Source: The Edinburgh Evening News [LINDA SUMMERHAYES ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )]

SOFT greens and blues will be projected on the wall in a kaleidoscope of patterns as the gentle strains of calming music carry across the air.

Everything about the room, which is set to be the centrepiece of a £1.2 million respite facility for special needs children, will exude tranquility, stimulate the senses and relax even the most hyperactive of youngsters.

Children's charity Barnardo's intends to establish the purpose-built centre as the new home of its Caern Project - a service which provides regular overnight stays for special needs children in Edinburgh.

But for this to happen, the organisation needs public support and is appealing to Evening News readers to raise £100,000.

Caern Project children's services manager Neil Squires believes the public's fundraising efforts will help more special needs children experience life to the full.

"I feel strongly that we are not a babysitting service but are instead an opportunity for children and young people to try new things," says Neil.

"They spend time here with other children as well as with other adult role models and all that leads to more opportunities and experiences."

The project is currently based at Riccarton House, Currie, but a move is necessary due to limited space and demand for suitable bedrooms for physically disabled children.

As well as a sensory room - with its illuminated bubble tube, vibrating musical water bath and kaleidoscope projector - building designers are giving careful consideration to how to make the most of the garden.

The grounds will boast expansive areas where able-bodied children can stretch their legs in the fresh air and play safely.

Wheelchair-friendly pathways will lead to a sensory garden with water features and fragrant herbs. And the grounds will have access to a woodland walk designed by renowned environmentalist David Bellamy.

Here, project workers intend to lead nature trails where children can learn about spruce and ash trees, the variety of wild flowers and the occasional roaming grouse.

Barnardo's property building surveyor, John Stewart, says: "One of the themes was to bring the outside landscaping into the generic design of the building.

"Essentially, children have to be able to access and interface with the outside environment as this is just as important to development and stimulation as what's inside the building."

For some of the children who attend the Caern Project, a trip to the country is a novelty as their erratic behaviour can make a walk with their parents too stressful or unsafe.

"When you go outside with children with challenging behaviour, it's like a major expedition," says Neil. "And if you are a single parent, have three kids and one of them has autism, taking that young person for a walk is impossible. The fact that we are able to take the children outside means a lot."

The Evening News-backed fundraising drive is part of Barnardo's Care and Hope Appeal which aims to raise £1m from businesses, trusts and the public.

It was launched to improve existing facilities and give the increasing numbers of children with profound physical disabilities the opportunity for respite.

The purchase of 0.57 acres of land at Gogarburn from the Trefoil House charity represents Barnardo's first major Capital appeal in its 139-year history.

While four bedrooms will be separated from a lounge by sliding doors, a fifth will be located at the other end of the building for children with sleeping problems.

If any of the children get up after bedtime, the movement will trigger a pager which alerts the on-call project worker who can then get the youngster back to bed.

Sensors will also detect significant changes in breathing patterns and body movements that indicate epileptic seizures or sobbing.

The 37 children who visit the Caern Project are included in a range of activities aimed at helping them develop and become more independent.

Some children will spend time learning how to make a piece of toast while others will work towards completing basic household chores such as making a bed.

Many of the children, who are aged between six and 16, do not like to try out new activities for the first time in a group because of the fear of failure, and the extra space will allow them to work alone with a member of staff.

Some also find it difficult to co-operate with others and so games are played to encourage them to interact with their peers.

This work will go on within two playrooms which will also double as "chill-out spaces" where children can learn to play quietly or be taken if they become stressed, frustrated or angry.

"Riccarton House is a lovely, homely house but it's just too small. If you've got three children who are very active and loud and one who likes a bit of space for themselves it's a shame for the quiet child," says Neil.

"There are some children who love playing together but a lot of the children don't have the social skills to do so.

"If a child is having a tantrum or is just being difficult we need space to move them away from the group instantly so they can calm down."

All the children will also benefit from the use of a hydrotherapy bubble bath, which is particularly beneficial for stimulating the muscles of physically disabled children.

The bath will also be fitted with lights which project colours into the water and on to the walls and is aimed at making bathtime fun and relaxing for reluctant children.

"Having a bath run for you and having someone looking after you is just a lovely experience. It's soothing, relaxing and it helps us to get through the day," says Neil.

"It's also a very caring thing to be able to do that for a child and it's great that we have got this bathroom and can turn it into a fun place to be. I think the kids will be queuing up to have a bath."

The Caern Project aims to be a home from home and so emphasis will be on making the interior as comfortable as possible.

A second lounge will feature a flat screen television and soft furnishings, while computers with touch screen monitors will be installed in another room so they can be used by children with limited mobility.

The upper floor of the building will be dedicated to administration, staff sleeping quarters and a meeting room.

The children, families and staff have been kept informed about the centre's developments and are all said to be looking forward to the move, which is expected to be complete by the autumn.

"We have been talking to the children and young people about the move for a while," says Neil. "While some will take to it like a duck to water, others will need help to adjust.

"I don't think the staff can quite believe it's actually happening. It's been on the cards for years and now it's becoming a reality everyone is really excited about it."

Helping guests like Iqra enjoy new experiences
THE sensory room and hydrotherapy bath at the Caern Project's new centre will be of particular benefit to children like Iqra Ali.

The 11-year-old is one of a growing number of children with serious physical disabilities who require respite because they are cared for at home.

She is blind and has epilepsy and a hearing impairment. She is also affected by profound developmental delay which means she has no verbal communication, uses a wheelchair and is tube-fed.

Iqra, a pupil at Oaklands School, lives with her parents, grandparents and five brothers and sisters in the Newington area of Edinburgh. She is cared for by her mum and her 19-year-old sister Sadia.

"I started caring for Iqra when I was about ten and I used to find it quite stressful, but because I have been doing it for so long it doesn't bother me so much now," says Sadia, a first-year media student at Napier University.

"I feed her and change her and put her to bed at night and help my mum to get her ready for school in the mornings.

"But because I have started university now, I can't look after her during the day much any more so it's really helpful that she goes to Caern."

Sadia believes Iqra really enjoys her time at the Caern Project and the two-nights-a-week respite is also valued by her family.

"It means mum gets a chance to relax and spend time with the rest of the kids," says Sadia. "It makes a real difference.

"I think it's also good for Iqra because it's a change of environment for her and there are more people to interact with her.

"I know they do sensory exercises which I think helps her. She responds a lot to music so she will enjoy the sensory room. I think she will also enjoy the Jacuzzi bath they are going to have."

HOW TO GIVE
Here’s how you can help by giving to the Evening News/ Barnardo’s Scotland Care and Hope Appeal ONLINE: for more information and details on how to give online go to www.edinburghnews.com/barnardos.

BY POST: You can send a cheque, payable to Barnardo’s Care and Hope Appeal to: The Care and Hope Appeal Team, Barnardo’s Scotland, 235 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 7AR.

BY PHONE: Dial 0800 027 3439 between 9am and 5pm. quoting “ Care and Hope Project”.