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About Us

How SNAAP was started and what we do now

learning

SNAAP informs, encourages and supports parents and carers, enabling them to provide the best possible help to their children via a range of services.

Our priority is to provide the help you need when you need it the most and we focus upon the whole family and not just on the child with disabilities.

SNAAP was started in 2003 by a group of parents who wanted to make a difference and realised that they were not alone in feeling isolated and frustrated. With the help of Contact a Family, who carried out a consultation that highlighted a lack of support and information as well as limited leisure opportunities, SNAAP was born. Our Manager, Carrie Wood, is one of those founding members and helped make SNAAP the charity that it is today.

As a needs-led organisation, we listen to our families and our services are developed to meet those needs and there are opportunities for them to feed into our services.

At the heart of SNAAP lies our fundamental belief in informed parental choice, empowering parents to access the very best services and support to ensure that their children achieve their goals in life.

Our priority is to provide the help you need . . .


. . . . when you need it the most

Our staff


Meet the Team

Carrie Wood

Carrie Wood

Manager

Founder member and Manager since 2003, Carrie is responsible for the day-to-day management of SNAAP.


She is also the Designated Safeguarding Officer and reports regularly to the board of trustees.

Sarah Selby-Bird

Sarah Selby-Bird

Family Support Worker/Designated Safeguarding Lead

Sarah has worked for SNAAP since 2015 and has a wealth of knowledge on many of the issues that affect families. As the DSL she is the first point of contact for staff, children and parents or carers to report any concerns.


She also attends SNAAP-EY’s and Stay & Play.

Kerry Crane

Kerry Crane

Leisure Events Coordinator/Volunteer Coordinator

Kerry joined us in 2018 but worked as a Manager in the care industry for 18 years so has a good understanding of our family’s needs. She plans all our days out during school holidays as well as attends SNAAP-EY’s and Stay & Play. She is also responsible for managing our Volunteers and social media platforms.

Katie Wicks

Katie Wicks

SENIOR PLAY SUPPORT LEAD

Sam Harmison

Sam Harmison

Finance and Administration Officer

Sam has been with us since 2013 and is an integral part of the team. When she is not doing our accounts, she is keeping the office running by doing all our admin. She also helps ensure payments are received from families.

Bev Mellor

Bev Mellor

Admin Assistant and Play Support Worker

During term time, Bev helps run our SNAAP-EY’s and Stay & Play clubs and assists Sam with the office admin, in particular managing care plans. During school holidays you will see her at many of our clubs and activities.

Our Trustees


Meet the Trustees

stephanie

Stephanie Swan

Chair

Stephanie was appointed a trustee in 2011 and became Chair of the Board in November 2011. Prior to this she had provided business support and advice to the Board since summer 2010. Stephanie has more than 30 years experience in public administration. She left the Mayor of London’s City Hall in 2009 where she had been director of finance and administration for the Greater London Authority’s Policy and Partnerships Directorate for nine years. Previously she was director of finance and administration for the London Research Centre and held senior roles in the Inner London Education Authority and the Greater London Council. Currently, she is director of finance and administration and company secretary at The London Pathway – a new charity working to change the way homeless and other socially excluded people are treated in the health service, and is a governor at Thanet College and a member of its Audit Committee. She was born and has lived in East Kent all her life.

Cally Vaile

Cally Vaile


I had a long career in the NHS, as a nurse, health visitor, community health services manager and finally as Commissioner for Child Health Service for East Kent. Since retirement, I have chaired a KCC Adoption Panel, and been an independent member of a Foster Panel. As a young Mum, I was a founder member of 'Contacts', a charity which provided support for disabled children and their families in this area. This experience impacted very positively on my professional life, and subsequently a respect and interest in the work of SNAAP. For 'leisure' I love all things 'arty', and have just retired as Chair of The Arts Society Sandwich. I am of course a devoted Granny and cherish being part of the lives of three lively teenage grand children. I hope I can contribute in a small way to the essential and valuable work of SNAAP.

Alan Newton

Alan Newton


Having had a rewarding career in finance and corporate governance, I was invited to see at close hand the work being done at SNAAP, which provides support to a vulnerable section of our society. As well as utilising my skills to promote and enhance its corporate governance and accounting reporting, I am looking forward to developing my personal skills for the benefit of the charity.

Petra Rouse

Petra Rouse


Petra is a qualified teacher with professional experience of Special Needs within Mainstream Schools, currently running her own Early Years childcare business.

She is a regular attendee of SNAAP activities with her two sons, both who have ASD and additional needs. She has a passion for supporting both children and their families, is keen to learn about disabilities and needs away from her own personal experience, and aims to be the parent voice.

Sabrina Boyle

Sabrina Boyle


Sabrina is a current service user of SNAAP with her son who has ASD AND SEN. She also have a 28 year old who has GDD who she looks after full time.

Previous work experience includes midday supervisor, TA and LSA in a primary school. She also has volunteered with the Brownies as group leader and now, as SNAAP has supported her and her family over the years, she now volunteers for them.

She thoroughly enjoys being part of the SNAAP family, as a service user, volunteer and now trustee.

Some of Our Services


Providing the help you need, when you need it the most

community

COMMUNITY SHARE – (new service)

Due to generous donations from Morrison’s and The Hygiene Bank, as well as food surplus from Aldi, we are able to offer cupboard basics like soup, rice, pasta, baked beans and sauces as well as fresh fruit and vegetables. We also have toiletries and sanitary protection. We all need a helping hand from time to time so if a food parcel would help you and your family, we are happy to help, just contact us on 01227 367555/07842 127825.

Family Support

FAMILY SUPPORT

Our support service is designed to help provide practical advice and the emotional support we all need from time to time. So, if there is something you are struggling with that is causing you concern, make an appointment to speak with our Family Support Worker, Sarah Selby-Bird. She is also available at our drop-in sessions at Whitstable Umbrella Café (held the first Thursday of every month 9.30-11.30, check our Facebook page for up-to-date info) and SNAAP-EY’s and Stay & Play.

holiday activities

SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

During each school holiday we provide a range of activities for you to book onto. We use a booking system where you book and pay for activities online.

This link will also be emailed to all our families on our mailing list, as well as posted on our social media platforms.