In November P&G, the Proud Sponsor of Mums, launched the Champion Mums' Foundation: A campaign offering hardworking mums the chance to be awarded a bursary from a whopping £150,000 pot. The only stipulation was that the award had to be used towards making a positive difference to the winners' lives as mums, to their family or to the community. Here mum Lynne Jones, tells us what winning the prize meant to her...
Two children can be a handful, but Lynne Jones has bigger challenges to contend with. Her son Daniel, 7, has a chromosome disorder which results in severe learning difficulties and his sister Ella, 4, is a loving little girl with lots of energy.
One of Lynne's toughest jobs is finding places they can enjoy, together. A few years back, Lynne tried a soft play centre.
‘I needed to change Ella's nappy, but Daniel doesn't like small spaces and he wouldn't go with me,' Lynne remembers. ‘I had to ask a stranger to watch him while I nipped off.'
‘It's hard asking for help at the best of times, but even more so when Daniel clearly has very complex needs.'
Having nothing for disabled children and their siblings to do together made school holidays a real problem. So Lynne joined up with parents from Daniel's school, who were all in a similar situation.
‘We started taking the kids out as a group,' she says. ‘There was always an extra pair of hands to help.' The group needed a name, and a more official standing - so Kids and Sibs was born.
‘Then I saw the P&G Champion Mums' Foundation in Essentials offering mums the chance of a bursary award to help them, their kids or the community.' She decided to apply.
Kids and Sibs was awarded a bursary to spend on activities. So far Lynne has booked sessions at The Sensory Zones, a place where children with special needs can develop their senses; days at the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust, a charity that provides riding therapy with donkeys; and 30 passes to Apple Jacks Adventure Park.
‘This award means we'll be able to enjoy more activities. The group is getting bigger as more mums hear about us. I can't thank P&G enough. This will help so many mums who need a boost.'
What's the Sensory Zone all about?
The Sensory Zone is a unique, multi sensory environment, created for children and adults with learning disabilities and special needs. There are four rooms where they can explore and develop their skills and senses; a Hydro Zone, Tactile Room, Light and Dark Zones. It can cater for a range special needs to give adults and children a fantastic experience.
Behind the prize
P&G has been around for 170 years, and is the company behind time-saving products that help mums do a great job, like Duracell and Oral-B. Now, as the Proud Sponsor of Mums, it's helping in other ways to say thank you for all the things mums do. Find out more at thankyoumum.pg.com
