Providing short breaks from caring for families of disabled children, The Ashdown Club offers stimulating, fun sessions (for at least 6 hours per month) for more than 65 families in the Worthing and surrounding areas.
The club is based at the specially equipped Ashdown Centre in the heart of Worthing and hosts regular sessions on Saturdays, school holidays and Wednesday evenings.
Our highly trained and experienced staff provide a caring and safe environment for children with a wide range of needs such as physical, developmental, educational, sensory, behavioural or psychological including Autistic Spectrum Conditions, Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome and ADHD.
Our only criterion is that we can meet each child’s needs when they are in our care. High ratios of skilled and dedicated staff are always available and 1:1 support is optional if required.
Short breaks from caring are available on Saturdays for parents and carers of children aged 5-12 years.
A range of structured activities is always available including creative play, arts and crafts, books and magazines, learning toys, dressing up and role play, sensory toys, games and a home corner.
Our recently refurbished sensory room instills a sense of calm and relaxation with soothing lights, bubbles and sounds.
We offer half or full day sessions on Saturdays with separate sessions for children with different needs such as physical and medical, Autistic Spectrum and mild to moderate learning difficulties.
Half day sessions cost £10, full day sessions are £20.
Our school holiday sessions throughout the year are also available for 5-12 year olds and offer full day themed events, including outings and activities.
They often include activities such as baking, bowling, messy play, water play, music therapy, circus skills, dance and drama workshops and craft days.
These are available to book in advance and operate on a first come, first served basis.
Thanks to several of our generous sponsors these special days are usually available at no extra cost to families other than the standard session fee of £20.
The latest addition to our range of services is our Siblings service, offering sessions in the school holidays for the siblings of our disabled children aged 5 and over.
We offer themed activity days and outings with experienced staff. The sessions enable the children to meet others in the same situation, as well as have fun! Activities often include circus skills workshops, cooking, craft, free play, games, puzzles, parties and bowling.
The service was launched in 2006 after parents and carers told us that they found it hard to divide time equally between their children when one of them has special needs.
Sibling session fee: £5
The Ashdown Youth Club is available to teenagers aged 12-18 with any disability and meets every Wednesday evening at the Ashdown Centre from 6-9pm.
The sessions offers a themed, structured activity with opportunities for socialisation and accessing age appropriate activities as well as short breaks of respite for parents and carers.
The young people who attend choose all the activities themselves including at least one outing every month. Parents and carers can pick and choose sessions every three months. The sessions operate on a first come, first served basis, with twelve places available each session.
Thanks to several of our generous sponsors, outings and themed activities are usually available at no extra cost to families other than the usual standard session fee.
Youth Club session fee: £10
Referring a Child
- Children can be referred by anyone they know.
- Registration packs are available from the club on 01903 528607 or contact us here.
- Once a referral form has been received we will invite you to a session with the young person to see the club in action, meet our team and complete the necessary paperwork.
We are proud to be sponsored by the Aiming High for Disabled Children scheme in West Sussex.
We contributed to the report Yes We Can!
Yes We Can (2345 KB)
We are also grateful to receive funding from Aiming High to run our summer holiday playscheme.