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A Senedd Member has called on the Welsh Government to help a disabled children’s charity threatened by cuts.

Conservative MS Natasha Asghar, who represents South Wales East, asked the Welsh Government to support Sparkle, which provides services for children with disabilities and additional learning needs across Gwent.

The charity, which runs specialised leisure activities at Caerphilly Children’s Centre, is facing cuts after a drop in fundraising activities made worse by the pandemic. 

Sparkle needs to raise £750,000 a year to support 935 children, young people and their families. However, it is struggling to cover these costs after receiving fewer donations and grants.

In November 2023, Caerphilly Observer reported on the importance of services provided by charities like Sparkle, which were described as a “lifeline” for children with complex needs and their families.

Speaking in the Senedd on January 16, Ms Asghar called Sparkle a “remarkable” charity which is facing “uncertain and worrying times”.

Ms Asghar continued: “I cannot express enough, in my own words, the importance of Sparkle, and, having visited it on a number of occasions, you can clearly see how much it means to the children and their families just by the smiles on their faces. 

“Sparkle offers families, and especially children, opportunities that they cannot get elsewhere, and it would be a travesty to see these services lost.”

She added: “A consultation is underway to see how the charity can increase its income through fundraising, grant applications, and corporate donations. But… is there any support, financial or otherwise, that the Welsh Government can, indeed, provide? A Government statement to that effect would really be appreciated.”

In response, Lesley Griffiths MS said that while she ‘didn’t doubt’ the importance of Sparkle’s work, all constituencies have charities which provide “much–needed services” – and all areas and members had their budgets reduced to help fund public services. 

Ms Griffiths added: “I would urge you to write to the minister for social justice [Jane Hutt], but there would be a health warning on it that, clearly, with the current budget situation, it is very, very hard to understand where she would be able to access that funding.”

“Absolutely crucial”

Caerphilly’s Labour Senedd Member, Hefin David, has also highlighted the importance of continuing Sparkle’s services.

He said: “Many will know that my own daughter is autistic, so I understand the need for these specialist services on a personal level.”

Dr David added: “I’ve met with Sparkle and Caerphilly Council on a number of occasions and I’ve seen the work they do at Caerphilly Children’s Centre, which is absolutely crucial for many families across the borough.

“The extreme economic climate we are experiencing at the moment is a huge challenge for businesses and charities across Wales. I have further meetings with Sparkle arranged in the coming days, to discuss how I can continue to support them going forward”.