Romsey Opportunity Group (ROG) provides childcare for children with additional needs and disabilities in a safe environment where they can have fun, build relationships, learn, and flourish. The children are cared for by an incredible group of volunteers, allowing much-needed respite for their parents as well as an opportunity to meet other parents who understand the difficulties that they might be facing.
The group was founded in 1971 by Joan Thomas, who started the charity in her own home. Now, 54 years later, one of the few Ofsted-registered special needs charity centres in Hampshire has launched a new website, which was created by Evolve Websites.
Jonathan Whettingsteel, patron of the charity, said: “One of the things I want to achieve as a patron is not just fundraising, although that is vitally important, but also raising awareness of the Romsey Opportunity Group and the amazing work that they do. A website is very much ‘a shop window’ to the outside world, and it felt a new website would be a great opportunity to share the important work the charity does.” Mr Whettingsteel works for Dutton Gregory Solicitors, and his company funded the project for ROG. Mr Whettingsteel continued: “I was really fortunate that the firm I work at, Dutton Gregory Solicitors wanted to offer to make a charity donation to ROG, knowing how important it is to me, and rather than making a cash donation I wanted to use the money to buy something people could see, and the website seemed a great opportunity, as the old could do with a refresh.”
ROG manager Pauline Buckley added: “I have been working for Romsey Opportunity Group since June 2024, taking the reins from a long-standing history of passionate, dedicated and inspiring women who have created and shaped the group into the special, caring and life-changing group that it is today. Taking on the role of writing our new website was a huge task, and I was keen to ensure we captured the true picture of who we are, what we do, and where we have come from. It has been a pleasure to spend time with past and present staff, volunteers, and parents to learn about the history of ROG. I am proud to be the current Manager of the group and am excited for our future. Our new website has brought us into the 21st Century, filled with photos and information about us, as well as a direct link for referring children to the group, making the process much slicker and more efficient.”
We are a completely self-funded charity, receiving no government-funded support, and so we work tirelessly to ensure that we have the funds necessary to open our doors. We are so grateful for every donation that we receive, as it makes such a huge difference. Every single donation is a very big drop in our ocean and helps to provide valuable resources, precious experiences for our children, essential staffing, maintenance of our equipment, and so much more. We are always looking for new ways to fundraise, so if you think you can help, please do get in touch. We are also always looking for new volunteers, as without these wonderful people, our charity could not exist. If you are interested, please do get in touch as we love showing people around.
Our website is: www.romseyopgroup.org.uk
