MORE than 100 disabled children and young people with complex needs will be able to access care in emergency situations thanks to a new £60k grant.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Freemasons donated the money to Southampton’s Rose Road charity and it will fund the charity’s emergency respite care service across Hampshire which will help families in need of unexpected or additional support that is not included in their standard care funding.

This can include after school sessions with Rose Road’s outreach teams, or stays in its 14-bed respite centre, which costs more than £450 a night.

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The grant will also fund essential redevelopment of the outdoor space in its respite centre, creating a therapeutic and accessible environment for recreation and relaxation.

This will contribute significantly to the physical and mental wellbeing of the disabled young people who regard Rose Road as their ‘home from home’.

Hampshire Chronicle: Ahmed (left) with John Pearson, the charity lead from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Freemasons and Chloe Atkins, Head of Fundraising at Rose Road.Ahmed (left) with John Pearson, the charity lead from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Freemasons and Chloe Atkins, Head of Fundraising at Rose Road. (Image: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Freemasons)

Freemasons from across England and Wales donate to the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Freemasons used to fund the grant.

Chloe Atkins, head of fundraising at Rose Road, said: “We’re very grateful to Hampshire Freemasons for their generous grant.

“Families with a disabled child often need support that extends beyond the funded hours they receive from statutory organisations, such as during a family bereavement, illness or because of work or other family commitments.

"Having this funding means we can be there for families when they need us most.”

John Pearson, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Freemasons charity lead, said: “I’m really pleased we’ve been able to help Rose Road to provide the urgent help that families with a disabled child so often need.

“I’m also very happy that some of this grant will go towards the new garden. Being able to enjoy outdoor spaces is so important, and many who stay at Rose Road often have very limited access to the natural environment.”