
A picture can be worth a thousand words and family photos capture treasured moments and the sometimes joyful, sometimes messy, reality of family life together. As part of Family Fund’s 50th anniversary in 2023 we invited families we have supported in recent years with a grant towards a family break, day trip, or play/leisure equipment, to capture and share their personal moments together as part of our Window to Our World photo research project.
18 families (including four families in Scotland) shared photos of family moments and talked about the things that really mattered to them – sharing the stories behind the photos. Families talked about making memories and what the photos showed about family time together. Families also shared wider insights into some of the challenges that they face when spending time together.
Despite the wider disabling challenges that exist at societal level, families described how access to affordable family breaks and play equipment brought multiple and diverse benefits for the wider health and wellbeing of their disabled or seriously ill children or young people; other children in the family; as well as themselves as parent carers. Parent/carers emphasised that these benefits went far beyond the kind of experiences that any family might enjoy during a break or using play equipment because of the specific nature of the impairment or condition their child lived with.
The opportunity of family time together
For all the families we spoke to being able to spend time together making memories was incredibly precious. Making family memories wasn’t confined to family breaks and trips outside the home, with families also using a Family Fund grant to take the opportunity to make family memories at home using play equipment.
Families currently raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person face substantial challenges that restrict opportunities for play and for families to enjoy time together. Many parent/carers have growing debt, exacerbated by the high cost of living, and some support services have been withdrawn or reduced following the global health pandemic. Barriers to play also include inaccessible facilities and environments. Attitudes also form a significant barrier with poor awareness of disabilities and conditions amongst the public, or outright discrimination and hostility making ordinary family activity feel risky.
Keeping children healthy and happy
As well as giving opportunities for families to spend time together, Family Fund grants helped to keep children healthy and happy, which has wider impacts for the whole family in terms of allowing family life to be that bit less stressful. Families discussed how their grant from Family Fund gives them the opportunity to get out and explore.
The benefits of having play equipment include not only an opportunity for fun, but also a way to get exercise, as well as a way to self-regulate (that is, activities or behaviours children and young people may use to help them feel calm). For many disabled and seriously ill children access to the natural world is also an important source of interest, enjoyment and enables children to self-regulate.
A safe space for play
Having access to play equipment in their own garden or backyard meant that children had a safe space for play. Families also described wider wellbeing benefits especially including opportunities for meeting and making friends in a safe way. This issue is crucial because some families highlighted that the nature of their child’s impairment or conditions meant that it was not safe for them to socialise and play away from their own homes.
Family Bonding
The opportunity for siblings to spend time together either on family breaks and day trips or sharing time together on play equipment was highly valued, enabling relationships between siblings to deepen and flourish. For many families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people sibling relationships can often feel strained, as sometimes children struggle to understand the needs of their disabled or seriously ill sibling.
Building confidence and independence
On their individual developmental journey, disabled or seriously ill children and young people may benefit from the proactive removal of disabling barriers and provision of additional supports. Families described how grants from Family Fund have enabled the development of their disabled or seriously ill child’s independence, and importantly, confidence as parent/carers in their independence.
Family Fund
Family Fund is the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child, on a low income. In 2023/24 6,197 grants were awarded in Scotland.
We are committed to working together with our partners to bring real change grounded in families’ lived experience. If you feel that you would like to work with us to make the change for families raising disabled or seriously ill children or young people we’d be delighted to hear from you, whether you are a long-standing partner of Family Fund or are new to our work. Please get in touch with us at partnerships@familyfund.org.uk or research@familyfund.org.uk
A full copy of the Window to our World can be found on our website:
Window to our world – Family Fund