Why S.N.A.P. & Why Cannock?

Two good questions. The reason why SNAP had to be devised and constructed is that children and young people with disabilities and special needs often ‘miss out’ on the type of play that other non disabled children can take for granted.

We live in a competitive world and whilst competition can be a good thing it has to be based on one fundamental principle in order to be fair. That principle is that each participant must be given the same chance as his or her competitor, in other words, that there must be a level playing field.

Due to the conditions, mental, physical and emotional, affecting many of the children and young people who will use the SNAP facility, they are denied these opportunities to compete on level ground and in so doing to benefit from the facilities on offer generally. In addition, there is also the question of safety. Whilst it could be argued that any form of play will involve a certain degree of risk, children with special needs are often at greater risk due to their unique difficulties and lack of understanding.

SNAP provides an environment where these factors of competition and safety are balanced so as to ensure that the child with special needs has the same opportunities to play and interact with others thereby learning by experience just as they would if they did not have the burden of a disability or special need.

As to the second question of why Cannock, it is simply a matter of need and geography. Specialist facilities such as SNAP are few and far between with the next nearest playground offering these opportunities being situated in Newcastle Under Lyme North Staffordshire, a round trip journey for families from the area of over 70 miles. Beyond that Liverpool to the north and Gloucester to the south would be the only options which for obvious reasons, are not a possibility. Add to this the fact that our research identified over 4,200 children in South Staffs and the West Midlands who would be eligible to use SNAP and so the potential usage in the area served by the project is huge.

A family with a child who would be eligible by definition of their special needs to use the SNAP facility, are currently faced with the daunting prospect of transporting the child over such distances. Remember also that this may well be a child who may have severe behavioural difficulties thereby making long car journeys particularly arduous. And all this for what may amount to a couple of hours of activity. A couple of hours of play activity that most families take for granted by virtue of the fact that the facilities to make it possible for them and their non disabled children are on their doorsteps.

Faced with such a daunting prospect most families of children with special needs will simply not undertake such a task, and who could blame them.