PLAYSKILL Group Places Available for 2009

Playskill was started by local paediatric physiotherapist Andrea Clarke, from Chipperfield. It is a special parent and child group to help pre-school children with physical difficulties or delay. A speech and language therapist and an occupational therapist also help with running the group along with a team of dedicated parents.

The group was officially opened in June ‘06 by the Mayor of Watford, Councillor Dorothy Thornhill. It runs in the Le Marie centre on the St Albans Road, Watford on Mondays in term time.

Andrea was able to set up Playskill with funding from Scope, UNLTD (the funding body of the Millennium Committee), and over £1000 raised by Jo Parish of Bovingdon running in the Marathon. This year the group won a further £7000 from the Local Network Fund, and £2550 from Awards for All to fund three terms of the group. It has just received notice of a successful award from BBC Children in Need for three years funding for 2008 onwards.

The group provides carefully structured sessions using the soft-play and sensory room facilities of the Le Marie Centre, and each child has specific objectives for the term. The group is open to children in all the surrounding areas.