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‘Our new strategy’ – Jane Jones, Allsorts’ Charity Chief Executive writes on our blog

I love it when one strategic plan concludes, and another begins! It provides a unique opportunity to reflect on our past achievements, celebrate our successes, and motivate ourselves for the future. Our busy schedules mean there is not often the chance to celebrate much before starting the enormous task of setting the next strategy. But the team are feeling excited for what our next chapter will bring.

We started strategic planning in the summer last year, finishing in the dark of winter, whilst also setting the budget needed to meet our plan. Finally, we launched in April this year. We were lucky to have free external facilitation by Granger Forson, from BizSmart, who worked with our team and trustees to help us identify our priorities.

As always, at the heart of our strategic planning were member families and what they’d like us to do, and what we can do for them. We know that members wish us to be ambitious and we know many share our vision of what the future might hold.

Our priorities for the next five years are to:

  1. Find a new home in Stroud. Our current premises are now too small and can’t offer enough flexibility for a wide range of needs. We are growing too, with attendance at our activities increasing by 895% in just six years!
  2. Increase opportunities for families to connect. We aim to reduce isolation and build resilience by providing more fun activities and family support in various locations beyond Stroud.
  3. Break down barriers to accessing activities. With expert knowledge and specialist resources, we will streamline our sports activities to focus on disability expertise in football, dance, trampolining, boccia, and swimming. We will also be imbedding better communication practices via our digital platforms and in activities.
  4. Remain agile. Having survived and thrived through the challenges of COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, we understand the importance of flexibility and sustainability. We plan to generate income through new posts, focus on our wonderful trading arm, YuGo, and establish a larger volunteer network.

The next five years promise to be challenging, yet exciting! If you feel you can help us achieve our strategy, please join us on this journey.

Jane Jones, CEO


‘Awards Galore’ – Jane Jones, Allsorts’ Charity Chief Executive writes on our blog

On the evening of 16th of May 2024, I rather reluctantly left the house to head to the SoGlos Lifestyle awards, at the Sub-Rooms in Stroud. The reason for my reluctance was a poorly dog who looked at me woefully, with big brown eyes, as I left. But I had a promise from my son, Jacob, that she would be well looked after.

As I drove in, I reflected on the different feelings I might have, if Allsorts won, or not, and the difference that this would make to our team, the families we work with and our supporters. I dared to hope that it might be possible to win the ‘Charity of the Year’ category, but I knew that we were up against some wonderful Gloucestershire charities, so anything could happen!

I met Rosa, Allsorts Deputy CEO and we walked in together to a tremendous welcome from the SoGlos team. This was all new to me; I have never been to an awards ceremony before. I quickly picked up on and joined the nervous anticipation and excitement of all the charities and businesses there. Rosa and I enjoyed chatting to a couple of local business owners and employees, The Canteen in Nailsworth and Woodchester Valley Vineyard.

Then the awards started, with 19 categories of business and ‘Charity of the Year’ the 18th to be announced. Each category had a sponsor who came up onto the stage for two announcements, one for highly commended, the other for the winner. Watching the celebrations of the winners was brilliant, with the audience cheering them on – especially the local Stroud winners!

By the time our category was announced, I was beginning to get hopeful that maybe we could achieve ‘Highly Commended’ and that would be a fantastic recognition of the work Allsorts does. But no, one of the other charities were highly commended. Then before I had any time to process this, Allsorts was announced as the winners. WOW!

Rosa and I received our award and were ushered into an area for photos and to join the queue of winners to be interviewed by CEO of SoGlos, Michelle Fyrne. All of a sudden, we were called back into the entrance of the awards hall to hear who the overall winner was, and to our absolute amazement, it was Allsorts.

Rosa and I made it back onto the stage somehow, both of us can’t really recall how we did, but the photos show it all, we were ecstatically happy to have this recognition of Allsorts team’s hard work.

Thank you to Pro Global who were Headline Partner of the event and chose us as ‘winners of the winners’.

As always, life is a rollercoaster and by 9am the next morning, I was learning that my beautiful basset hound needed emergency surgery! She has made a great recovery and has forgiven me for leaving her. So, a really happy ending – in all ways.

Jane Jones has been the Chief Executive at Allsorts since 2020

Trained and qualified as an Occupational therapist. Jane soon developed an interest in working with families who had children with additional needs, providing equipment and adaptations.

Jane is the proud mother of four sons, one of whom has many challenges in life. It was he who first brought her into contact with Allsorts. When her family moved up from Cornwall to be closer to both family and the Bristol hospitals.

She has two basset hounds and her son, Jacob, has a shitzu cross. They enjoy walking them and generally spending time with them. Jane has been involved with Allsorts since 2018.


‘Stroud charity’ – Jane Jones, Allsorts’ Charity Chief Executive writes on our blog

Welcome to Stroud

Recently I have been thinking about being a Stroud charity. Often our family members tell us that they feel they have “won the jackpot” by having Allsorts within their town. They listen to other people’s experiences living in different areas and realise that the community Allsorts forms in the Stroud area is a unique one.

I have asked a few family members recently what they enjoy about living in Stroud and what they think is unique about the town. The most frequent comment was one of acceptance and care. Vulnerable people around the town, often eccentric, often from diverse communities, often just very unique individuals, are accepted and proactively cared for by the community. The people I spoke to, spoke with great respect and admiration of some of these people. Many who they remember from their childhood, now long gone.

A Stroud charity, born in Stroud!

It is no wonder that Allsorts was born in Stroud! A group of caring families came together to proactively ensure that the Stroud community provides activities and support to their families. They encouraged support from local organisations and we are so fortunate to be supported by so many in our community, churches, rotaries, shops, businesses and the town and district councils.

Allsorts, a Stroud charity, building a community where everyone feels safe, valued and supported

The Allsorts charity in Stroud was born long before its current name. Over 20 years ago the Meadows Toy Library was set up by the founder members. It wasn’t until 2009, that the Toy Library merged with another local parent carer support group, to form Allsorts.

Welcome to Holland!

When thinking of places, it does remind me of the poem ‘Welcome to Holland’. I remember reading this when my son, Jacob was about 3 years old, just after he had his first diagnosis. It did resonate with me.

The poem compares having a disabled child with preparing to go on holiday to Italy, but when the plane lands the parent finds herself in Holland. It recognises the difficult feelings that many parent carers feel and their path to adjustment and acceptance.

Many parent carers find real connection with the poem. Some don’t, as they feel their feelings are more positive from the offset, and they don’t feel a significant sense of loss.

The Allsorts community

Digging deeper into why parents might not resonate with the poem, some might already have a disabled member in their family, so this is not new territory for them. Some say that their child’s disability has taken a long time to understand or diagnose, allowing time and space to adjust and accept. However, a larger number suggests that they found a community early in their journey that they feel a part of. A community where they can give and take support, be listened to and make long lasting friendships.

At Allsorts, we are determined to provide that community, where everyone feels safe, valued and supported. Where families are provided with activities that improve physical and mental health and most importantly allow families to meet, make friends and feel part of a community.

Jane Jones has been the Chief Executive at Allsorts since 2020

Trained and qualified as an Occupational therapist. Jane soon developed an interest in working with families who had children with additional needs, providing equipment and adaptations.

Jane is the proud mother of four sons, one of whom has many challenges in life. It was he who first brought her into contact with Allsorts. When her family moved up from Cornwall to be closer to both family and the Bristol hospitals.

She has two basset hounds and her son, Jacob, has a shitzu cross. They enjoy walking them and generally spending time with them. Jane has been involved with Allsorts since 2018.


‘Celebrating small changes’ – Jane Jones, Allsorts’ Charity Chief Executive writes on our blog

Sometimes you just have to avoid the negative stuff, don’t you?

Recently there has been public outrage regarding comments made by councillors in Warwickshire regarding SEND educational provisional. I’ve been reminded of many similar incidents, over many years, of councillors saying ill-judged and ill-informed comments on this and other topics regarding disability in different councils across the country. Personally, I like the outrage, as the responses it provokes from the public affirms that most people in our country want decent provision for disabled children.

Today, I’m not going to add my comments to those already made but instead am going to concentrate on what is wonderful about working with disabled children and those with additional needs and avoid the negative stuff.

She had tears in her eyes at the thought that it might be possible for him to say ‘Mum’ in the future.

Our happiest times at Allsorts, in play sessions, is when parents share the progress their children make. The smallest piece of progress is celebrated by all the parents at the play session, as they know how important it is to the parents of the child. The last Saturday I worked, one Mum was so happy that her child was eating better, and it was no longer such a struggle. Everyone was so happy for her! Another Mum talked about her 4-year-old child starting to form words. Saying M M M whilst looking at her. She had tears in her eyes at the thought that it might be possible for him to say ‘Mum’ in the future. The kettle was put on and tea and biscuits were had in celebration.

I have had recent experience of progress with my son, Jacob. He is a huge Strictly Come Dancing fan, having watched it obsessively since he was about 10 years old. He is now 23 and for the last few years we have taken him to the live show at Birmingham. Jacob hates loud busy places but because he is so motivated to see the show, he somehow manages to cope, which is truly a-maz-ing!

Gaining life skills in children and young people with additional needs can be slow and sometimes it is not obvious to you when you see your child every day. By attending an annual event, it is possible to identify positive progress. This year, Jacob asked whether he should put his coat on, instead of waiting to be told to put his coat on! And he moved out of the way of people on the footpath instead of me having to direct him to move. I was so happy to see these small changes!

I told my friends who are also parenting young adults with additional needs. Messages of celebration were sent and gratefully received. I came back to work on the Monday morning and told the Allsorts team, many who know Jacob. They were happy to hear this and celebrated his success also.

This world of parenting is not easy, but I love the way that the community supports each other and celebrating the progress that children make, however small, is an important part of that.

Jane Jones has been the Chief Executive at Allsorts since 2020

Jane trained and qualified as an Occupational therapist and soon developed an interest in working with families who had children with additional needs, providing equipment and adaptations.

Jane is the proud mother of four sons, one of whom has many challenges in life and it was he who first brought Jane into contact with Allsorts when her family moved up from Cornwall to be closer to both family and the Bristol hospitals.

Jane has two basset hounds and her son, Jacob, has a shitzu cross and they enjoy walking them and generally spending time with them. Jane has been involved with Allsorts since 2018.


‘Listening to Parent Carers’ – Jane Jones, Allsorts’ Charity Chief Executive writes on our blog

Like so many others in this country, I watched the ITV documentary, Mr Bates versus the Post Office, with anger and sadness that so many people’s lives were unnecessarily ruined by the Post Office and their new software system.

The sub postmasters weren’t listened to, were wrongly blamed for what was not their fault, they were bullied, they lost their financial well-being and were drawn into legal battles which they had little chance of winning. It was a case of people using their power and privilege to silence the “skint little people”, to quote the drama.

Many people felt shocked that this could happen in modern day Britain, but whilst feeling angry and sad, I was not shocked at all because we hear stories of parents of disabled children having similar experiences to the sub postmasters.

It takes enormous courage to approach a person of power, be it a G.P., a teacher, a social worker, to talk about concerns you might have about the health and development of your child. Many parents talk about waiting for too long because they hope ‘the system’ will pick up what appears obvious to them. Many parents do have positive experiences and the child and family are listened to, supported and provided for, but this seems increasingly rare. So many parents are, instead, wrongly judged and blamed and their concerns are ignored or belittled. They are told that it is their parenting that is to blame, that they are trying to get special treatment for their child, that they have mental health difficulties, that they are fabricating illness. Their courage is deflated as they understand that in order to get the necessary care, adjustments and support their child requires, from broken systems, is a lengthy, brutal process.

At Allsorts, we hear every day outrageous stories of abuse of power. We have known an autistic child become so dehydrated at school on a hot day that they have needed to be taken to A&E. The reason? The child wouldn’t drink water and the school tipped out the squash in their drinking bottle, not listening to the parent.

Another child being educated in a corridor of a mainstream school, another parent blamed for seeking a break from their child’s intensive support needs, another parent having to give up work whilst waiting for the right school provision after being offered just 6 hours of education a week.

Those parents that can afford it often turn to legal help to ensure that their child receives the support they need, particularly in getting the right school provision for their child. It is with relief that I can tell you that parents do have the law mostly on their side, unlike the sub postmasters. However, if parents weren’t “skint little people” before this fight, they so often will be after a lengthy legal battle, especially as so many children aren’t in school during this time and the family lose a wage because of it.

Parents who didn’t experience mental health difficulties before fighting for provision for their child, often gain them along the way, causing yet more in need patients for the NHS. It can often take 2 years to get the assessment and education processes in place and that is often because parents are not listened to, or blamed, and in some cases bullied by the people in power.

I can only urge the people in power to listen and believe. Quick negative judgements are a societal failure born through lack of money for the everyday person. The parent who is seeking help has not come to you simply because they are demanding, they have come to you because they have true concerns about their child and they have found the courage to do so. They might require the smallest of adjustments for their child that you can easily make, which can make all the difference.

Like the sub postmasters, parents gain power when they come together and as a parent carer myself this is what made the battles easier for me when my disabled child was younger. Knowing that you are not alone and talking through your experiences with others is comforting and reassuring and you feel less isolated. At Allsorts, we believe that getting parents together is one of the most helpful things we can do, whilst offering fun healthy opportunities to their children.

Jane Jones has been the Chief Executive at Allsorts since 2020

Jane trained and qualified as an Occupational therapist and soon developed an interest in working with families who had children with additional needs, providing equipment and adaptations.

Jane is the proud mother of four sons, one of whom has many challenges in life and it was he who first brought Jane into contact with Allsorts when her family moved up from Cornwall to be closer to both family and the Bristol hospitals.

Jane has two basset hounds and her son, Jacob, has a shitzu cross and they enjoy walking them and generally spending time with them. Jane has been involved with Allsorts since 2018.