Families raising disabled children share life through a lens, for photo research project marking charity’s 50th year, at the Senedd

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A Tredegar family supported by national charity, Family Fund, will share their special family moments for a photo research project which they will attend at the Senedd on Wednesday 22 November, 12-1.30pm, marking 50 years of support for disabled and seriously ill children.  

Family Fund, the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families raising disabled children, will share the findings of its photo research project Window to our world – which brings together poignant family stories and images of daily life and research highlighting the challenges and joys of raising disabled children.  

The charity awarded its very first grant of £26 to a father from Wales in 1973 to visit his daughter when she was in a London hospital.  

Key findings from the report show that with 94% or parents say their child needs specialist items to be healthy and happy, including bespoke toys and play equipment and specialist educational materials. Just 8% of parent/carers say they can work as much as they would like to because of caring responsibilities for their disabled or seriously ill child. Nearly 80% say they would like to spend more time on days out and short breaks with family and friends.  

Families outline the high costs they face, made even starker in the current cost-of-living crisis. Over half of families (54%) say they also use more energy as a direct result of their child’s disability or serious illness. 

Food is also a higher cost for families with disabled or seriously ill children or young people. 75% of families spend more on food or groceries as a result of their child’s disability or serious illness – in 37% of cases, the extra spend was a direct result of a child’s avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder. 

Read the full Window to our world report here.   

Kirsty Jones from Tredegar has a six-year-old named Wyatt who is autistic. He has limited speech and needs support with many aspects of daily life. The family shared a picture of him on a family holiday which was funded by the charity: “We spent most of the time on the beach. We made sand castles and Wyatt went off with my father to look for crabs. 

“We also had a grant for a swing set which Wyatt’s cousins play with him in the garden. He’s a different child then to what we see when we take him anywhere else. He interacts with them and tries to speak to them. His speech is very little, but he does try. He feels more calm and not so anxious.  

“I wish there could be more facilities for anyone with special needs. People should be more accommodating to people with disabilities, extra needs, and then we would all feel a lot better about going out.  

Rather than me having to go ‘I’m sorry’ cos it’s this’, or ‘I’m sorry he can’t understand’. Because that’s mostly what I say- ‘oh I’m sorry,’ And why should I?  I don’t know why I should be sorry for it. I’m not sorry”.

Cheryl Ward, Family Fund Chief Executive, said: “For 50 years Family Fund has provided essential grants to improve life for families raising disabled or seriously ill children on a low income. Our very first grant of £26 enabled a father to travel from Wales to visit his daughter when she was in a London hospital. 

“Every single family we have helped has their own unique story of how our grants have enabled them to spend quality time together. Our Window to our world report compiles 18 of these special stories and personal photos, at an important moment in our history where support is needed now, more than ever, for families raising disabled and seriously ill children on a low income across the UK. 

Family Fund provides grants for essential items to families on low incomes raising disabled and seriously ill children- everything from kitchen appliances, clothing, bedding and sensory toys to computers and tablets, much-needed family breaks and more.  Family Fund began life in 1973 after a public campaign on behalf of children affected by thalidomide. Formed as part of a £3 million fund provided by government to support families affected by this drug, it awarded its first grant of £26 for a father to travel from Wales to visit his sick daughter in hospital, on 2 April 1973.    

Public understanding of life for families raising disabled or seriously ill children has grown over the decades and the role of Family Fund has developed to include wider support beyond grant making services. During the last 50 years the charity has provided 1.5 million grants and services for essential items to benefit disabled children.   

Alongside giving grants, Family Fund also offers families raising disabled or seriously ill children, on a low income, wider support, including information and resources on where to go for help with money and benefits; budget planning; their children’s education; mental health and wellbeing; digital training and creative workshops.