Statutory funding income in the form of Early Years Entitlement and High Needs Funding remains relatively stagnant, as opposed to our salary and administration costs, which steadily rise every year. As it currently stands, Taunton Opportunity Group operates at an annual deficit in the region of £20,000. We are working hard to close this gap by exploring options such as solar panel installation to cut down on long-term heat and light costs, as well as the hiring out of Wooden Spoon House when it is not being used as a pre-school facility. The Board of Trustees’ fundraising sub-committee have had a focus over the past year on fundraising from trusts and foundations and the community, with various successes including £1,000 from Tesco Stronger Starts, £5,000 from The Barbara Ward Children’s Foundation and £1,500 from Dandelion Seeds Foundation. We are very grateful for this support, yet there is more we need to do to protect TOG’s longevity for service users for years to come.
You can help us make sure that our children and their families get the support they need. Every donation, whether a single donation, regular donation and funds raised from a fundraising event, is vitally important to TOG. By getting involved, you are helping local babies, toddlers and pre-school children with special educational needs to achieve their potential in a safe and inclusive learning environment.
It would not be an overstatement to say TOG changed our family; until Ivy got her place we had not spent a day apart so it was a huge change relinquishing my care to TOG but it soon became clear I needn’t have worried. Ivy bonded so well with her key worker Mary and soon felt comfortable enough to approach and interact with the other staff and children. We saw big changes in her development and during her time there she formed lovely friendships with the other children and staff. Ivy is now at a special school but we miss coming to TOG and are forever grateful for the part it played in Ivy’s journey.
How your donation will help
£10 could cover the cost of a one-hour session in our Multi-Sensory Unit which consists of a white and dark room.
£25 could provide TOG’s playroom with a new switch toy which assists with the development of cause-and-effect recognition.
£50 could fund a key worker to support a child on a one-to-one basis for the duration of a morning session.
To make your donation via bank transfer please contact our Manager on 01823 284550 or admin@tauntonopportunitygroup.org.uk
Kind Words
From the very first day, Ciaran settled in straight away and would run in every morning. It was obvious he loved his time in TOG and you could see the care and attention given to each child by all of the wonderful staff. It was also a place I felt completely at ease, with the staff and also other parents. As a mum of a child with special needs the staff were able to give us parents so much advice and support. I feel so fortunate that Ciaran got the brilliant pre-school start at TOG.
Susan Sian (2023)