Foster carer Sue has praised Inspire’s holiday clubs for how they have helped her foster son.
Eight-year-old F came into Sue’s care two years ago from a difficult background. Sue initially tried to enrol him at other clubs, without success. It was then that she decided to sign him up for Lowestoft’s holiday club, giving him the opportunity to socialise with other children.
“He’s quite unique, he didn’t learn a lot about boundaries in his early childhood,” Sue said.
“I was trying to get him into clubs for social skills and to learn how to be around other children. Some places found him too hard to deal with.”
Sue and Lowestoft Head Coach Darren had numerous conversations about the techniques Sue was using at home, and how they could be implemented in the holiday club setting.
Sue added: “I had a lot of conversations with Darren where we discussed whatever we do, we can’t reject him. If he gets rejected, it’s going to fuel that fire because all he knows in life is rejection. That was the biggest thing for us.”
“Darren was very tuned into his needs,” Sue continued. “They started doing a bit more sport with him because he’s so energetic and it got to a point where I realised they weren’t ringing me anymore to come and collect him. They could manage him in the building.
“Darren listens to him and will take him off and distract him if he needs it, take him to kick a ball around or something. Darren is fair with him and its built a lot of trust. F has a great rapport with him; he’s been a really significant person for him.”
Sue, who has been a foster carer for over 30 years, praised Inspire’s staff for their experience, and added how much the young boy has progressed.
“He’s been playing football and he loves the multi-sports. He’s even started doing the arts and crafts,” she said. “He’s been able to go and get the praise and really boosted his confidence. It’s made a huge difference to how he is at school because he’s been able to be around other children.
“His social skills have come on so much and he’s now at a point where he can open up to people about how he feels.”
As for Sue’s advice to anyone unsure about enrolling their child at an Inspire holiday club, she said: “I think that a lot of people think children with certain issues can’t go to clubs. They think they won’t cope or will be rejected.
“However, I would say this is the place to take them because you will see that with Inspire they will learn and they will enjoy it. You need right place, with the right people, and that’s what Inspire offers.”
Find out more about our holiday clubs here.
Also read: ‘Inspire’s holiday clubs really made a difference for my son’
‘Inspire’s Holiday Clubs boosted my son’s confidence’
