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Reviewed by Nicola Stanwix, Associate & Clinical Negligence Solicitor

Rainbow Hub is a charity based in Mawdesley, Lancashire, that provides disabled children and their families with access to specialist rehab services, helping them to reach their full potential and gain more independence through fun, hands-on therapies. Also on site they have a bespoke nursery and school where children with neurological and physical disabilities can thrive. 

Each year, Rainbow Hub hosts a vibrant Sports Week, a celebration of the strength, determination and progress of the children that visit this unique facility. Colourful by name, colourful by nature, one of the highlights of their annual Sports Week this year was the ‘colour challenge’, where the children got the chance to traverse multicoloured obstacles, gradually becoming all the colours of the rainbow as they reached the end.

Elton a regular visitor in sessions at Rainbow Hub celebrating his Rainbow Run win!

Fletchers Solicitors are very proud to be partners with Rainbow Hub, and this year we were once again on hand to offer support and legal clinics to families attending the annual Sports Week. “Our partnership with Rainbow Hub is something we are incredibly proud of. The work they do is nothing short of life-changing, and it aligns so closely with the values we hold at Fletchers – supporting people through incredibly challenging times and helping them achieve the best possible outcomes. Events like the Sports Week highlight the development and growth each of these children achieve each year, and helps to raise vital funds for such a great cause.” -Nicola Stanwix, Charities at Partnerships Team Leader at Fletchers Solicitors

Amy Clayton, Leanne Devine, Francesca Rodd and Nicola Stanwix from Fletchers Solicitors celebrating the sports week victories with children from the Rainbow Hub.

Empowering children with disabilities through bespoke therapies 

Sadly, statutory resources often don’t stretch far enough to meet the needs of the children and families that Rainbow Hub supports. Rainbow Hub bridges that gap through therapies like Conductive Education and Rebound Therapy, enabling children to develop essential physical skills like hand grasp and release, which in turn allows them to learn important life skills such as dressing, eating and writing.   

“We focus on practical outcomes—like being able to step up and down, manage curbs or walk more independently,” explained Rebecca Edwards, Conductor at Rainbow Hub. “We witness remarkable progress in our children—not only physically, but also in their confidence and motivation. Many arrive reserved and lacking self-belief, but over time, we see them transform into eager learners who embrace challenges with enthusiasm”.  

Success stories 

For Michelle, Evie’s mum, Rainbow Hub has been a lifeline. Evie was diagnosed with Hypoxic-ischaemia (HIA) at birth. HIA refers to a lack of oxygen and/or blood flow getting to a baby from the placenta during the birthing process, which can in turn lead to the development of disabilities, which again may be mild, moderate or severe.  

“As Evie began to grow, we noticed she was showing delays in her physical development, things like sitting, crawling and other motor milestones. Rainbow Hub has played such a huge part in her development. Since attending, she’s learned to walk, run, jump, balance on one leg, and dress herself—things we thought would be impossible once upon a time.”  

“Emotionally and socially, she has grown into such a confident little girl, who is now eager to try new things and engage with her peers. JoJo at Rainbow Hub gave her the chance to use the tripod walking sticks, she took to them instantly. Thanks to that support, she was able to walk down the aisle as our flower girl in 2022—it’s a memory we’ll never forget.  

For Sorley too, Rainbow Hub has been life changing. Sorley has Downs Syndrome, which means that he has very low muscle tone. As a result, he has to work extra hard to achieve motor skills that come naturally to typical children.   

“Sorley has flourished since he started attending Rainbow Hub over a year ago. He has made significant improvements in his motor skills but also his listening and attention skills have improved so much,” commented Susan, Sorley’s mum.  

“I had a moment recently at the end of a session, the conductor had asked parents to wait at the door and the children would come to them. Sorley stood tall and walked out of the session all the way to the door whilst needing hardly any support at all. It was a huge ‘WOW’ moment for me, just realising how far he has come as walking has been his biggest challenge to date. Walking has been his biggest challenge, but Rainbow Hub helps me see a future where he can be more independent”.  

The power of community and peer support  

But Rainbow Hub doesn’t just support the children living with disabilities, they support the whole family. Often, parents caring for disabled children can feel isolated and find it hard to make time for themselves. Rainbow Hub creates a community for these parents, and a safe space upstairs away from the hustle and bustle to rest or catch up on work, whilst their child is in therapy  

As well as this, family support workers are on hand to assist not just with the children’s development, but also with the wellbeing of parents and siblings. They run accessible days out where parents can connect with each other, provide cooking classes for the siblings of children that regularly use Rainbow Hub and offer access to sensory rooms and peer networking opportunities. “We feel more understood and supported as a whole family,” said one parent. “There’s a real sense of community—you’re surrounded by people who genuinely understand what you’re going through.”  

Joanne Ashcroft works as the Lead of Conductive Services at Rainbow Hub and loves seeing the impact her teams work has not just on the child, but the parents too. “Witnessing the transformation in parents as they see their child makes progress is one of the best things about my role. You get to see their hope and optimism grow.”  How can Fletchers help families living with brain

How can Fletchers help families living with brain injury?  

Finding out that your child has developed a brain injury birth either at birth or further down the line leaves families facing an unexpected and challenging future. For over 30 years, Fletchers Solicitors has supported families pursuing medical negligence claims relating to children’s neurological and physical disabilities.  

Accessing therapy for your disabled child can be incredibly difficult and time-consuming. Often, in order to be eligible for state-funded care, families need to work with their local council to establish an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP).  

Amy Clayton, a Solicitor at Fletchers in our Brain Injury team, works closely with therapists and case managers who can assist in the EHCP process to ensure that her clients are able to access the rehabilitation that they need in the short term. And in the long term, the Brain Injury team work hard to recover the costs of all future rehabilitation that our clients need in the present and in the future, with places like Rainbow Hub.  

“We understand the profound impact that a neurological disability can have upon a child and their family. My team and I have vast experience in handling serious claims; we are specialists in clinical negligence claims that have resulted in life changing injuries.  Our goal is to ensure that our clients have access to the support they need by working closely with therapists and case managers. Rainbow Hub is a shining example of the level of rehabilitation we want our clients to have access to”, commented Amy.  

Amy Clayton, Clinical Negligence in the Brain Injury Team at Fletchers.

At Fletchers, we are committed to the rehabilitation of our clients, our goal is to help rehabilitate the client to their fullest potential.  We are incredibly proud to support charities like Rainbow Hub, who share the same rehabilitation goals as us.   

What’s Next for Rainbow Hub?  

Rainbow Hub continues to grow, with exciting developments underway. In 2024, they opened Rainbow Hub School, a specialist independent school combining educational and health approaches. Remarkably, it was awarded an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating upon opening, the only school out of 260 in the area to achieve this. The next major milestone will be the completion of a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy centre, expected in 2026, alongside future hopes for a sensory woodland walk. 

Fletchers Foundation   

Sometimes, there is no claim for clinical negligence, or a person doesn’t want to make a claim for clinical negligence. Fletchers can still support those individuals by referring them on to the Fletchers Foundation – a charity that will consider applications for financial grants, that often help to make meaningful and impactful changes to day-to-day quality of life.