On the 4th April, SYU held a fun-filled, Easter themed fundraiser to support SNAP in its continued running. SYU members from across the county worked together on the event which included cookie decorating, bingo, a tombola, carnival games, arts and crafts, and held a bake sale of goods they had made themselves.
Members of Staffordshire Youth Union (SYU) came together to organise an event in order to raise money for the Special Needs Adventure Playground (SNAP), located in Cannock. The Easter Extravaganza was held at Bethel Church during the Easter school holiday and was entirely organised and led by our SYU members, aged 13-18, from across Staffordshire.
The playground provides a safe, secure and non-judgemental space for children and adults with special needs. Primarily funded by Children in Need, SNAP is focused on helping children develop social skills whilst having fun.
Local families were invited to come and get involved and help to support SNAP through their donations throughout the event, and lots of prizes were on offer; all generously donated by local businesses. Alongside the children and families who joined in the egg hunt and face painting, the event was supported with visits from County Councillor Ann Edgeller and Chairman of Staffordshire County Council Phil Hewitt, as well as SNAP volunteers and Chair Robert Heighway, who thanked SYU for their efforts;
“We would like to say a very big thank you to the members of Staffordshire Youth Union who held an Easter Extravaganza on 4th April to raise funds for SNAP. They organised a raffle, tombola, cake sale, easter egg hunt, fairground games, sensory activities and arts and crafts…Thank you to everyone who helped to organise the event, and to everyone who attended.”
Altogether, Staffordshire Youth Union raised £201 which was presented to SNAP at a charity quiz night on the 5th April, which in combination with the proceeds from the quiz brought the total raised to over £600.
Tom Craddock, age 16, from SYU said, “SNAP do so much amazing work for disabled and neurodivergent children and their families locally, so they were a perfect charity for us to support in our fundraising. It was incredibly rewarding for us to not only raise over £200, but also have visitors throughout the day comment on how much they enjoyed the event. We have all gained a lot of knowledge from this event which will help us to run even bigger and better ones in the future.”
For more information on the activities of Staffordshire Youth Union, please contact Youth Engagement Co-ordinator Sean Turner at youth@staffscvys.org.uk.
