Restore full funding to Saxon Hill Sleepover Club (Lichfield)

Saxon Hill Acadamy is a special needs school in Lichfield for children up to the age of 19. It currently runs a Sleepover Club where students can stay overnight. At the moment this runs four nights a week during term time. This provision provides a place where the students can socialise together, something which is difficult outside this setting due to the complex needs of these young people. As well as the social side it also helps with independence away from the family. The staff help the students to reach their potential in a safe and happy environment. This a unique service not provided by many other places and is important to the pupils, families and staff of the school.
I speak from experience having been a pupil at Saxon Hill Acadamy and attending sleepover club for many years. I believe it helped the move to residential college easier for me when I left at 19 and gave me the confidence to succeed in the future. I am currently working in theatres and I am the disability officer for a local political party.
The County Council have just announced that they are cutting funding to the sleepover club which means places are being reduced from 44 to 33. This means 11 students will have their places taken away from them. This will happen from the 1st April 2019. Furthermore the contract is only being given for one year and will then be reviewed before next April. This means sleepover could be closed next year. This is an important facility that needs to be saved and have it’s funding restored.