 The PACE centre in Aylesbury, was the first Conductive Education unit in the England, started by the vision of its founder Heather Last in 1990. The unit provides specialist psychological, physical and educational training to children (and their parents) who suffer from cerebral palsy. The techniques, developed originally in Hungary, initially were shunned by the established "school" which favored the non-integrated approach that had failed these children in the past.
Chilterns Spoon first came into contact with Conductive Education and the work of the PACE Centre when the Priory School in Burnham (Slough), asked for us to fund a Conductive Education unit, to replicate the work of the PACE Centre locally. The aim of the facility being to give more children access to the therapy, and on a more regular basis.
As a result of this investment in Burnham, one youngster (James Berryman) has made it all the way from being wheelchair-bound, to being selected for the 2012 Paralympics as a runner.
.JPG) The new facility for PACE gives them a pre-school, outreach facility in Chesham (within a school for children with multiple and severe learning difficulties) to capture children in the 3-5 age group, and to help them start earlier to relieve the damage caused by the birth-defect, and to bring them towards a more normal lifestyle.
The opening was attended by Tony Copsey (CEO of Wasps and ex-Welsh international and seen at right). Peter and Sheila Scott; the life president of Spoon and his wife as well as members of Amersham and Chiltern Rugby Club (their Chairman Chris Smith, and Geoff Choules, who has run jazz nights in favour of Spoon), plus Trustees and Chilterns Committee members.
|
