Helping children with scoliosis , spina bifida and all other serious bone conditions alongside complex needs . Charity Reg 1086173.
Strongbones Children’s Charitable Trust is a national registered charity set up to help alleviate the pain, suffering and financial burden of families who have children suffering from brittle bone disease, bone cancer, scoliosis, arthritis, and all other serious conditions of the bone.The charity has now been registered for 20 years, which gives us years of experience in our field. This experience has allowed us to assist children and their families with guidance on how to make their conditions more manageable and enhance their quality of life to an optimum level.Our aims are to take children out of social isolation and give them the ability to participate in every day life. We also relieve the families financial burden whilst they come to the realisation that their child has a long-term incurable disability that will have a life changing impact on the whole family. A majority of the children we encounter come from the most poverty stricken sections of society coupled with the fact that many of these parents have had to give up employment to provide round the clock care for the life altering conditions of their children. We are sure you appreciate it takes much strength and resilience to care for a disabled child, and we often feel society overlooks this as a whole, leaving carers and their children feeling severed from the outside world.
22/01/2026
❤️ Don’t forget to get your valentines competition entries into us by this Sunday! ❤️
❤️ Here it is friends… our fabulous Valentine’s competition! ❤️
We want to share as much love as possible this year so would really like our young people and their siblings to make something inspired by Valentine’s Day! 💕
This could be something simple like a drawing, card or a finger painting using the colours red and pink, or it could be something different like baking heart shaped biscuits 🍪, making a craft or even a little song 🎵. Anything goes!
Team Strongbones will be selecting three winners, with the following prizes up for grabs –
🥇1st prize – A red Tonie2 with play button and a game or Tonie figure of your choice
🥈2nd prize – Nanoleaf Matter Neon Rope Lights
🥉3rd prize – a selection of valentines inspired craft kits.
To enter, simply post a photograph of your young person with their creation below. 📸
Competition closes on Sunday 25th January 2026.
Winners will be announced on our page.
21/01/2026
🧗🛶🏹⛵️🔥We are very excited to open our applications for Bendrigg Trust Inclusive Family Residential Visit for 2026! 🔥⛵️🏹🛶🧗
Strongbones will be sending a small group of young people and their families to experience a fully accessible, completely inclusive activity residential break. The residential will be from Saturday 8th August until Wednesday 12th August 2026 at Bendrigg Trust, Bendrigg Lodge, Old Hutton, Kendal. Cumbria, LA8 0NR.
During the visit you will have the opportunity to participate in amazing indoor and outdoor activities, during our past visits we have done –
• Indoor rock climbing
• Caving
• Quarry abseiling
• Canoeing
• Zip wiring
• Bike riding
• Sailing
• Orienteering
• King swing
• Bush crafts
• Archery
• Played on the inclusive park
• Explored the sensory room
• Played games
• Had a campfire and toasted marshmallows
• Danced at the evening disco
If this something your family would love to participate in, please send an application email to mylessketchley@strongbones.org.uk
You must include all the following information, any missing information will result in your application being void.
1. Your young person’s full name
2. Their date of birth
3. How many people would be going and their ages
4. Your address
5. A recent diagnosis letter stating your young person’s bone condition.
Applications for Bendrigg will close on Sunday 8th February 2026.
We will only be contacting the successful families after this date, if you do not hear from us, you have been unsuccessful.
Happy applying!
15/01/2026
🌟Applications for our accessible respite breaks for 2026 are now OPEN🌟
Our accessible holiday homes –
We are taking applications to stay in one of our beautiful accessible holiday homes, at Shorefield Country Park, Milford on Sea, Downton, Lymington, SO41 0LH. Each respite break will run from Monday to Sunday and will include digital passes to access the on-site facilities, including the Robot Restaurant (Beachcomber), arcades, evening entertainment and swimming pools, which have an indoor Changing Places, an indoor and outdoor pool hoists and swimming aids.
The caravan can only accommodate one wheelchair user due to space and fire evacuation procedures; it sleeps a maximum of 5 people including your VIP. This consists of the master bedroom with a double bed and a specialised profiling bed and a second bedroom with two single beds.
If you would like to apply to have a respite break in one of our fabulous caravans, simply complete the PDF application form, found on our website, the link at the bottom of the post will take you directly to the ‘Apply for a Grant’ page, and return it to strongbonese7@gmail.com, you must also attach a copy of a recent diagnosis letter stating your young person’s bone condition along with the form, any missing information will result in your application being void.
Please note – no pets or smoking.
For the successful families, we will email you with more information including available dates, site map, Park Rules and Terms and Conditions.
If you have any issues with the application form, please contact us via email, and these will be answered Monday – Thursday 9.30am – 3pm. All correspondence will only be through email, any questions via messenger will not be answered.
There are quite a few accessible attractions around the caravan -
- Beaulieu Car Museum
- Paultons Theme Park (Home of Peppa Pig) - this has a Changing Places
- Monkey World, Ape Rescue Centre
- Longdown Activity Farm - This has a Changing Places
- Adventure Wonderland, Bournemouth
- Swanage Railway
- Travel across the Studland Ferry
- Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre has an accessible land train
- Oceanarium Bournemouth, Aquarium
- Mudeford Quay
- The Tank Museum, Bovington
Bendrigg –
We are very excited to open our applications for Bendrigg Trust Inclusive Family Residential Visit for 2026!
Strongbones will be sending a small group of young people and their families to experience a fully accessible, completely inclusive activity residential break. The residential will be from Saturday 8th August until Wednesday 12th August 2026 at Bendrigg Trust, Bendrigg Lodge, Old Hutton, Kendal. Cumbria, LA8 0NR.
During the visit you will have the opportunity to participate in amazing indoor and outdoor activities, during our past visits we have done –
• Indoor rock climbing
• Caving
• Quarry abseiling
• Canoeing
• Zip wiring
• Bike riding
• Sailing
• Orienteering
• King swing
• Bush crafts
• Archery
• Played on the inclusive park
• Explored the sensory room
• Played games
• Had a campfire and toasted marshmallows
• Danced at the evening disco
If this something your family would love to participate in, please send an application email to mylessketchley@strongbones.org.uk
You must include all the following information, any missing information will result in your application being void.
1. Your young person's full name
2. Their date of birth
3. How many people would be going and their ages
4. Your address
5. A recent diagnosis letter stating your young person's bone condition.
Applications for Bendrigg will close on Sunday 8th February 2026.
We will only be contacting the successful families after this date, if you do not hear from us, you have been unsuccessful.
Happy applying!
12/01/2026
❤️ Here it is friends… our fabulous Valentine’s competition! ❤️
We want to share as much love as possible this year so would really like our young people and their siblings to make something inspired by Valentine’s Day! 💕
This could be something simple like a drawing, card or a finger painting using the colours red and pink, or it could be something different like baking heart shaped biscuits 🍪, making a craft or even a little song 🎵. Anything goes!
Team Strongbones will be selecting three winners, with the following prizes up for grabs –
🥇1st prize – A red Tonie2 with play button and a game or Tonie figure of your choice
🥈2nd prize – Nanoleaf Matter Neon Rope Lights
🥉3rd prize – a selection of valentines inspired craft kits.
To enter, simply post a photograph of your young person with their creation below. 📸
Competition closes on Sunday 25th January 2026.
Winners will be announced on our page.
06/01/2026
🎊 Happy New Year!!! 🎉
👀 Keep your eyes peeled for a Valentines competition coming very soon!!! 💗
We have some fabulous prizes up for grabs!
18/12/2025
🎅🏼🎄⛄️ We have loved seeing all your fabulous photographs with your Christmas balloons and baking kits, we can’t wait to see even more of your amazing baked creations over Christmas.
We are very proud, being such a small team, to have brought so much joy to lots of families this year, and may it continue next year.
But for now, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
See you in 2026! 🎊
16/12/2025
📣 Christmas Jingle Competition Announcement 📣
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition with your amazing jingles, it was so difficult to pick the winners, but here they are…
🥇 Elisia and family - Claire Biney winning a holiday (date of their choice) in our amazing adapted caravan
🥈 Ava - Liz Chaplin winning a Tonie2 bundle
🥉 Harry - Sarah Jane Mogan Paula Shrimpton winning a games bundle
🎵🎅🏼🎄 Don’t forget to enter your festive Christmas music, songs and jingles by Sunday to be in with the chance of winning some fabulous prizes!!!! 🎶⛄️🎁
03/12/2025
⭐️ It’s competition time!!! ⭐️
🎅🏼 Strongbones would like you to create a piece of Christmas music or a little jingle to spread the Christmas spirit 🎄
Our Project Development Officer, Myles, has been busy creating his own music on the ODD ball and come up with a little rhyming jingle to demonstrate for you.
🎼 Post your video in the comments to enter!
We have some fabulous prizes for the winners…
🥇1st prize - 1 week stay in our amazing adapted caravan at Shorefield Country Park, this will be any date of your choice (including the school summer holidays) for up to 5 people.
🥈2nd prize - A Tonie 2 with a ToniePlay game and controller
🥉3rd prize - Your choice of games on Amazon, up to the value of £50
Competition is open to all our young people with bone conditions and their siblings! You could even enter as a family!
Closing date is Sunday 14th December 2025, any entries made after this date will not be considered.
Winners will need to provide a recent diagnosis letter, stating the bone condition of their young person, aged 3 to 21.
🎵 Good luck! 🎶
27/11/2025
💥APPLICATIONS CLOSE THIS SUNDAY!!!💥
Be quick if you would like to apply for a Christmas Eve baking hamper or Christmas balloon bouquet for your young person!
To apply for either pack, send an email to mylessketchley@strongbones.org.uk with all of the following information (any missing information will result in your application being automatically void)
Subject - balloons OR baking
1. Young person’s full name
2. Young person’s date of birth
3. Their home address
4. A contact number for delivery
5. A recent diagnosis letter stating young person’s bone condition
By applying for either pack, if successful, you are agreeing to provide us with photographs of your young person with / using their pack to share on our social media pages and website.
Applications close on Sunday 30th November 2025.
Any applications made after this date will automatically be void.
We are aiming to deliver both packs on Wednesday 10th December, please ensure someone is home to accept delivery on this date before applying.
We will only be contacting the successful applicants.
Good luck!
24/11/2025
Don’t forget to get your applications in soon, closing date is Sunday 30th November!
20/11/2025
🎈Strongbones Christmas Balloons or Christmas Eve Baking Hamper 🥣
🎅🏼⛄️🥧🛷⭐️☕️🥛🍫🎄
If you would like to apply for a Christmas Balloon Bouquet OR a Christmas Eve Baking Hamper for your young person simply send an email to mylessketchley@strongbones.org.uk with all of the following information (any missing information will result in your application being automatically void)
Subject - balloons OR baking
1. Young person’s full name
2. Young person’s date of birth
3. Their home address
4. A contact number for delivery
5. A recent diagnosis letter stating young person’s bone condition
By applying for either pack, if successful, you are agreeing to provide us with photographs of your young person with / using their pack to share on our social media pages and website.
Applications close on Sunday 30th November 2025.
Any applications made after this date will automatically be void.
We are aiming to deliver both packs on Wednesday 10th December, please ensure someone is home to accept delivery on this date before applying.
We will only be contacting the successful applicants.
Good luck!
Address
B9 Romford Seedbed Centre, Davidson Way Romford RM70AZ
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to Strongbones Children's Charitable Trust:
Charity Reg 1086173. Strongbones Children’s Charitable Trust is a national registered charity set up to help families who have children with brittle bone disease, bone cancer, scoliosis, arthritis, and all other serious conditions of the bone. The charity has now been registered for 16 years, which gives us years of experience in our field. This experience has allowed us to assist children and their families with guidance on how to make their conditions more manageable and enhance their quality of life to an optimum level. Our aims are to take children out of social isolation and give them the ability to participate in every day life. We also relieve the families financial burden whilst they come to the realisation that their child has a long-term incurable disability that will have a life changing impact on the whole family.
A majority of the children we encounter come from the most poverty stricken sections of society coupled with the fact that many of these parents have had to give up employment to provide round the clock care for the life altering conditions of their children.
We are sure you appreciate it takes much strength and resilience to care for a disabled child, and we often feel society overlooks this as a whole, leaving carers and their children feeling severed from the outside world.
WHAT DO WE DO
We provide a online support network to over 1,000 families
We provide manual wheelchairs
We provide specialist buggies
We provide rainbow sensory packs
We provide adapted trikes and hand cycles.
We provide supportive seating (If refused by State funding at panel)
We provide advice to families in accessing welfare benefits. This includes disability benefits and disabled facilities grants that they may be entitled to receive.
We provide disability aids and portable hoists to enable children to have a enhanced quality of life.
We organise family days to enable parents and children to network.
We organise and fully fund a yearly superhero party in the summer to host 400-500 people.
Our Youth Ambassador Myles selects a child weekly to receive a Myles Sketchley Inspirational Award in the form of a medal, along with a certificate and a gift.
We provide balloons to children in hospital.
We organise accessible activity weekends
We support siblings through our Super Sibling project which involves exciting competitions and inclusion for the whole family.
