Introduction

I’ve been part of the Sparkle team for six months now, working in communications and spending a lot of time listening to families, speaking with staff and helping share the stories that show what Sparkle makes possible.

Most of the impact stories I write are about children, young people and families. About confidence growing, friendships forming, and people finding support in places they didn’t know existed before.

But after a few months here, I realised something. I was hearing so many powerful experiences from other people that I hadn’t stopped to reflect on what I’d seen myself.

So this feels like a slightly different kind of impact story.

These are some of the things I’ve noticed in my first six months at Sparkle. Moments that stayed with me, things that surprised me, and what I’ve come to understand about the difference Sparkle makes from the inside.

Before I started

Before joining Sparkle, I knew of the charity in the way many local people probably do. I knew Serennu Children’s Centre was just up the road from me, but I had never actually been inside. From the outside, I had no idea how much was there, or how much happened within it.

I hadn’t realised Sparkle supports families across three children’s centres, or that as a charity it needs to raise around £750,000 each year to keep its services running. I also didn’t understand the scale of what sits behind the doors at Serennu, from the hydrotherapy pool and MediCinema to the sensory rooms, climbing wall, trampoline room and woodland walk.

More than anything though, I hadn’t understood how important Sparkle is to the families who come here.

I didn’t have a personal connection to this world before starting this role, apart from having a close friend whose child attends Sparkle activities. But within my first few weeks it became clear very quickly that Sparkle is not just an organisation. It’s a network of people who care deeply about making things possible for children, young people and their families. That was the first thing that really stayed with me.

The children and families

One of the moments that has stayed with me most happened during a Youth Club session just before Christmas, when the Newport Dragons came to visit. They brought presents and spent time playing games with the young people, but what stood out to me wasn’t just the activity itself. It was the feeling in the room.

I remember one little boy taking on three Dragons players in a soft play challenge. They stacked soft play cubes into a tower while he knocked them down using a makeshift Gladiator-style pugil stick. Every time the tower fell, the joy on his face was unforgettable. It wasn’t just excitement. It was confidence, pride and pure elation all at once. Moments like that make it very clear how much these sessions matter.

That evening was also the first time I really noticed the passion and kindness of Sparkle’s Leisure Support Workers. Many of them are teenagers themselves, and some used to attend Sparkle clubs when they were younger. Others are siblings of Sparkle children. Seeing them come back to support the next group of children and young people said so much about what Sparkle becomes for families over time. It isn’t somewhere people just pass through. It’s somewhere they stay connected to.

Through my role, I’ve also had the chance to speak with parents while working on recent impact stories. Hearing about James and how the move to the Sense Hub in Caerphilly helped him settle into clubs more confidently really stayed with me. Both his mum and the Activity Co-ordinators spoke about the difference it has made to him, and how much his confidence has grown.

Writing about Billy and his family was especially meaningful because I already knew them. Seeing how Sparkle’s partnership with MediCinema has helped them enjoy trips to the cinema together reminded me that sometimes impact isn’t about big milestones. Sometimes it’s about families being able to do ordinary things together.

I’ve also heard parents at Stay and Play talk about finally having a space where they can relax, talk to people who understand their experiences and feel less alone. That kind of space matters more than people often realise.

‘The family Christmas party at Serennu probably made the biggest impression of all’.

Seeing staff stay late after work to volunteer their time, dressed in festive costumes and helping create something really special for families, was incredibly moving. Trustees were there too, quietly helping wherever they were needed, which said so much about how deeply people care about the charity and the families it supports.

Watching children arrive and spot the Grinch, hearing the laughter around the room and seeing the excitement build as Santa appeared brought the magic of Christmas to life in a way that’s hard to describe. It wasn’t just something you could see. It was something you could feel.

I found myself unexpectedly moved to tears watching Santa hold babies and hand out gifts while children looked on with absolute wonder. As someone who has always loved Christmas, that evening stayed with me.

By that point I already understood how important Sparkle was to the families I was meeting. But after that Christmas party, I felt something shift for me personally too. A stronger sense of pride in being part of the charity, and a real responsibility to help make sure moments like these are seen and shared.

The people behind Sparkle

One of the things that has stood out to me most over the past six months is the people behind Sparkle.

Very early on, I realised that what might look like ‘going above and beyond’ from the outside is simply what people here do. Whether that’s staying late after work dressed as elves, turning up to events in their own time or helping each other solve problems during the day, there’s a genuine sense that everyone wants things to work for families.

Something else that struck me quite quickly was the depth of knowledge within the organisation. The Senior Leadership Team carry years of experience and understanding about the families Sparkle supports and the role the charity plays alongside the centres. That insight shapes decisions every day, even if families never see it directly.

I’ve also been really struck by how present and engaged the trustees are. They’re not distant from the day-to-day life of the charity. They’re involved, interested and connected. Seeing the Chair take time to meet staff, be part of recruitment and stay closely involved in conversations about Sparkle’s future made a strong impression on me. It’s clear that Sparkle’s leadership genuinely cares about the people at the centre of everything it does.

‘Working somewhere like Sparkle feels different. Compassion isn’t something extra here. It’s just part of how things are done’.

 

The supporters who make it possible

Something else that has really stood out to me over the past six months is the strength of the community around Sparkle.

Before starting here, I think I imagined fundraising in quite a traditional way. What I hadn’t realised was how personal so much of it would feel.

I’ve seen parents take on marathons and skydives, local businesses organise events and collections, and supporters run everything from bake sales to sponsored challenges to help make Sparkle’s work possible. Again and again it became clear that people aren’t just supporting a charity they’ve heard about. They’re supporting something that matters to them and their families.

‘There’s a real sense that Sparkle belongs to its community’.

Seeing that level of commitment helped me understand that Sparkle’s impact doesn’t stop at the doors of the centres. It stays with people, and many choose to give something back in their own time because they know how much it means.

 

Sharing what Sparkle is learning

Another part of Sparkle’s work that surprised me was its contribution to research and learning.

Before starting in this role, I mainly associated Sparkle with clubs and family support. I hadn’t realised how much work also happens behind the scenes to better understand the experiences of children and families and share those insights more widely.

Seeing work connected to Sparkle published in open-access journals such as the Psychreg Journal of Psychology really stood out to me. It made me realise Sparkle isn’t only creating opportunities locally. It’s also helping shape conversations about what inclusive support can look like more broadly.

That changed how I see the charity’s role.

 

What six months has changed for me

Over the past six months, my understanding of Sparkle has completely changed.

From the outside, when you see Serennu and the other centres Sparkle works from, it’s easy to assume there must be a very large organisation behind it all. What surprised me most is just how much is achieved by such a small team.

Behind everything Sparkle delivers is a group of people who care deeply about what they do. A knowledgeable and committed Senior Leadership Team, Family Liaison Officers supporting families every day, a Fundraising Officer constantly working to secure the charity’s future, administrators who seem to have an answer to everything, Activity Co-ordinators creating opportunities for children and young people, Leisure Support Workers who make sessions possible, and the wider network of trustees, volunteers and centre staff who support the charity’s work.

‘What I’ve come to realise is that Sparkle is about people’.

Not only the children, young people and families who attend sessions, but everyone who plays a part in making those opportunities possible.

In just six months, I’ve seen how much Sparkle means to so many people, and I feel genuinely proud to play even a small role in helping share those stories.

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