The Townsend Youth Partnership (Charity number 1093213), based on the Townsend Estate in Bournemouth, is delighted to announce the receipt of a £9,500 grant from The Morrisons Foundation. This generous funding will enable the creation of a sensory room at the Townsend Youth Club, providing a vital resource to support young people’s mental health and well-being.
The Townsend Youth Partnership is dedicated to offering young people a safe space to develop personal, social, and interpersonal skills. Earlier this year, young leaders from The Chatterboxes, a YMCA Bournemouth project supporting young people (aged 11–25) with disabilities, proposed the idea of a sensory calming room at the youth club.
A sensory room is a specially designed space aimed at reducing stimulation and helping individuals self-regulate in a safe and calming environment. This can have a profound impact on improving mental health and emotional well-being, offering a space for relaxation and reflection.
The funding will allow the Townsend Youth Partnership to transform an unused room into a welcoming sensory environment. The space will feature equipment such as bubble tubes, rocking chairs, and soft padding, ensuring accessibility for everyone using the building.
The building serves various community initiatives, including:
- The Chatterboxes Disability Youth Action Project
- Youth Club
- A Community Children’s Project
- A Home Education Project
- A Contact Centre
All these groups will have access to the sensory room as needed, making it a valuable asset for the entire community.
The Townsend Youth Partnership expresses heartfelt gratitude to The Morrisons Foundation for their support in making this project a reality.
Grey, a Chatterbox leader commented,
“It’s great that we have received this funding because it’s really important for autistic young people who are sensory avoiders to have a space where they can hide from the chaos of life and still be able to regulate themselves.
We, as young leaders, are enjoying being involved in the whole process and are working with the designers to create a calming space which works for everyone who wants to use it.”
