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Gwent-based charity Sparkle is facing an uncertain future due to funding issues.

The charity, which runs leisure activities for children with complex needs, announced it would review its services after a drop in fundraising activities, donations and grants made worse by the pandemic. 

It is struggling to raise the £750,000 per year needed to support 935 children, young people and their families.

Sparkle has asked ‘anybody able’ to ‘get involved’ through fundraising where they can.

One of those is Ryan Hunter who lives in Bargoed. 

Ryan, 36, is an HGV driver who has signed up to run the Conquer Cardiff Summer 10k in Bute Park on June 29. 

He is seeking to raise £500 for Sparkle after his three-year-old daughter, Paisley, who is waiting for a diagnosis, started using the services in late 2023. 

Ryan said: “It’s showing what Sparkle means to us.

“I’m putting myself through a challenge to open people’s eyes to them.”

Ryan continued: “When you look into how much they provide, it all costs a lot of money. They’ve got to get it somewhere.”

Paisley attends a playgroup at Caerphilly Children’s Centre and the family of seven has used the accessible cinema at Newport-based Serennu’s Children Centre.

Attending the cinema, which is free of charge, allows the whole family to feel at ease, which contrasts with other experiences.

Ryan recalled one incident in Cwmbran where Paisley had a meltdown. Security guards came over and asked if they “needed to call the police”.

Ryan said: “I’ve never felt so belittled in my life”

He continued: “It’s nice that Sparkle are out there doing things that make us feel included.”

“No option but to review all our services”

Sparkle chairwoman Janet Kelly spoke about the need to review services due to funding issues in January this year.

She said: “We have already undertaken a review of all expenditures and have introduced several cost-saving measures, such as a recruitment freeze on paid staff and other measures.

“Now we have no option but to review all our services.”

The charity has launched a consultation process with leisure and office staff and has written to the families of all the children and young people it supports.

Ms Kelly added: “It is a sad day for the charity but we have had to put our costs onto a more sustainable level.

“We will now carry out a consultation process and will always work hard to seek new ways of increasing our income through fundraising, grant applications and corporate donations.”

For Ryan, training for the Cardiff race continues and he hopes both the £500 target and the 10k distance will be “achievable”.

It’s the first time he’s raised money for charity after accessing Sparkle’s services and seeing the difference they can make.

Ryan said: “I want to do something to get some money for them. Obviously, for everything they do, not just for us but for everyone else.”

Ryan hopes to fundraise annually for the charity and added: “I never want them to disappear due to not getting funded.”

Visit JustGiving to make a donation to Ryan’s fundraising page.

More information on how to donate, as well as fundraising opportunities, are available on Sparkle’s website.