Special Needs Action Project to benefit from Ladies' Day Out at the Waterside Hotel in Inverness
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LADIES of Inverness will be pampered this Sunday – and all for a good cause.
Claire O’Brien (45) has organised a Ladies’ Day Out in aid of the city’s Special Needs Action Project (Snap) which helps people with special needs including her son Rory (11), who has severe autism and benefits from the out-of-school social activities provided by the organisation.
Canapés, prosecco and pamper treatments will be available at the event in the Waterside Hotel and dresses will be sold in aid of the charity.
Currently catering for around 80 children and young people, with a similar number on the waiting list for a place, Snap has been struggling financially.
Inverness Common Good Fund recently awarded a grant which will be used to carry out a review of its operations and to hire an additional part-time fundraiser.
Ms O’Brien said: “Rory has attended Snap for the past six years and it has become an invaluable service to us. He attends after school on a Monday which means I get a chance to spend one-on-one time with my daughter. Due to the severity of his autism Rory is unable to attend any other activities and without the services he gets at Snap he would be isolated.
“He has a chance to integrate with friends and expand his social circle.
“Rory loves Snap, as do all the children and young adults I have met, as he has lots of fun. They offer so much variety as to what they do.
“There is no other service like this in Inverness and I decided I wanted to help in some way, which is how Ladies’ Day Out came about.”
It will run from 1pm-6pm at the hotel in Ness Walk, with tickets priced at £7.50.
Attendees can bring their own pre-loved dresses along to sell, with 10 per cent of each sale going to the charity.
More than 150 dresses have already been donated for the event and will be sold on the day too, with all the proceeds going to Snap.
The day will also feature a selection of stalls, and a raffle which will contribute to the cause as well.
Snap manager Dawn Walker said: “We are delighted to have the support of Claire and the Waterside in running this fundraiser.
“We realise that it is very difficult for parents and families of children with additional support needs to find the time and energy to do such a thing and are so grateful that Claire is doing this for us.”
