Official Launch Of SNAPS Fundraiser At Irwin Mitchell Leeds From 3pm On 28th October

A charitable group in Leeds which organises fun activity sessions for children with disabilities is launching a calendar featuring professional portraits of youngsters who benefit from the group’s work.

SNAPS (Special Needs and Parent Support) runs swimming, hydrotherapy and dance classes for youngsters plus coffee mornings to offer advice and help to families.

The 2010 calendar, sponsored by the Leeds office of law firm Irwin Mitchell, features children from some of the 200 families from the group who belong to SNAPS and is designed to challenge stereotypical images of youngsters with disabilities.

Chair Samantha Grundy, who helped to set up the group in 2004 after her son was born with physical and learning disabilities, said: “A lot of families with disabled children don’t have studio-quality pictures taken and many special needs schools don’t book in professional photographers.

“It is difficult to invest in it because it is harder to make the children feel comfortable in strange surroundings and you are never sure how the final images will turn out, or how the children will react to the photographer.

“We wanted to address that and give a positive image of disabled children. One of the trustees here is a very keen photographer and knows everyone at SNAPS so the end result really captures the character of the kids and we’re delighted with how it’s turned out.

“We’re hopeful it will bring in funding which will be of huge benefit to us as well as celebrating the beauty of our children who happen to have a disability. We are proud of them but too often people see their disability first – this calendar celebrates them as individuals.”
Dean Sanderson, whose daughter attended SNAPS, took the photos and was thrilled with the finished product.

“The kids had a brilliant time posing for the camera and the fun they had comes through in the pictures. All of the parents were keen to order prints of their children so I think the calendar should be a hit,” he said.

Irwin Mitchell partner Rachelle Mahapatra said: “We were delighted to be able to give our support for the production of what I’m sure will be a very popular fundraiser for SNAPS.

“We often work closely with the group through our clients and are well aware of the terrific service SNAPS provides to children and families across Leeds and this calendar should help that continue throughout 2010.”

Copies of the calendar, which costs £4.99, can be purchased on Ebay via the SNAPS website www.snaps-vol.org.uk.