The Sensory Hive which helps people with learning difficulties has won a brand-new kitchen from the design experts at Magnet!
The Sensory Hive is a unique community project based in Knowsley that caters to both adults and children with cognitive impairments and people with learning difficulties in Liverpool.
Knowsley locals – teacher, Hayley, and occupational therapist, Sharon – passionately run the project and were in the process of refitting and refurbishing the centre when they saw the latest Community Giveaway on Magnet’s Instagram page. The prize: a bespoke kitchen makeover designed especially for their space, courtesy of the kitchen experts’ design team. After tagging and sharing with several members of the community, the founders were delighted to find out they’d won`!
The biggest impact of the prize win will be felt in other areas of the centre, as the free kitchen means funds previously marked for a kitchen refit can be distributed elsewhere. When asked what they’d do with the extra funds;
Hayley said “This will make such a huge difference, thanks to the amazing new kitchen, we’re now free to spend more on specialist equipment for the community. A lot of people don’t realise that when you have kids with cognitive difficulties, even a trip to the play park can become anxiety-inducing.”
Helping People With Learning Difficulties in Liverpool
She continued, “Our aim at The Sensory Hive is to be able to create a safe space, and specialist swings, slides and indoor inflatables that are specifically designed for those with autism, or global development delay can make a huge difference. It means parents can relax a bit, and both kids and adults with PMLD can enjoy themselves in a safe and supportive way.”
As well as specially designed safe play areas, The Sensory Hive has a state-of-the-art ‘immersive room’, one of the only such facilities in the North West. Designed primarily for those with autism, the immersive room uses interactive projections that cover the entire room to simulate different environments. As well as for educational and entertainment purposes, the projection software can be used to acclimatise people with autism to environments they may previously have struggled with (for example, the inside of an airplane). Helping children and adults with learning difficulties in Liverpool provides an invaluable resource for the community and is such a wonderful cause.
The new kitchen will become the home of their drop-in community space which will offer a safe and welcoming environment for both parents of children with PMLD, as well as other members of the community who may need some respite and a friendly face to talk to over a cup of tea. This benefit sits alongside the functional facilities that the kitchen will provide for the day-to-day running of the centre, offering much-needed storage space to keep operations running smoothly.
Once Magnet’s design experts have refitted the space, adding in the latest appliances and storage solutions, both Hayley and Sharon will be able to offer a much higher level of service to community members, as well as their wider range of specialist offerings.
The Sensory Hive was founded by Hayley and Sharon, who both have children with sensory difficulties. Hayley’s daughter Daisy (8 years old) has autism and sensory difficulties, and Sharon’s son Joe (11 years old) has sensory processing difficulties, as well as being on the autistic pathway.
Together they created The Sensory Hive as a way of enriching the lives of both children and adults in the area, working closely with community members to help with individual mental and physical impairments.
On their work at The Sensory Hive, Sharon said “What people don’t realise is for children with cognitive and physical difficulties, their lives can be much smaller – being able to come to the centre and do something as simple as go on a swing and a slide can be incredible. For the kids with sensory difficulties, we can also recreate situations for them, like going to Santa’s grotto, that they’d never be able to experience normally.”
Magnet have over 100 years’ experience in creating high-quality bespoke kitchens. To book your very own consultation with one of our design experts, head to www.magnet.co.uk