Buckets & Spades Lodge – Norwood’s overnight short-break service for young people with physical and learning disabilities – was a hive of activity this weekend as it hosted a special Shabbaton made possible by the charity, Respite Kids. Respite Kids raises money to provide Jewish families with disabled children additional respite care throughout the year at no cost to them.
A group of six children attended the Shabbaton, which began on Friday evening with a service led by Rabbi Zaiden. On Saturday, they were visited by a group of young people who joined them in general activities, while on Sunday the group went on an outing to London Zoo before taking part in a singing session led by accordion player and puppeteer, Jenny Kossew.
Respite Kids, which was originally known as Project Respite, was set up as a charity by Dani Katz following his own experiences of caring for a daughter with special needs. It aims to work with other charities to provide short breaks for Jewish children in London, increase the awareness of special needs children in the community and expand the availability of respite accommodation.
Taryn Levin, a trustee for Respite Kids, said: “Respite Kids is run by a group of dedicated and caring people in the community who want to make sure that all Jewish special needs children in London experience the joys of Shabbat in a caring environment while their parents receive a well earned break to enjoy the Shabbat. Respite Kids were excited about this weekend and would like to thank Norwood for their help.”
Dani Katz, from Respite Kids, added: “It was an amazing weekend – the children had an incredible time and it was a lot of fun. We look forward to more Shabbatons like this in future.”
Annette Shimoni, Manager of Buckets & Spades, said: “We were delighted to host this special Shabbaton and would like to thank Respite Kids for making this weekend possible. Their generosity enabled the children to have fantastic time together, taking part in a range of fun activities. Meanwhile, their families were able to take a much-needed break and have a truly restful Shabbat.”
