Category: Fundraising

  • Big Give 2025

    Big Give 2025

    This Christmas, you can be the missing ingredient in the perfect recipe needed to give children with special educational needs and disabilities the best start in life. We’re raising £70,000 through the Big Give Christmas Challenge to fund our Transitions Support Programme, investing support, resources and time to ensure that children with SEND can start school with confidence and have everything in place to thrive.

    For only 7 days between 2nd and the 9th of December, every donation is DOUBLED at no extra cost to you. Your £25 becomes £50. Your £50 becomes £100. That means twice the support for children, parents and educators and twice the impact.

    Donations must be made through the Big Give website during this time only to be matched.

    Donate now & double your impact: Breaking the Cycle: Supporting Transitions – Big Give

  • Housebuilder David Wilson Homes raises over £40,000 for Dingley’s Promise as their Charity of the Year

    Housebuilder David Wilson Homes raises over £40,000 for Dingley’s Promise as their Charity of the Year

    Staff at Hungerford-based housebuilder David Wilson Homes Southern have completed a full year of fundraising for Dingley’s Promise as their charity of the year, raising an incredible £41,900.

    Over a 12-month period ending in July 2025, employees from across the business came together to take part in a wide range of fun and charitable activities to support the Berkshire-based charity, which delivers nursery education to children under five with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and provides vital support and advice to their families.

    The total raised by staff has been matched by the housebuilder’s parent company, Barratt Redrow, further boosting the support for Dingley’s Promise and its services across the region.

    Catherine McLeod, CEO at Dingley’s Promise, said: “We are delighted to receive such a generous donation, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the team at David Wilson Homes. Raising such an incredible amount of money will allow us to provide even more opportunities to children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in the early years across Berkshire. Our early support gives children the best start in life and gives families direction and strategies needed to fully support their child’s educational journey. A huge thank you to everyone involved.”

    Among the key fundraising highlights was a charity football tournament held at Reading Goals Sports Complex, which saw 16 teams – including many David Wilson Homes employees and sub-contractors – go head-to-head in a lively and well-attended competition.

    Another popular event was a furniture sale at the housebuilder’s Abbey Fields development in Abingdon, where employees were invited to browse and purchase stylish pieces from the four bedroom Holden show home, all hand-picked by professional interior designers.

    In the run-up to Christmas, the team took part in a Christmas Jumper Day, donning their festive woollies in support of the charity

    The housebuilder also made a number of thoughtful donations during the year, including 40 Easter eggs gifted to Dingley’s Promise’s West Berkshire centre in Newbury to help bring a touch of seasonal cheer to children using the service. A diverse selection of interactive books was also donated to the centre to help expand its library and provide engaging resources for children with SEND. A team from David Wilson Homes’ Commercial department also rolled up their sleeves for a charity car wash, showing plenty of spirit as they grabbed sponges and buckets to clean vehicles and raise more money for the cause.

    Campbell Gregg, Managing Director at David Wilson Homes Southern, said:

    “It’s been an absolute pleasure for us to partner with Dingley’s Promise over the past year. From football matches and furniture sales to car washes and even getting ‘gunged’ – the team has thrown themselves into every activity with real enthusiasm. Dingley’s Promise provides an essential service to families across Berkshire, and we’re proud to support its work and help raise awareness of the importance of early SEND support. We hope the funds raised will make a real difference to the children and families the charity helps every day.”

    Dingley’s Promise runs specialist centres across the South of England which focus on developing personalised strategies to support the learning and development of children with SEND. By offering early intervention and inclusive education, the charity ensures every child receives the best possible start in life. Local fundraising and partnerships with local businesses are vital to ensure that the charity can continue to transform young lives. If you’d like to discuss a charity partnership of the year or other fundraising opportunities please contact our Head of Fundraising Kate [email protected]

  • Dingley’s Promise receives funding from Comic Relief’s Change Makers

    Dingley’s Promise receives funding from Comic Relief’s Change Makers

    Dingley’s Promise receives funding from Comic Relief’s Change Makers initiative to tackle lack of early years spaces for children with SEND

    Comic Relief has today announced a brand-new £9.1 million programme to support new initiatives that will deliver vital long-term support to thousands of vulnerable people across the UK during the Covid-19 recovery.

     

    One of the successful recipients is Dingley’s Promise in Berkshire. The charity will use an investment of  £545,789 to design and deliver ten training courses to help early years practitioners be more inclusive of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and to facilitate the development of early years inclusion strategies in thirty local authorities. All of this will take place with a focus on parental input, on building the voice of the child, and on wider influencing of sector leaders and government. Children with SEND and children in the early years are among the most affected by the pandemic, and so this project will directly contribute to opening more spaces for them in the early years at a time that they have never needed early intervention more.

     

    Catherine McLeod MBE, Chief Executive of Dingley’s Promise, said; ‘We are over the moon about being able to deliver this project. We are committed to transforming the early years for children with SEND, and want to change the fact that currently only 19% of local authorities have enough spaces for children with SEND in the early years. This project will build a movement for greater inclusion, and will open up spaces to allow more children than ever before to thrive in the early years.’

     

    The Change Makers programme is launching twenty new initiatives involving 45 organisations, spanning all four nations of the UK, over the next five years. They will tackle serious issues that have seen increased demand for help throughout the pandemic including homelessness, domestic abuse and mental health. The programme aims to find innovative solutions to problems affecting vulnerable people that have been overlooked or under-resourced at a local, regional and national level.

     

    Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief, said: “It’s fantastic that through our new Change Makers programme we are able to support 20 ‘game changing’ projects that are working with thousands of vulnerable people and families throughout the UK. Each project aims to provide vital long-term support and make a real positive impact on communities hardest hit by the pandemic.”

     

    For more information visit www.comicrelief.com/funding

  • Patrons host celebratory garden party

    Patrons host celebratory garden party

    Dingley’s Promise patrons host a garden party to celebrate the charity’s achievements with the local community.

    Dingley’s Promise patrons Christopher and Naomi Khoo hosted a special garden party at their home in Maidenhead on the 20th of August. The goal of the event was to raise awareness and celebrate the life changing support that Dingley’s Promise provides to children in the Early Years with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families, across Berkshire. Invited guests included charity funders, corporate partnership representatives, and local and national government members.  

    Attendees were treated to a splendid evening of drinks and delicious canapés in the picturesque garden, all to the musical accompaniment of a local jazz band. Guests were also able to learn about Dingley’s Promise by reading case studies, watching our latest fundraising videos, and speaking to members of the charity team.  

     

     

    Chief Executive of Dingley’s Promise, Catherine McLeod MBE, spoke to guests about the challenges that children with SEND and their families are still facing due to the pandemic and how the charity plans to support children and families in the years ahead. She also spoke about how the charity is increasing inclusion on a national level via the growing success of the Dingley’s Promise Training Programme.  

    Jo Evans, the charity’s Fundraising and Communications Manager outlined upcoming fundraising needs and introduced Helen Amner Munslow, Parent Trustee and Andrea (Mum to Leo, who attends Dingley’s Promise in Wokingham). They both spoke incredibly movingly about the hugely positive difference that support from Dingley’s Promise had made to both their children’s lives, and to the lives of their families.  

     

     

     

    Berkshire High Sheriff Willie Hartley Russell provided closing comments. He emphasized the importance of the charity’s work and welcomed the continuation of Dingley’s Promise providing life changing support to children and families across Berkshire.  

    Dingley’s Promise would like to thank Christopher Khoo DL and his wife Naomi for hosting such a fantastic evening. We are also grateful to all our guests for taking the time to attend. Lastly, we would like to thank the amazing staff and volunteers who made sure the evening ran so smoothly! 

    Photography: Peter McClintock

  • CEO’s Blog: Adaptation and Change; supporting families this summer

     

    This year has been one of adaptation and change for everyone across the world. No one knew that we would be self isolating for such a long time, and that some children would end up missing 6 months of education. Within this situation that has affected all of us, we are now learning that the impact on families of children with SEND is disproportionately high. National research found that mental health had declined in 70-80% of families with children with SEND, and learning and communication of children with SEND had suffered in 86% of families. From our own research at Dingley’s Promise, it seems that the higher the needs, the more children have suffered during lockdown. This matches with national figures too – meaning that our most vulnerable children have suffered the most during lockdown.

     

    All of this has led us to making a big decision for Dingley’s Promise; we are going to offer remote support throughout the summer holidays for families of young children with SEND. Our Family Support Workers (and some of our Early Years Practitioners) will be on hand to give advice and support, to link up children and parents/carers with other families whose children are in the same situation, and to simply listen and reassure families when they are struggling.

     

    This is the first time Dingley’s Promise has offered ongoing support through the holidays, but in light of the huge challenges our families are experiencing, including continued isolation, we are committed to supporting them in any way we can. We recognise that some families are already at breaking point, and the long holidays may be too much for some of them. Our Double Matched Day appeal is therefore vital.

     

    One family in West Berkshire whose daughter attends our Centre told us what lockdown has been like for them:

     

    ‘It’s hard. We have seen a huge and detrimental change in our daughter’s behaviour, and it is having a massive negative impact on us as a family. I am seeking support and advice, and the main place I am getting that from is Dingley’s Promise. We have had no other appointments with other service providers or professionals involved in our life, and very little contact from other providers which is quite hard. I’m here at home with three children on my own, so for me to see the staff in the Zoom sessions is really helpful. They understand our situation, so when I say what has been happening they understand because they know my daughter.

     

    We are not sure what information my daughter retains, but I know that she has recognised her key worker [during Zoom sessions], which is amazing in our situation. For some people who don’t have children with SEND they would think that’s not much, but for us that is huge! To feel there is some progress in this situation where we have felt so very low and sad and perhaps not achieving as many things as we’d like to… is amazing and it just means so much to us.

     

    We also received a wonderful delivery from Dingley’s Promise in the post! It was a box of sensory toys, which just lifted me so much because my daughter loves them and they are similar to toys that she plays with at Dingley’s Promise. It really helped in what has been a really dark period in our life.”

     

    For this family, the lockdown will continue until at least September due to the health of their child. They said “we hope to receive support during the very long summer holidays – that would be fantastic.”

     

    This Friday we have the very real chance that we can make sure this family, and all of our West Berkshire families, get the support they need this summer. We are aiming to raise £5000, which will be tripled by the Greenham Trust to become £15,000!

     

    Please, if you have any money you can spare, make a donation via the Good Exchange on the 24th of July and help us to reach our goal to ensure that no family is forgotten over the long summer holidays. Thank you.

     

     

    – Catherine McLeod MBE, CEO of Dingley’s Promise

     

     

  • New five-year partnership secured with the National Lottery

    Leading children’s disability charity, Dingley’s Promise have secured £187,811 from The National Lottery Community Fund to embed and roll-out a pioneering model of working, supporting children under 5 years with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to have greater access to mainstream settings.

    Operating in Wokingham for 23 years, Dingley’s Promise is building upon their reputable, high quality support to local children and their families with an ambitious five-year project.

    Research indicates that the gap between children with special educational needs and their peers is growing, as only around 25% of children with SEND are accessing the free 30 hours entitlement.  With only 22% of local authorities currently having sufficient early years spaces for children with SEND, Dingley’s Promise’s innovative entry exit pathway model has aspirations of being an example of best practice, leading innovation and change in the sector.

    This new way of working will consider not just a child’s educational attainment, but also the capacity of local mainstream settings, and also their family’s needs – taking them on a journey of support and development until they can experience the mainstream if appropriate for them.  Once embedded, Dingley’s Promise will spread this good practice within the early year’s sector, encouraging positive change for many children and their families.

    The development of the entry exit pathway has been a very important process for Dingley’s Promise, and for the families that they work with. Last year, 72% of transitions out of the organisation were to the mainstream – with families involved in the process from the very beginning. Those families say that the organisation consistently sees the promise in their children, even when others do not – a key strength of Dingley’s Promise. While mainstream education may not be the best option for every child, this work will ensure there is a clear pathway for those in specialist early year’s settings to transition to the mainstream if it is the right option for them.

    Chief Executive Catherine McLeod MBE said: ‘As an organisation, we believe in the best start for every child – regardless of whether it is special education or mainstream – but we also believe that in the past too many children have been unable to access the mainstream when it could have benefited them. With this project we hope to make a big impact on inclusion by helping to ensure that every child who will benefit from mainstream education has the chance to access it, and we are so pleased that The Big Lottery has also seen the value in this work and chosen to support its development.’

  • The difference we make at Dingley’s Promise

    Our Christmas campaign is well and truly underway, with every donation being doubled this week!

    Why should you donate?  The answer – to help children just like Alfie:

    Since joining Dingley’s Promise. Alfie has taken his first steps without a walker and has overcome his co-ordination difficulties to use a spoon at lunchtime.

    Alfie is a cheeky little character, who likes to make himself heard and known by all!

    Diagnosed with Down’s syndrome, his condition has an impact on his physical development, communication and language.  When he first joined us, he had little muscle tone and was not particularly mobile. He found himself at risk of choking for having too much in his mouth and was reluctant to try new foods.  Alfie also had little in the way of communication and so would get very frustrated when others couldn’t understand him.

    IMG_8077 -2

     

    Planning Alfie’s week to support his development, included introducing Makaton and using a specialist walker with heaps of encouragement, that has helped Alfie come on in leaps and bounds.  Alfie now uses signs to get across what he wants and Dingley’s Promise proves to be a perfect place for Speech and Language intervention.

    Through his walking frame, Alfie is able to explore all of our nursery, developing his physical strength.  We continue to support Alfie with his goals, helping him overcome the frustration that he can feel and keeping him motivated.  Having supported the family to have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place, ensures support will be there for Alfie as he grows and throughout his years in education; truly giving him the best start in life.

    There is still time to donate and see your donation doubled.  Donate before 12noon on Tuesday 4th December to see your support for children like Alfie go further.

    [pb_call_to_action component_description=”Big Give” bg_color=”00158f” border_top_color=”ffffff” border_right_color=”ffffff” border_bottom_color=”ffffff” border_left_color=”ffffff”][pb_call_to_action_first_line text_color=”ffffff”]One Donation, twice the impact[/pb_call_to_action_first_line][pb_call_to_action_second_line][/pb_call_to_action_second_line][pb_call_to_action_button src=”https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/donation/to/10057/29407/” text_color=”ffffff” text_color_hover=”ffffff” bg_color=”00518f” bg_color_hover=”00518f” border_color=”ffffff” border_color_hover=”ffffff”]Donate here[/pb_call_to_action_button][/pb_call_to_action]

  • The value of supporting Dingley’s Promise

    Christmas is nearly here and this week, every donation made to our work is doubled!

    What makes Dingley’s Promise so special and deserving of your gift?  Hear from Matthew, our longest serving volunteer in Wokingham and what he thinks:

    I always wanted a role in childcare, but as a man I thought I wouldn’t be able to as male figures are so rare in this sector.  I saw a volunteer role advertised in the Wokingham paper to help at Dingley’s Promise on a Friday morning.  They took me on and I loved it – the rest is history 14 years later! I now volunteer five mornings a week.

    Matthew2No two days are the same, and I love that variety.  It is so rewarding seeing a child exceed the limits put on them by a diagnosis, and I enjoy seeing how far they can go.  I have experienced some amazing moments with the children we support.

    One that really sticks with me is when I was reading a book to a child who has severe Autism.  He could only speak one or two words, and used them very rarely.  As I was reading, he repeated a new word, ‘baby’, back to me very clearly.  It was such a special moment to be part of.

    Each day at Dingley’s Promise is so rewarding, and I get just as much from it as I put into it.

     

    An avid supporter of Chelsea Football Club and soon to be married, Matthew is an incredible asset to Dingley’s Promise!

    Can you support our work this Christmas?  Donate before 12noon on Tuesday 4th December to see your donation doubled!

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  • Lewis smashes his step challenge target!

    Each week, since April, Lewis aged 4, has been stepping forward for Dingley’s Promise and raising funds for our West Berkshire Centre.

    Lewis was diagnosed at just six months with Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, Cortical Visual Impairment (Lewis is registered blind) and Microcephaly (a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development).   As a result, Lewis can struggle with his gross motor skills, has limited vision and suffers with seizures.  He has been attending our West Berkshire Centre since he was just under a year old and has made significant progress.

    Having recently purchased a ceiling hoist to support children moving around the play room, Lewis has loved his new found freedom.  Not needing to rely on others to move him in a wheelchair or carry him from place to place, the idea of a step challenge was born!

    At the end of term party, Lewis took the last steps to his 1km goal, having raised over £1,100 – smashing his target.  Cheered on by Mum, Tara and accompanied by staff and volunteers, Lewis reached the finishing line and awarded with his medal.  In true Olympic fashion, Lewis had a quick bite to check the medal quality!

    Abi Preston-Rees, West Berkshire Centre Manager said

    “It has been lovely to watch Lewis during his step challenge. He has shown real determination throughout, and the other children have enjoyed joining in with him. He has managed to raise an incredible amount and we are so grateful to him and his family for their support. Watching Lewis learn and develop during his time at Dingley’s Promise has been a pleasure and we wish him all the best as he starts his new adventures at big school”.

    [pb_video src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK3b4H3mU7k&feature=youtu.be”][/pb_video]