Families get a break thanks to Step By Step

Without Step By Step, Mrs Hoffman doesn’t know “how families in the community would cope.

“Some of these children are one of six or more [in a household]. Parents struggle but this really helps them to get a break.

“More importantly, it gives the child a chance to do activities that are not always otherwise possible.”

Youngsters from nursery age to 18 participate in pursuits including horse riding, ice skating, swimming and music therapy.

Nearly 40 children and some 80 volunteers and staff have just returned from a two week summer camp in the UK which afforded parents a much needed break from 24/7 care.

“Summer holidays can fill parents with dread if they have children with disabilities,” Mrs Hoffman observed.

“It is hard to keep them busy and to find things that they are able to do.”

Rivki, 17, from Stamford Hill, was among volunteers trained to support participants in the camp.

“I wanted to help the children and the families,” she said while helping to feed Malky, who has been attending Step by Step all summer.

“It is a great opportunity to help and the children are really fun.

“We took them to do activities like swimming, music and singing and they loved it.”

Chavi, 17, has been volunteering four days a week throughout the summer and often helps at the after-school clubs.

“I’ve been doing it for years,” she said. “I started because I have a cousin who has special needs. I know what it is like for families and I wanted to help.

“I helped to look after a child who was very active. He was quite a challenge, would run away a lot and would get angry. But when he was enjoying the activities he was great.”

Mrs Hoffman says that the efforts of volunteers enabled Step by Step to maximise its support.

“Outside of our summer camp, we also run an after-school session where the children get dinner. We also run a Sunday club and a Shabbaton service where children can be looked after overnight.”

Step by Step’s support “means everything to parents.

“We might take a child swimming and that night is the only night he or she sleeps properly because it relaxes them.

“We have one parent who is divorced and looks after her children on her own. Her son has severe difficulties and he is really big and hard to manage. She told us that when it comes to preparing Shabbos he charges all over the place pulling down candles and is dangerous.”

One week her son came to Shabbaton at Step By Step, enabling her to invite her brother and his wife to come for dinner. “She was able to cook up a storm. She set the table beautifully and it meant the world to her that she was able to do that.

“It is about giving parents normal experiences that you and I take for granted.”

Mrs Hoffman also noted that it was rare for a Stamford Hill charity to offer services to people from across the Jewish community.

“No one asks what shul you belong to or who is your rabbi is. Here it doesn’t matter and the children certainly don’t care. We even have children coming here from Golders Green.”

Last year, the community raised £500,000 in under 36 hours to back Step By Step’s work. The funding was vital, given that “the council has cut our budget year on year”. Without donations from charitable trusts and individuals Step by Step would not meet its £1 million annual running costs.

“We get grants from Children in Need and the Lottery but largely rely on donations from organisations like the Wohl Foundation and community support.”