Fundraiser spotlight

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As a registered charity, SensationALL relies on the efforts of fundraisers and donors to help fund our vital services, many of these fundraisers are also families who benefit from the sessions and support and one wonderful example is the Forrest family…

7-year old Jamie has Autism and Epilepsy as well as speech and language issues. His mum registered with SensationALL a few years ago looking for support to help the family navigate their neurodiversity journey. Since registered they have attended soft play sessions and sensory groups that have helped Jamie’s sensory development and given him a safe place to play. They’ve also enjoyed our relaxed events like the Santa’s Grotto at the Old Schoolhouse and even got tickets for Disney on Ice through SensationALL. Jamie’s mum, Natasha, has also attended parent/carer support groups where she was able to access a supportive community of other parents who face similar experiences.

This year, to show their gratitude, Natasha, John, and Jamie decided to take on the Aberdeen Kiltwalk and have already raised over £500 for SensationALL! Natasha explains why they wanted to do this for us:

SensationALL made a huge difference to our family right from the first session we attended (a messy play during the Easter holidays) when we had just received a diagnosis but were battling for support and a school placement. Jamie had fun playing freely in a safe environment and we had a chance to offload our thoughts and worries to staff and other parents in attendance. This gave us hope. 

Jamie has attended a few of the Christmas events. Getting to see Santa with no pressure, no queues and no judgement. He’s also had a fun play session at the Halloween party events. He loves the soft play, again it’s a safe and quiet place for him to have some fun. It warms my heart when staff pay attention to him and play with him. Its very hard taking him to public soft plays, due to safety concerns and sensory issues.

The park in westhill is where he eventually had the courage to use a swing properly, as it was low enough for him to do it. it’s also fenced in and safe.

Jamie faces many challenges. SensationALL bring a positive to Jamie’s life by making him feel involved and valued. We would like to support them by doing this [walk] together. Although, this is a ‘wee wander’ [4-miles], it will be challenging for Jamie, but we are going to do this as a family.

Everyone at SensationALL is incredibly proud of Jamie and his family for taking on the Kiltwalk a go! There are still spaces to sign up and join our team of “SensationALL Striders” which includes a few members of staff or you can sponsor them here!

Feeling inspired to get involved? There are so many ways you can support us through individual fundraising.

Whether it’s taking on a challenge event, organising a bake sale, or creating your own fundraiser, every penny helps us continue providing vital support to neurodivergent children, young people, and adults with additional support needs.

find out about fundraising here

How The Traitors Helped Raise £13,000 for us

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One month on and we are taking a moment to celebrate the success that was our Traitors Party – the first of its kind in Aberdeen!

On Friday 20th March we welcomed 150 guests to Norwood Hall Hotel for an unforgettable evening inspired by the hit BBC show The Traitors. From the moment guests arrived and were greeted with a welcome drink, the atmosphere was buzzing. Despite not knowing what games of betrayal and deception lay ahead…

At the outset each player was presented with a black envelope containing their secret role for the evening. An unknown number of Traitors were embedded at each table – now the game was officially on. Could the Faithful uncloak the Traitors amongst them?!

Thanks to outstanding hosting from Original 106’s Pete McIntosh, the players were guided through team missions to earn points for their table. Then it was time for the murders and banishments… friendships were tested; conspiracy theories were debated and accusations flew (which was every bit as entertaining as we hoped)!!

As the night unfolded and players were gradually eliminated, tension built right up until the final reveal and the room erupted when it turned out that the last remaining player was a… Traitor and walked away with the cash prize.

Check out the photo gallery:

A charity that’s given so much to my family

The brainwave idea for this unique fundraising event came from Avril Millington, who is a parent of a service user – she suggested using the popularity of The Traitors to create a different kind of event to raise money for the charity. As Avril explains:

“The reason I wanted to organise this event for SensationALL is deeply personal. I have been supported by the charity through their parent group for several years, and I’ve seen first-hand how life-changing this supportive community can be, as I’ve been able to meet other people facing similar challenges to me.

Even while waiting for a formal diagnosis for my son, I’ve been able to access help for both him and myself. SensationALL’s fun and inclusive activities mean I have a place to take him where his needs are accommodated without judgement. I have also had access to their training courses, which have given me a greater understanding of how to best meet his needs, as well as my own.

SensationALL has been there for our family during some of our most challenging moments, and I wanted to find a way to give something meaningful back. Combining a fun, engaging event with fundraising felt like the perfect way to do that. What was an ambitious idea became an outstanding reality, and I’m absolutely delighted with the amount raised.”

An incredible £13,000 raised

While the evening was packed with laughter, intrigue and plenty of dramatic reveals, its real impact goes far beyond entertainment. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who attended, our wonderful sponsors and supporters, we raised an incredible £13,000 in one night.

This money will directly support neurodivergent children, young people and adults across the north east, helping SensationALL continue to deliver vital play sessions, social groups and ongoing support for individuals with additional needs. Knowing that one evening can help make such a tangible difference is incredibly moving.

We couldn’t have put on this event without the support of our sponsors – Jenna Mitchell Coaching, STATS Group and Scotgrip International – as well as everyone who donated raffle prizes and every single person who bought a ticket. And not forgetting our amazing volunteers who helped on the night, keeping everything running smoothly through the game.

Events like this truly showcase the power of community, and we are so grateful for everyone’s input in making this event a massive success.

What’s next for SensationALL?

Fundraising events are essential for SensationALL to continue growing and supporting even more families. We are now looking for sponsors for the Masked Ball this September, which is the highlight of our fundraising calendar.

This year’s masked theme shines a light on the experience of “masking” for neurodivergent individuals – and the impact it can have on mental health, identity and self‑expression. The event will take place at The Chester Hotel, with a drinks reception, three‑course meal and live entertainment included.

If you or your business are interested in sponsoring the event, you’ll be helping cover essential costs such as catering and entertainment, ensuring that every pound raised can go directly towards supporting SensationALL’s services in 2026 and beyond.

Please get in touch if you’d like to know more events@SensationALL.org.uk.

Thank you for helping SensationALL continue to make a difference.

Sensory Ball 2025

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Like most charities, SensationALL relies on the donations and financial contributions of funders and supporters in order to achieve our charitable purpose of improving the lives of people with neurodivergent conditions and complex support needs.

The highlight in our fundraising calendar is the annual ball and this year, we have added a sensory theme to not only enhance the guest experience but give guests an insight into how it feels when you are affected by sensory processing issues.

Around 10% of the UK population is estimated to have sensory processing issues. These people can be severely challenged by everyday things that the majority of people take for granted including social interactions, noisy environments, the feel of clothes or the texture of food.

As so many of the children and adults using SensationALL’s services struggle with sensory processing issues, we want to give our guests an insight into what this means by weaving a sensory theme into every possible part of the night. This will be a charity event with a difference as we challenge people’s expectations in a fun (and enjoyable!) way, for example…

The food may be presented in an unusual manner; there could be surprising changes in the room’s lighting; entertainment might start when you least expect it and so on!

All of the evening’s features are designed to encourage guests to think about how difficult life can be when your brain struggles to interpret sights, sounds and textures.

Our host for the evening, Sam Stephen will guide you through the different elements. Watch this clip for a sneak peek at our plans.

The Sensory Ball takes place on Friday 14th March at the Chester Hotel in Aberdeen.

Limited places are still available – £100 per person or £1000 per table of 10

Thanks to our key sponsors The JEllie Foundation, DeepOcean and Oilenco, the event will include an arrival drinks’ reception followed by a decadent yet surprising three-course meal.

The evening’s entertainment has been designed to surprise and delight featuring world-renowned act, The London Essentials with their immersive musical experience, plus dancing until late to local band Starsky.

There will also be an auction and games to raise vital funds for SensationALL’s work across northeast Scotland supporting individuals of ALL ages. Donations of auction items are much appreciated!

Get in touch – events@sensationall.org.uk

Full event information

Would you walk on fire for SensationALL?!

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Do you have what it takes to conquer a Firewalk? We are looking for people to sign up and take on this challenge and raise much-needed funds to support our service delivery.

We need people with the inner courage to walk barefoot across glowing embers in an exhilarating and motivational night of fundraising! Working in conjunction with Firewalk Scotland, this event is set to turn up the heat on our fundraising! 

Coping with demand for services

Charity CEO, Katie McNutt, is excited about the event and acknowledges it is coming at a time when funding is especially crucial to the charity: 

“Now more than ever we need people to take on fundraising challenges for us as the demand for our services is higher than ever. The money generated from the Firewalk will go directly towards the cost of running vital groups and support services for families in the northeast.” 

We currently have the names of over 90 youngsters on our waiting lists for places in groups and there are families approaching us every week looking for help. Our social groups and sensory play sessions provide fun, social opportunities for those with complex needs or neurodivergent conditions such as Autism, who struggle to make friends and interact in mainstream settings. Meanwhile, our advisory consultations and support groups for parents and carers make a massive difference as they feel better able to care for their loved-one. However, we are working at capacity and urgently need to raise more money so we can meet the demand from new families! 

Can you take the heat?

But why would you want to walk on fire?! Other than fundraising for a good cause, Firewalk Scotland say that:

“The lesson of the firewalk is not about the fire, but about what it takes to get through it – which can be applied to any aspect of a person’s life. This is about finding your inner courage and confidence, being able to look fear in the eye and overcome it.” 

Have you got what it takes?!

Register now

So don’t hesitate – sign up now! 

Entry is £20 and you’ll be asked to fundraise £100 for SensationALL. In return, we’ll help you with setting up a donation page and you’ll get your own SensationALL t-shirt. Plus, on the night itself, you’ll get expert training during a motivational workshop which will ramp you up to put ‘mind over matter’! 

SensationALL’s Firewalk is on Saturday 23rd November from 6.30pm at The Old Schoolhouse, Westhill. Spectators are welcome and we’ll have refreshments and games.  

For more information and to register for the event contact us – events@sensationall.org.uk 

Inclusive Play Park for Westhill

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The planned car park extension and new playground installation is finally happening!

Visitors to the Old Schoolhouse over the last few years will be familiar with the parking constraints caused by the small onsite car park. Addressing this issue has been one of our key priorities following the completion of the Community Asset Transfer for the building and grounds in 2019 as, ensuring the safety of our families and visitors is vital. At the same time, there was an opportunity to create a fully inclusive space for ALL in the adjoining play park – the first of it’s kind in Westhill.

Over the last 18 months, our team have been carefully planning the upgrade of the outdated play park on Westhill Road. We worked with play equipment experts to create a design that offers something for all abilities and makes the most of the footprint. The carefully selected items include a sensory play frame with slide, swings for all ages and abilities as well as a wheelchair accessible trampoline and roundabout.

We are so excited to see work begin – the play park is going to be a fantastic asset to both our charity and Westhill!

Suz Strachan, Service Manager and Co-Founder

The design has also focused on retaining some open green space so families can enjoy picnics and children can play freely. The new park area will be surrounded by fencing to ensure it is a secure space, safe for children to run and explore.

Meanwhile, the car park extension will allow up to 20 vehicles to park onsite, massively improving safety for visitors to the Old Schoolhouse who previously had to park on the roadside. This will also reduce traffic congestion and inconvenience to our neighbours.

The new entrance to the car park from Westhill Road allows for one-way traffic flow to reduce the risk to pedestrians from turning vehicles.

While a designated drop off point has been created specifically to accommodate minibuses or larger vehicles.

Finally, the original car park area will be reserved for those requiring disabled access and larger parking bays.

With the project costing over £147,000 the task of securing the funding in the last year has been challenging and we feel extremely grateful that despite the pandemic so many organisations have pledged their support.

Special thanks go to our main donors – The Wooden Spoon Charity who are funding the majority of the play equipment costs and Aberdeenshire Council who have awarded us a large grant from their Developers Obligations Fund.

Our contributors:

We would also like to thank Fairhurst and our former Chair, Bob McCracken who were instrumental in making this project a reality. Thanks finally to Nicol of Skene for all their help and assistance.

In the future, we hope to add more elements to the park such as sensory panels – we’d love to hear from you if you have suggestions on what else you’d like in the park please get in touch!

Follow our Facebook page for more updates on the progress of the construction.

For all press or media enquiries please contact info@sensationall.org.uk

SensationALL and Giving Tuesday

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Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving, after Black Friday and Cyber Monday it is a day to give back and do good. At SensationALL we love the idea and thought it was the perfect opportunity to shout about the ways you can support our charity.

SensationALL are dedicated to providing outstanding therapeutic services for individuals with support needs and their families however, we simply couldn’t operate without help from our volunteers, supporters and local community! We rely on our volunteers giving their time to our users during services , fundraising committee giving their time at events, we rely on corporate supporters giving donations and raffle prizes. 

We have just launched our Christmas Card Campaign 2018 when we’re asking people to donate instead of sending cards this year. One of our parents was the first to sign up because of the experiences she’s had at SensationALL:

“SensationALL has provided an exemplary location for our son to feel at ease, the staff and other families provided a welcoming respite in a demanding world. Every £1 here makes a real impact!”

Here are some other ways you can give to SensationALL.

  • Volunteer at upcoming events (SensationALL Ceilidh, Friday 30th November, Winter Wonderland, Saturday 08th December)
  • Donations for our Winter Wonderland fayre – Chocolate, Home baking (drop off at the Old Schoolhouse by 06th and 07th December) and bottles for the bottle stall.
  • Fundraise for SensationALL – we’ve got places at Run Balmoral and Ride the North 2019 or organise your own fundraiser doing whatever you like!

If you want to give some time to SensationALL in any shape, we’d love to hear from you – email volunteering@sensationall.org.uk #SensationALL

Check out what the SensationALL team do here. 

SensationALL and Children in Need

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SensationALL provide therapeutic activities and specialist support for individuals with disabilities or multiple support needs (MSN), their families and associated professionals. To improve the lives of children and adults with disabilities by supporting them, we make specialist support accessible to the whole family in a tailored environment.

This year we were lucky enough to have secured three years funding from Children in Need, this funding has assisted the development of two groups to promote inclusion, social opportunities and empowerment of skills for children with multiple support needs and their siblings.
Inclusive Social Group

Previously only a monthly group, the Inclusive Social Group now runs every second week and is a social group for primary school-aged children with support needs (mainly autism and learning issues) and their siblings. It is run in conjunction with our sister social enterprise out of school care club, Schools Out! This gives us the opportunity to create a safe, supported environment for children with mainstream and diverse needs to play and learn from each other. A range of games, interactive activities and therapeutic rooms are available for all the children,  supported by experienced SensationALL staff. An added benefit for most of our families is that it is a drop-off session, where parents and carers are not expected to stay on-site, so providing a brief period of respite in an often challenging life.
Already it is evident how valuable this group is for families, some of whom travel almost 20 miles to attend. One mother said “It is one of the few places that we can come and I can leave my son, knowing that he is not only cared for in a safe place, but that he will be encouraged to engage with a range of peers, while learning to tolerate others and have unique opportunities to self-regulate with supportive staff in special facilities”.

One young sibling also said “It’s great that my brother has autism because it means that we both get to come here and play with our friends. I get to meet other siblings and have great fun!”
SocALLise Teenage Social Group

This group has developed rapidly over the last two school terms, increasing attendee numbers by 60%. It is attended weekly by academy-aged youngsters with various support needs (most being autism related). As well as this group being structured around usual youth club type activities like; pool, games, baking, sports, quizzes, and creative projects; the youth group get the opportunity to partake in community based visits and outings.

SensationALL Operational Team Lead, Suz Strachan says: “the focus for this group is to promote confidence, provide social and community based opportunities to increase vocational experiences and generally promote social skills and self resilience.”
One teenager said “I struggle to fit in, always have and SocALLise gives me a place to come every week where I can meet my friends and be accepted. I would probably just do nothing or sit in my room otherwise.” One of the parents expressed the difference it had already made to their teenage son: “…we have seen our son’s confidence increase and for a boy who’s default mode is reluctance, avoidance and negative thinking; the staff have quickly attuned to his needs and found ways to encourage his involvement in all the group’s activities.”
With less than 10% of income originating from service income, SensationALL rely heavily on grants, trusts and donations to ensure the continuation of life-changing groups like those supported by Children in Need and to help the development of their unique vision of an inclusive supportive hub for the North of Scotland.

SensationALL are very thankful for the opportunity to benefit from the support of Children in Need, not only in the form of funding, but also in their marketing and training support, which for a small, growing charity can assist with the empowerment of skills to ensure long term sustainability.

For more information on any of our groups and services, see our timetable here or contact us. #SensationALL

CML take on a “SensationALL” project

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A team of volunteers from Aberdeen-based midstream infrastructure business CATS Management Limited (CML) have shown their ongoing commitment to local charity SensationALL by rolling up their sleeves for two days of DIY activities for the second year running.

SensationALL provides support and multi-sensory experiences for children and adults with disabilities and multiple support needs, their families and associated professionals. In 2016, the charity was successful in its application for a Community Asset Transfer from Aberdeenshire Council for the Old Schoolhouse building in Westhill and is now working towards transforming it into a purpose-built facility.

In 2017, CML funded the purchase and installation of a new summer house and was involved in painting, gardening and general maintenance. This year’s support included removing and replacing cupboards, painting the main activity room and upgrading the outdoor garden space. CML also donated £5,000 to cover the cost of new flooring and storage units.

Suz Strachan, operational lead and co-founder of SensationALL, said: “The support that we have received from CML is overwhelming. Their team are a dynamic bunch who power through maintenance tasks that our small team simply don’t have the time or resources to do. Their enthusiasm for what we do at SensationALL is fantastic and we love having them onsite.”

SensationALL is staffed by experienced specialist practitioners who deliver therapeutic sensory based activities that promote early intervention for individuals with support needs such as autism as well as those with learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental conditions.

Suz Strachan added: “This year we are particularly excited that in addition to all the internal work, CML have helped us upcycle some items donated by the AWPR. The new seating area will be used for outdoor learning as it enables us to take groups outside and utilise the sights, sounds and smells of our garden as a sensory experience.”

Andy Hessell, managing director of CML, said: “As a small, independent charity, SensationALL relies on companies like CML to help it achieve its goal of creating a safe, stimulating and practical environment for the people they support. We have seen first-hand the positive difference SensationALL has on individuals, their families and the local community, and are delighted to continue to support Suz and her inspirational team.”

APACHE OPEN STATE-OF-THE-ART SENSORY ROOM IN SENSATIONALL

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On the back of the Apache North Sea Limited donation to SensationALL, the local charity has reopened the newly refurbished Sensory Room!

As part of Apache’s Corporate Outreach Programme, the Kingswells-based company awarded the charity £30,000 and the donation went towards the renovation and repurposing of the Sensory room, transforming the old Sensory room into a state-of-art interactive space, with a higher specification and bespoke design around the user-needs.

The room was closed for almost a two week period whilst the redevelopment project was underway.

Suz Strachan, SensationALL Operational Team Lead, talks us through the transition of the Sensory Room and what the donation and new space means to the users : “we’ve managed for a number of years with second hand goods and a makeshift set up, starting off by revamping a cleaning cupboard in rented premises in 2012!”

Suz continues: “We now have more opportunities for users to control their environment; to use switches, self generating noise and Bluetooth technology to do so. We use this in combination with low tech resources and utilise the environment to engage in learning, offer choices and use an intensive interactive approach to promote optimal communication with all our users. The upgrading of our room brings us one step closer to achieving an inclusive flagship facility, with a community focus and reflects the specialist sensory based services that we provide.”

SensationALL evolved from the closure of the Raeden Centre (a facility for children with complex needs in Aberdeen) in the Summer of 2011 and the team originally rented facilities in Lawsondale where they ran family support sessions and hosted play sessions in the soft play centre; they became a registered Scottish charity in 2012.

In 2016, the team acquired the Old School and Schoolhouse building to transform into a purpose-built facility for the provision of specialist services and therapeutic activities for MSN users, as well as community facilities, including an out of school club and rooms available to community groups and local businesses.

The donation from Apache has enabled SensationALL to widen the benefits of use to more of their service users and takes the charity one step closer to their dream.

Patricia Paterson, Executive Assistant at Apache, opened the new Sensory Room and said: “I am absolutely delighted with the transformation of the old sensory room into a state of the interactive multi-purpose room!  Apache are privileged to have been able to make a difference in improving the lives of children and adults with disabilities”

You can view the clip of the Sensory Room renovation project here! #SensationALL