The impact of Legacy Gifts

In 2023, Accuro received a £10,000 Legacy Gift from the estate of Joan Reed. This was a wonderful gift from a person who chose to make a difference to a local charity at the end of her life.

£10,000 could fund the direct costs of one of our Term time Youth Clubs for an entire 10 months. Accuro run weekly Youth Clubs in Harlow and Loughton and bi-weekly Clubs in Great Dunmow and Saffron Walden for young people aged between 11-19 with a disability. Accuro’s mission is to reduce loneliness and isolation, by providing opportunities for friendship and the development of skills and potential that improve happiness, health and wellbeing through fun shared learning experiences, enabling members to live fulfilling lives.

This figure could cover the salary costs of our specialist staff, trained to care for young people with additional and complex needs, Club venue hire, and resources, activities and external visitors to the Club – all ingredients that make Accuro Clubs unique in the local area. Accuro staff provide professional, personal care, in a safe environment, with fun and inclusive activities on offer that members may not be able to access elsewhere. Family members and carers can benefit from much-needed respite to look after their own mental health or spend time with other family members helping to keep families together.

The impact Accuro’s Youth Clubs can have on members’ lives is incredible – and in some cases, this happens in a really short space of time.

Mitchell, is 16 and is Autistic. He has been attending Loughton Youth Group since March of this year. His mother, Carrie, shared the personal impact Accuro Clubs has had on her son.

“Attending Club has made a huge difference to Mitchell’s mental health and he is so happy. We are so grateful that Mitchell has the Club. He attends school far away so struggles to see his friends. Coming to the Club has enabled him to not only make lots of new friends but also gain much-needed independence and social skills. He is excited and happy to go every week and keen to share his experience when he gets home. He has truly grown in confidence.”

Carrie added, “The staff are phenomenal and really cater to each child’s individual needs. Parents are kept well informed and the range of activities are fantastic and most importantly, inclusive. It’s wonderful to see the progress Mitchell has made in such a short space of time especially as I know he is safe and looked after. Mitchell coming to Club allows me to spend time with my older son, one on one, which is a very rare occurrence.”

This year, Accuro is celebrating 40 years of supporting local people with a disability.

Senior Operations Manager, Alison McKeown, commented “As a small local charity, we are proud to have supported people with a disability in West Essex for such a long period of time and to have provided consistent services for a number of people from when they were young children, through their teenage years, and into adulthood. Legacy Gifts provide hope for us to be here for another 40 years and are a vital lifeline for the sustainability of the charity. We are dedicated to supporting local people with a disability and want to be around for as long as possible to adapt to the needs of future generations”.

If you are interested in learning more about leaving a Gift in your Will, please visit our Legacy Gifts page here.