Trusts and Foundations update

2023/2024

Dear friends and supporters

We are delighted to share with you the significant impact our organisation has made over the past year, thanks to the generous support of our funders. This update provides an overview of our activities, successes, and future plans. Your contributions have been instrumental in making these achievements possible. 

Highlights of the year

Service achievements

Service achievements

Core services:

During this year, Pace has supported over 550 children and young people with complex neurodisabilities across the following services:

Independent Specialist School:

Our independent specialist school has 37 students aged 3 to 16, with cerebral palsy (CP) and other similar sensory motor disorders. This dedicated environment provides the strudents with a combination of tailored education and therapies they need to thrive both academically and personally.
Child & Family Therapy Services:

Our Child & Family Therapy Services provided advice, assessments, and sessional therapy to around 241 children, aged 0 to 18, and approximately 600 family members (based on average of 2.5 family members per child).

Alongside CP and sensory motor disorders, our therapy service increasingly cater to children with a much wider variety of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social-emotional and mental health challenges (SEMH), behavioural challenges, and school refusers.

Through our early intervention provision, we supported 135 babies and toddlers aged 0 to 3, known to have a – or at high risk of – neurodisability or developmental delay. This comprehensive support ensured that each child received the appropriate care and interventions needed for their development.
Commissioned Therapy Services:

Our commissioned therapy services, provided to 3 local special schools, supported around 280 children and young people with specialist occupational therapy and physiotherapy. These services play a crucial role in enhancing the physical and cognitive development of students with complex needs.



Digital Support Hub:

Our free online advice and support, accessible via our digital hub, had 8,785 active users and 13,686 page views. The content on the site is driven by the needs of families, offering practical guidance and resources. This digital platform has provided families with a wide range of information, support and advice.

New partnerships

 

We continue to maintain strong relationships with our strategic and regular donors while actively seeking new partnerships. A notable development this year has been the successful re-establishment of our relationship with the Childwick Trust after a three-year gap. Their renewed support has been instrumental in strengthening our Early Intervention services. This partnership highlights the value of our connections and the positive impact of collaboration in supporting our mission. 

Awards and recognition

Awards and recognition

Ofsted Inspection

We are excited to share that our school underwent an Ofsted inspection in November 2023.

For the 5th inspection in a row since 2006, we have been graded as Outstanding with no recommendations.

Click the button below to read the full report.
Ofsted report

O2e Charity of the year

O2e Charity of the year

Once again, O2e has chosen us as one of their charities of the year. Over the past few years, O2e has generously contributed £87,500 to Pace, enabling babies, children, and young people with neurodisabilities to access our specialist therapy services and attend Pace school. Their continued support is instrumental in helping provide these services.

The BIG Walk 2024

The BIG Walk 2024

For several years in a row, we have organised the BIG Walk, one of our largest fundraising events. We were thrilled to see 210 participants walking the 18, 12, 6, and Superhero 1-mile routes to support Pace. Thanks to all the participants, we raised over £7,000 at this enjoyable event.

Mayoral Support for 2024-25

Mayoral Support for 2024-25

We are honoured to have been selected by the Mayor of Aylesbury as his Charity of the Year for 2024-25. This partnership will not only assist us in raising funds but also elevate our charity’s profile within the community.

7 Stages of Switch Development

The 7 Stages of Switch Development project was launched as the Switch Heroes and promoted across UK and international conferences. The 7SSD is a resource designed for switch users, their families, caregivers and more to assist them in using switches for communication and features child-friendly characters and stories to promote the learning of switch use.

Our Boccia Superstar

Our Boccia Superstar

One of our secondary school students competed in the Teams and Pairs Boccia Championships and proudly took home a winner’s medal. This remarkable achievement highlights the dedication and talent of our students and the supportive environment at Pace that helps them thrive.

Pace joins the Buckinghamshire Council Approved Provider List

By joining the Buckinghamshire Council Approved Provider List, children can now be referred to Pace for Child & Family Therapy Services through the council with appointments purchased on the spot. This is a big step forward for us and recognises the hard work we have put into building relationships with our statutory colleagues. Our early intervention funding has supported this work.

Transforming lives: A success story

At Pace, we had the privilege of designing a comprehensive upper limb therapy intervention plan for an inspiring 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. Her journey began with close collaboration with NHS services to ensure our therapy complemented her ongoing medical treatments. Recognising the challenges her family faced with bi-weekly trips to London for serial casting sessions, we brought these sessions to her school, significantly easing their burden.

Our commitment didn’t stop there. We worked hand-in-hand with her class staff, providing detailed advice on positioning to maintain her optimal posture throughout the school day. Our dedicated Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) offered daily therapeutic input to her upper limbs, ensuring she received consistent and specialised care.

Throughout this journey, we kept the NHS team updated on her progress, fostering an integrated and compassionate approach. The results have been remarkable: her upper limb function, posture, and overall well-being have significantly improved. Her story is a testament to the positive impact of our interventions and the unwavering dedication of our team. This success story exemplifies how, together, we can make a real difference in the lives of children and their families.

Pace’s strategy for the future

Our 12 month umbrella strategy for 2024/2025 focuses on 3 key areas:

• Funding
• Child & Family Therapy Services
• School

Overall, we have developed a 12 month strategic framework which will enable Pace to be more sustainable for the future and also give us the flexibility to be agile when additional opportunities arise.

For more in-depth breakdown of our strategy and our latest financial statements, click below.
Our strategy for 2024/2025 Financial Statements for 2023