
The room also has modular flooring to ensure children using wheelchairs, beds or other mobility aids can easily access and navigate the entire room.
Dawn McFawns, senior charge nurse at Glenlaw House, said: “Sensory rooms are an important form of therapy for the children we care for, providing the opportunity for them to experience sound and visual effects, tactile experiences, vibration and music. The impact of such a facility on youngsters with complex needs cannot be understated.
“Our previous sensory room was in much need of a revamp and we are thrilled to have received such generous support from The Archie Foundation and Spifox, which has allowed us to create a bespoke, accessible room which will be used and enjoyed by all the children.”
Glenlaw House has five beds, including one crisis bed, which has been used at least once a month for families in urgent need of help.
Tom Cromar, a trustee of Spifox, added: “Spifox have been longstanding supporters of The Archie Foundation and we are delighted to provide this donation for Glenlaw House to assist in the very essential and valuable work they do.”
The Archie Foundation exists to transform experiences and outcomes in healthcare and bereavement for babies, children and families across North Scotland, including Dundee as well as Aberdeen, Elgin and Inverness.
Now in its 25th year, the charity’s vision is that all children in the region will have equal access to world-class healthcare and bereavement support, delivered in a child-appropriate environment and manner.
Visit www.archie.org/getsupport/ for more information about the practical, financial and emotional support available from The Archie Foundation.
The Archie Foundation
The Archie Foundation are the official children`s charity for Tayside children`s hospital. We are near completion of our new Theatre Suite which 2 million was raised for this project.
