Testimonials from Families
"We have been using Nova for a few years now and it still feels like a massive gift every time we have a session. It’s a HUGE respite opportunity which my husband and I really appreciate as much as we did the very first time. Nova is hand on heart the ONLY place my children will go to happily and come home happily! Including extended family, i.e. grandparents. So Nova honestly means everything to us as a family and we thank every member of the team!"
"Both my daughters really look forward to every Nova session and even count down the days beforehand! The activities provided are imaginative and diverse and the high staff to child ratio ensures 100% engagement and therefore enjoyment."
"[My daughter] absolutely loves coming, she even waits by the front door when she knows it’s Nova that day!"
"Without the help and support from Nova, coping with being a parent to a SEN child would basically be unsustainable. The weight one feels lifting when you know your child is in a safe, fun environment is invaluable when it comes to maintaining one’s mental health."
"[Our son] has thoroughly enjoyed coming to Nova for many years. The standard of care is fantastic. The club is extremely well organised and efficiently run. [Our son] enjoys seeing familiar staff and peer group. He gets to socialise with new people and have some independent time. It gives structure to his weekend."
"[My son] has become more confident about being left with other people since coming to Nova club. He looks forward to it for days. He really loves all the activities and the staff, it’s usually the highlight of his school holidays and he struggles to find activities he enjoys. It has been very hard to encourage him out of the house but for nova club he gets himself dressed and is waiting by the door excited. I’ve never had that before. It makes his whole week, we count down the days like you would for a holiday etc. It’s so lovely to see."
"Nova is a brilliant concept that takes on a much-needed service: a fun club for young people with special needs who would otherwise not be able to socialise with peers. Nova creates a safe environment, provides individualised support and activities with a purpose for young people who, due to their disabilities, would otherwise struggle to access basic social activities. It provides a fundamental role in the wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable people in the community."
"Nova is a fantastic service which [our son] loves. Thank you!"
"Nova provides a familiar and trusted place outside of home and school which is impossible to provide elsewhere. My child has the opportunity to learn the skills needed to interact with different peers and adults independently and enjoy doing so – these transferable skills are helping him develop and further his ability to navigate the world when we as parents are not there to do so for him."
"I just wanted you to know that Nova has been an invaluable service for [our daughter]. It has given her an opportunity to socialise that she just wouldn't have without you. I'm so grateful to you all for giving her and her peers a safe space to get together, play games and have fun. You are all so very welcoming and we both look forward to seeing a Nova date on the calendar.
"For us, the service is a godsend... We know that [our daughter] cannot be part of the scheme for much longer, but the time she has had has been amazing. She looks forward to her visits and all the team know her well which is important and makes her feel that she is safe and happy. What your team do is incredible."
"Nova enables us to have the worry-free respite that we desperately need. Our daughter loves going there, the staff are wonderful and extremely experienced and the settings and activities are perfect for her."
"Nova has been a lifesaver. It has been the only provision of socialisation I have felt confident enough to use since the pandemic. They have been rigorous and vigilant in their COVID procedures and I have every confidence in them to provide a safe environment for our young people....I can't overstate how grateful we have been for these opportunities for our daughter to socialise in a safe and thoughtful way. The staff are warm and compassionate and my duaghter looks forward to seeing them as much as her peers. They are absolutely wonderful. I really can't tell you how much it has meant to us to have Nova in our lives!"
"Nova plays an important part in our life. Me as a single mother, this service offers me some time to rest, catch up with paperwork or housework etc. For my son, it helps him to socialise, communication and interaction. He has a great time. I feel relaxed because I know he is in a happy and safe place with friendly staff."
"Nova is the most amazing project and group of people. They have really gone beyond expectations; always positive, mindful of covid safety, reliable and fun. They offer activities for all abilities and thanks to their efforts out son enjoys meetings other young people regularly, supported by a friendly Nova staff member who looks after him and keeps him safe. The planning of activities and communication with parents is very professional and well coordinated. We are very impressed and so grateful to the team."
"My daughter has attended Nova Children's Project over the last few years. It has been an amazing experience for her and us as her parents. The staff are friendly, professional and keep us so well informed about the service and feedback about [our daughter]'s time with them, as a parent it can be hard to hand over the responsibility but I fully trust Nova, they are so professional."
"Our son is profoundly autistic with severe learning difficulties. Nova is the only club he can attend which meets his needs. It allows him the chance to socialise outside school in a familiar and safe environment. It is absolutely key to his development as it allows him to gain vital independence skills and interact with staff. It also allows us the chance to do things which we can't do when [our son] is around - such as clean the house or take our daughter out. [Our son] loves Nova and will ask to go so he definitely has a lot of fun.
Thank you for providing such a fantastic service...your services make such a positive difference to our family."
"Thank you for enabling [my son] the time to spend with you having fun. You really understand him and I am grateful you believed in him and kept this going even through difficult times. He is so happy now and loves coming to see you. Thank you."
"Our daughter loves Nova and is always so excited to attend. She has fun in a very safe environment with staff who support her completely. She comes away from Nova Club very happy and calm. All her needs are met there and it gives us much needed respite for a few hours,"
"Nova Children's Project has been an absolutely amazing service for my child and the family. It gives the family a much needed break from the full on ADHD symptoms of my eldest son, gives us time to focus on the youngest on his own for a while. It gives me time to reset my brain and relax for a few hours, or even get some housework done without "help"!
My son adores coming to "club", he has a fantastic time and always goes in and comes out smiling, he has severe anxiety so for him to be so happy to attend this setting is a testament in itself. The staff are fantastic and it is one of the few clubs that will take my son as he is doubly incontinent."
"Our journey so far, as with so many other families with SEN youngsters has been extraordinarily difficult at times so to have had the offer of respite from the amazing Nova team three years ago has given us utter relief, pleasure and support. Our girls find any change a huge challenge, but due to the right environment and brilliant staff, it didn't take long for our girls to enjoy their sessions. Even to the point whereby the girls look forward to them, which is a very very rare thing."
"Nova do a fantastic job and are a real lifeline."
"As a mother with two children with additional needs, the club is a lifesaver. I'm able to concentrate on one without having to juggle the two!"
"On collecting [my child] at the end of a session, he is always smiling and happy! A sign of a happy and contented child has to be down to the key elements of the activities he has done and the support he has received."
"The quality of what is on offer (staff, venue etc) is exceptional."
"Staff are fantastic, always supportive of our daughter and us as a family. It's been a true lifeline for us."
"It is fantastic. Staff are great, so welcoming to the parents and caring to the children."
"[My child] loves coming, the activities are appropriate and varied, the staff are fantastic. We feel that she is really understood and catered for individually by Nova, not just babysat."
"You provide an extremely valuable service to us parents of disabled children. Otherwise many of us do not get a break at all. Many thanks to the wonderful staff at Nova."
"We are very grateful that we have access to Nova's services, they make a huge difference to our quality of life as a family and to [our child]'s quality of life as an individual."
"Nova Children's Project is enthusiastically run and is hugely enjoyed by my daughter. I appreciate the kind and helpful staff and am pleased that my daughter is happy there."
"Thank you to everyone at Nova for your work with [our child] this year. She is so happy when we tell her club is on that she jumps up and down!"
"We are extremely grateful to and thankful of the Nova Team who are making a huge difference to ours and our son's lives."
"Nova do a wonderful job and provide a safe environment for my child and a much needed break for the family."