A CHILDREN'S charity in Newport has secured a grant to carry out a feasibility study into potentially opening a second centre.

Sparkle, the partner charity of the Serennu Centre in Rogerstone, wants to build a second centre in order to cater for the needs of disabled children and young people in Blaenau Gwent, north Torfaen and north Monmouthshire.

The grant of £78,900 announced by the Welsh Government will enable Sparkle to identify the needs of families and children with disabilities in the area.

It will also help to find land which could house a dedicated, integrated centre for those children and young people with complex needs.

The aim is to provide children in the north Gwent area with the same level and quality of services as those in the south.

Sparkle chairwoman Dr Sabine Maguire said: “We want to address the inequity of services to the children with complex needs between those in North and South Gwent.

“Serennu provides so much for the children and young people with complex needs in the south of the county, this contrasts starkly with the current provision in North Gwent.”

Serennu in Rogerstone, which is this year celebrating its 10th anniversary, benefits hundreds of children and young people each year in a purpose-built centre which provides a fully integrate children’s centre providing all the therapies and psychological support the children need, alongside support from Newport city council’s disability team, family services and others.

In north Gwent children and young people attend the Nevill Hall children’s centre on the hospital site which provides outpatients clinics and some therapy support.

This leaves families having to travel to multiple sites to access social care or the few leisure opportunities available to them.

“This cannot be right” said Dr Maguire.

“Those children and young people deserve to have the same quality of services as those in the south of the county.”

The aim of the Transition Hub would be to provide services geared towards young people with complex needs as they make the move to adulthood.

The feasibility study will involve wide consultation with all interested parties, including parents, health, social services and housing sectors and children and young people themselves.

The aim is to identify the design and location to enable a centre to provide a totally integrated service which meets all the children’s complex needs under one roof.