Yatton House is an incredible place in Great Ayton that supports adults with learning and physical disabilities. It’s a Day Centre and they’re now able to help more people thanks to refurbishment work to bring their 1980’s building up to date. Yatton House has been described as incredible by the families who use it, but the centre still has more plans to improve its offering and is looking to raise a further hundred thousand pounds to get the buildings finished, which will include a Sensory Room, an Enterprise Hub and an Allotment too. Our reporter Sharon Davies, went along to find out more and first spoke to the service manager, Jonathan Stephenson.

Yatton House was formed by group parents back in 1981 because they wanted provision for their children after education. They got together and formed a youth group which was the the basis of what is now Yatton House. We provide a service for adults with learning and physical disabilities and there was no other provision at the time or opportunities for them, they wanted something that was meaningful and engaging where they could learn different skills and have a community together where they could work and communicate with like-minded people.

I’m Ann and I’m Shaun’s Mum but I also work at Yatton House. I’ve worked here coming up to four years. I take, most of the sessions drama, cooking, Makaton, prop making, art and crafts, and gardening.

I suppose, as a parent and also working here, you see it from both sides, what’s it like to have your son come here?

It’s a happy place and a close-knit place as well. Shaun comes, and he gets such a lot out of coming to Yatton House, he makes friends here, he does things that he likes to do, he experiments and his skills grow. It means a lot for me for Shaun to attend because I see him thriving.

And what do you think of coming here Shaun? It’s nice.

What are your favourite things that you do here? Cooking, swimming, drama.

And is it nice having your mum here as well? Yes, nice.

Anne Sutcliffe’s 35 year old, son, Philip, attends, Yatton House. Amy caught up with her earlier on the phone.
He has a high level of needs, very high level of needs so it’s been a challenge really finding somewhere that is able to meet his needs, and I actually think we’ve struck gold with Yatton House. I didn’t want Philip to go to somewhere where he would just kind of sit at the fringes and not be involved. Philip is called a member, that’s what all the people who go to Yatton House are called, which I think is a brilliant term because it’s part of something and he’s definitely a part of the membership of Yatton House. As a parent, I think, one of my biggest concerns is that Philip goes somewhere where he’s happy and he’s safe. Its a really happy place, it’s a very safe environment. Philip attends there with his own carer because he’s unable to access things on his own, but the staff provide the activities and the opportunities for each member to learn and do things, and they’re just an amazing bunch of people so we’re really happy.

What would life be like if you didn’t have Yatton House?

There isn’t anywhere for miles and miles around here, if he was to go anywhere else it would be a very long journey there and back every day, If he didn’t do that, he’d be at home with us. There’s not many young people who want to spend every day at home with their parents. It gives him opportunities to be out with his peers, with people who are active and entertaining him really. I think a lot of the members at Yatton House do that, they also provide wonderful support for each other, they really care about each other. It’s a really lovely environment for him and much more stimulating I think than just being at home with parents. I mean, you know, he lives here and we, we obviously, do lots of things with them at weekends and holidays, etc, but to spend every day at home would not be a good thing for him, I think.

We’ve heard from a few people as well who need that time, whether it’s Phil or whether it’s you. I know Yatton House have been working to refurb certain parts of the building and I know they’re looking to raise another hundred thousand pounds to get the building finished. How confident are you they can do that?

I’m very hopeful, they’ve done amazingly well in the fundraising that they have done and they’ve had wonderful donations from a lot of Charities. Everybody’s being asked to donate to Charities these days, people individually don’t have the money to do that so the Charities that they’ve been able to access have been amazing, and it has, you’re absolutely right it’s enabled the building to be brought into somewhere that’s bright and cheerful and fit for purpose. The facilities, specifically for some of the individual members at Yatton House, for example, the Changing Places facility that they’ve got, but it’s also available to members of the public who might be in Great Ayton for the day who need a Changing Places Facility. I think people can see what’s being achieved at Yatton House and yes, it’s a heck of a lot of money for us to ask for one hundred thousand pounds, to finish it off, but maybe seeing what’s been done will encourage people to feel that they might be able to support in whatever way they can.

They’ve established a Community Garden now and some members of the community have volunteered to help in, and opening that up and opportunities for people to be involved I think is another part of how they’re going forward, and then the members are part of the community and the community engages with the members. So, it’s a win-win really.