'A great playgroup'

“My son George goes to Challengers in Farnham on a Thurs and Fri mornings. We first heard about it when we had a coffee morning there through Portage. We were told a playgroup was starting, and after seeing the wonderful surroundings, lovely staff, and all the benefits of having one to one, we immediately put Georges name down.

George is now two and a half. He has poor muscle tone, which has meant a physical delay developmentally and he has an unsafe swallow, so all thinner liquids are sent through his gastrostomy. He started with Challengers just after his second birthday. Obviously it took a few sessions for him to settle down, and he absolutely loves it. When George started he was crawling, had no speech and was a fairly shy little boy. All the time spent on the soft play area, has really built up his strength, so much so that he was able to start using a little walker, and now walks independently. The staff are fully trained using the gastrostomy, and the one to one play has made George a confident little boy, and I hear he is a very popular member of the playgroup. His speech has also come on, and now is putting two words together.

My husband and I love the set-up at Challengers, and there is no doubt that it has had a massive impact in George’s development. The facilities are wonderful and the staff are fantastic, we can't believe how lucky we are to have George attending such a great playgroup.”

Margot Applebee, George’s mum