A CENTRE in Salisbury that has been supporting children with special and additional needs for 40 years is calling on the community to ensure the “unique” service continues into the future.

The John McNeill Opportunity Centre was formed in 1979 by a group of parents who had pre-school children with special needs and were struggling to find the educational support their children needed during their early years development.

John McNeill was the son of a local surgeon who was killed in a road traffic accident and his parents helped to raise funds to build the centre. In 1989, the centre moved to its current home on Odstock Road. It was opened by the Princess Royal.

Angela Bryant, the manager of The John McNeill Centre, said: “Since then it has changed a lot. Originally we had 50 per cent able children and 50 per cent with special needs. We had to change because there were so many children with additional needs.”

The centre now focuses on supporting children with special and additional needs along with their families.

However, Angela says getting enough funding has become “difficult” over the years with more children in need of support from the centre. It currently has 60 children on its register.

“We are at the maximum now,” added Angela. “More resources are needed.”

It is the district specialist centre for south Wiltshire. It is also south Wiltshire’s only specialist nursery for children with difficulties and disabilities, supporting children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, communication difficulties, genetic disorders and sensory impairments.The centre also does outreach work.

Angela says it costs nearly £180,000 to £200,000 a year to run the centre. It receives around £74,000 of funding from Wiltshire and nursery funding but the centre still has to raise around £60,000 for the year itself.

“There is nowhere else really [like the John McNeill Centre],” said Angela.

She added: “Hundreds of children and their families have been given such a good start in life and all remember the impact that The John McNeill Centre has had on all those families.

“Families of children who attended 40 years ago still remember how we helped them during the most difficult time of their lives - following diagnosis, providing somewhere to go where they meet other families, having people who understand and will help them find the way to get the best outcome for their child, having somewhere ‘special’ to go that is there just for them.

“It is a unique place and if it was no longer here the amount of children that would suffer is unthinkable. Without support there is no guarantee that we can continue.”

The centre and its staff not only support the children but their families, giving them a chance to meet and share their experiences in the coffee room where they can also take a break.

One parent said: “All three of my children have very different needs and have all attended John McNeill. Staff have met their needs and developed each of them to assist them to be ready for school in their own way. We are so grateful for their expertise and skill and all they do for the children who attend.”

Another parent said: “All the staff are friendly and welcoming and amazing with my son. I cannot recommend John McNeill enough.”

Angela says fundraising has also got “more difficult” with money prioritised on the children which she says often means it “has not always got funding” to repair and maintain the centre building. Getting volunteers from the community to lend a hand would provide much needed support.

To help fundraise or volunteer contact info@johnmcneilloppcentre.org.uk