Isle of Hope provides free therapeutic rehabilitative services and day care aimed at providing increased independence for young people living with severe learning difficulties.
Ideally the Centre would care for 45 young people, but with such a waiting list and such need they currently arrange for 64 families to have their young people at the Centre during the week. This allows them a break from the 24/7 care needed bringing respite and the ability for parents to work so as to supplement the very low benefits provided.
The services provided include:
- cognitive, interactive programmes: singing, music, sport, craft, carpentry workshop, ceramic workshop
- occupational therapy
- physiotherapy
- horse therapy day trips, including picnics and visits to parks and zoos
- family support
- spiritual and prayerful guidance
Olga requires constant care and supervision but is very happy at the Centre. She enjoys drawing, thumbing through books and magazines, listening to music, playing with the various balls, and visiting the sensory room. She also loves just sitting and watching her friends, or spending time chatting with them.
As one Isle of Hope mother puts it:
Everyone looked at us as a hopeless case, as a burden. I knocked on every door for help, but only one opened, thankfully the most necessary. I thank God for it. I am very happy, my daughter is very happy. Our broken down family is back together. My daughter shows clear progress.
I thank God, I thank all those who took part in the fate of my family. We are happy as much as you can be with such a problem in our country
