A charity supporting disabled young people in Sheffield is set to launch a new youth club tomorrow.
The group, Hi 5s Juniors, will offer youths aged 13 to 19 a safe space to relax, meet new people and take part in a range of activities from pancake making to crafting.
The club’s youth worker, Ruth Langrick Evans, 33, from Norton, said: “We want to offer a nice, friendly place for disabled young people to be with their friends as they deserve to have access to the same spaces as everyone else.
“There’s just not enough provision out there for young people with disabilities.”
The decision by the charity, Friends of Hi5s, to start the new club came after they wanted to create a more tailored space of activities for teenagers away from the main Thursday group, which has remained popular with original members who are now getting older.
Ms Langrick Evans said: “I started volunteering with Hi5s 12 years ago and even then the group was full of people that had been there for years before I joined the team.
“The group is so welcoming that nobody wants to leave – we’re like one big family.”
Friends of Hi5s was founded by Mosborough Councillor Gail Smith, 69, from Waterthorpe, after she visited a local youth group and became concerned about the cuts to services for disabled youngsters across the city.
Councillor Smith said: “People don’t always realise but the parents and carers of disabled people have to fight for everything they’ve got.
“Groups like this are very important, not just for meeting up with friends, but it supports the parents and carers as we’re here to help and give advice.”
As Lord Mayor of Sheffield last year, Councillor Smith managed to help raise £15,000 for the charity and hopes the group will continue to have a massive impact on children’s lives.
Ms Langrick Evans said: “I’ve never known a group that’s so accepting.
“I get such a real sense of pride seeing their confidence grow and this group will be no different.”
The Hi 5s Juniors club launches on 21 February and will be available every Tuesday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the Lodge in Hackenthorpe for £4.
The first session is a free taster and anyone who wants to attend or find out more should contact Hi 5s here.
