Wigan mum whose life changed after son's autism diagnosis opens soft play centre

Cordelia Singh felt isolated by the lack of support available when her son Beaudon was diagnosed with autism six years ago and wanted to be around other families in a similar situation.

But she had no idea that her efforts to support children with special educational needs (SEN) and their parents would grow so quickly.

Cordelia, who lives in Orrell, said: “Just before his first birthday, we got a diagnosis of autism. I have grown-up children in their 20s so I have lived that neuro-typical life and having a child with needs hits you like a sledgehammer. You realise your life is always going to be full of absolute anxiety and challenges that you have never thought about before.

"For me personally, it was very much either that I had to hide at home and cocoon myself in these four walls or surround myself with other people on a similar journey who understand. That’s what I decided to do.”

She asked if anyone would be interested in attending a parent support group, where carers could share their experiences and children with SEN could come together.

It led to her launching a group in a school hall in Appley Bridge on Saturday mornings, which continued for two years until it outgrew the venue.

Cordelia said she was “inundated” with inquiries from parents asking her to run more sessions, so she moved to a community centre and held more meetings throughout the week, as well as organising trips.

The group became a charity – named Autism Beaudon Understanding Kindness (AB UK) – and continued to grow as more parents and children attended.

Cordelia, 49, said: “All along I knew in my mind that we needed our own centre, but finding a property is like gold dust and making that fit for purpose would be a massive expense.”

But the stars aligned in early July when she went to give a talk to parents of children with undiagnosed SEN at Little Jigsaws Children’s Day Nursery in Pemberton.

When she arrived, she discovered the event was to be held at nearby Jigsaws Adventure Play, on Worsley Street.

Cordelia said: “I didn’t even know the play centre was there. We walked in and it’s a big soft play centre with ball pools and a sensory room.

"I said I really needed somewhere like that for the charity. The owner said she would like to sell it, so we bought it.

"It’s been a real whirlwind. I didn’t think from doing a couple of hours a week, I would go to running a play centre, but that’s what I’m doing."

Already the building has had a makeover, thanks to the hard work of an army of volunteers.

Cordelia said: “When I took over, there were 50 to 60 volunteers in our community who came together – not just mums with rubber gloves to clean, but painters, decorators, plumbers, joiners. We have a lady who did all the artwork.

"We have cleaned the place to within an inch of its life. We have painted it all and made it all brighter and colourful and that’s down to community spirit.”

The centre is now called AB UK Soft Play and retained the staff who previously worked at Jigsaws.

There are dedicated sessions for children with SEN, which are held after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, on Saturday mornings and all day Sundays, as well the opportunity to hold SEN parties.

Cordelia is also looking at running sessions for SEN children over the age of eight on Wednesdays and for teens on Fridays.

The centre will be open to the general public at other times, so children without additional needs can still have fun there.

She said: "We are trying to offer a lot more SEN opportunities. I’m not putting restrictions on ages because we might have a 14-year-old with a mental age of three who still wants to play in the ball pool. It’s about getting as many opportunities as possible.”

Cordelia hopes the play centre will make a real difference for families, particularly as opportunities can be limited for those with a child with SEN.

She previously worked full-time in her family’s pharmacy apprenticeship training company, but struggled with childcare for Beaudon due to his additional needs.

She said: “I look at parents now who are in their 20s and battling to try to get after or before school clubs or they are not part of a football team.

"It makes it really difficult for parents of SEN children to work full-time and a lot have to reduce their hours or give up work.”

AB UK already has a working partnership with Gaynor Kirrane, from Tyldesley, who launched MYSENsability last year to support the parents of children with autism.

Her son Harrison was just two years old he was diagnosed with autism and she changed careers so she could make a difference.

Gaynor’s work includes offering training to businesses to better understand the needs of people with SEND and holding inclusive events.

Her website states: “AB UK has a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere and will be a great asset to support SEND parents across the borough and community. By working in conjunction with MYSENSability and our holistic wrap-around approach, we aim to provide comprehensive support to all families involved.”

To find out more about AB UK, go to www.abukcharity.co.uk or visit the charity’s pages on Facebook or Instagram.