Learning disabilities charity reopens after emergency COVID-19 grant

The Bevendean-based charity provides vital wellbeing services to people with disabilities in Sussex was able to reopen on Monday, September 7.

Spiral Sussex has been operating for 20 years, expanding to fill the growing gap left by defunded local services, and gives clients opportunities to socialise, have fun and build skills whilst allowing their carers respite.

Such services are essential to improving and maintaining the wellbeing and mental health of local people with disabilities and those who care for them.

The activities available are holidays and day trips, a range of sports and dance with Spiral Jets and the Flashback Dance Crew, daytime activities such as arts and crafts and singing at the Goodlife Day Centre in Bevendean, and a media centre also in Bevendean where clients make music, films and radio shows on Spiral Wave Radio.

Due to COVID-19 health and safety advice, however, Spiral Sussex shut down services just before the government imposed the national lockdown in March.

Spiral Sussex manager Chris Page said: "It was a difficult decision to close because our clients and their carers rely so heavily for their mental wellbeing on the services we provide, but of course the coronavirus pandemic was a much greater threat to both staff and clients and we didn’t have the facilities to provide socially distanced activities.

"But now we have this emergency grant from the National Lottery Fund and the government, Spiral Sussex is now able to reopen safely.

"This grant means we’ve been able to make health and safety adjustments like buying new minibuses which enable social distancing, safety screens and layout changes to enable socially distanced activity “bubbles” in the Day Centre, and the creation of a new online service called Spiral Portal so that housebound clients can access services like the radio station from home. This last one is especially important if there’s another lockdown, because it will help prevent the mental health difficulties that come with social isolation."

Spiral support worker Ellen Musgrove added: "We’re all really excited to welcome the clients back. I feel very confident that the risk of coronavirus to both them and us staff has been reduced as much as possible and it’s also really great to know that if there’s another lockdown, our clients will still be able to access the support they need to help maintain their emotional wellbeing."

You can find out more about Spiral Sussex at spiralsussex.com

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