Co Kildare charity Sensational Kids hosting Creative Leaders Lunch with 4 guest speakers at the Kilashee Hotel today

By Kim O'Leary

A very special lunch event is set to take place in the Kilashee Hotel in Naas today with 4 guest speakers who have excelled in growing their own businesses to talk to entrepreneurs, all in support of Kildare based charity Sensational Kids.

The “Creative Business Leaders Lunch” will be hosted in the Rathasker Suite of the Kilashee Hotel in Naas today, Friday 8 June, from 12-4pm with a three-course meal, guest speakers, as well as a silent auction and a raffle taking place on the day.

The guest speakers will take to the stage at the event and they include:

Sensational Kids are delighted to announce their partnership with Kildare Local Enterprise Office and Kildare County Council to host The Creative Business Leaders Lunch at Killashee Hotel on Friday 8th June. Featuring four fabulous business leaders as well as an opportunity to network with other businesses, it’s  not to be missed!

Speaking to KildareNow, Development Manager at Sensational Kids Rhoda Bermingham said: “The target is €15,000 to support expansion here in Kildare and part of our overall fundraising plan, which also includes the Fairy & Elf Festival and support from private and corporate sponsorship.”

This year Sensational Kids is celebrating its 10th birthday and it was set up 2008 by Kildare woman Karen Leigh, who was inspired by her own family’s experiences with long waiting lists and a lack of affordable and accessible occupational therapy services.

Sensational Kids employs 21 staff, including a highly skilled clinical team across sites in Kildare Town and Clonakilty in Cork. According to Ms Bermingham, Sensational Kids helps children with a variety of special needs and the charity helped 700+ children last year with over 4,600 children assisted by the charity over the years.

Sensational Kids currently has its headquarters in Kildare Town, but Ms Bermingham explained that the charity is seeking to further expand their premises due to tight office spaces.  “We’re bursting to capacity, we really need to reach 10,000sq.ft and to do that we need funding as we are currently renting the premises. We don’t get any support from the government.”

Sensational Kids's upcoming  projects include the introduction of hippotherapy, which involves the interaction between children and horses as a form of therapy

Speaking of the new therapy treatment, Ms Bermingham explained: “Hippotherapy involves the interaction between children and horses as studies have shown that autistic children in particular can form strong bonds with animals. We hope to roll it out here in Co Kildare shortly and we feel we’re well placed to look to the equine industry for support. It involves the children doing therapeutic activities while riding on the ponies with an occupational therapist and a guide leading them. We’re very hopeful that it will prove to be a positive and effective treatment.”

All proceeds from The Creative Business Leaders Lunch will go to Sensational Kids Early Intervention Services for children with additional needs

For more information on Sensational Kids visit https://www.sensationalkids.ie/