Our Story
Fledglings is part of the national charity, Contact.
We are a non-profit shop that helps children and adults with additional needs by supplying products and equipment that help with everyday challenges. We provide an easy and trusted environment to find the right solutions and allow people to connect and share their experiences.
Fledglings was born in 1998 out of founder Ruth Lingard’s passion and drive to help parents and carers of children with special needs find simple solutions to everyday challenges they face. As a special needs teacher and social worker, Ruth had a wealth of experience helping families and children, and Fledglings gave her an opportunity to reach more people in need.
Since February 2019, Fledglings has joined Contact, the charity for families with disabled children. Like Fledglings, Contact was founded by families of disabled children, who recognised that even if their child's conditions were different, they shared a common experience - of being a family with a disabled child. They understood how important it is to support each other.
Fledglings and Contact share the same vision: To support families with disabled children, making them feel valued, strong and confident to make the decisions that are right for them.
Fledglings works with over 80 partners, many of whom have been with us from the very start. Now families looking for practical products for their disabled child will not only be able to access over 2000 Fledglings product solutions, but will also benefit from Contact’s specialist information, support and advice – all in one trusted place.
Product Development
For children and adults with additional needs
They say that necessity drives invention – and at Fledglings this is very true! Many of our most popular products were developed with the help of parents and carers who wanted to find solutions to the challenges their children faced.
We want to hear from any parent or carer that needs something that will help. Let us know what you need and we’ll continue to listen, find solutions and drive innovation. Email us at fledglings@contact.org.uk
Our Values
Families at our heart
- We are passionate in supporting families to fulfil their potential
- We work in co-production, as equal partners with families
- We genuinely care about each other and the families we support
Trusted
- We trust each other to do the right thing
- We treat each other with dignity and respect
- We take responsibility for our actions
Empowering
- We support and encourage each other to take positive action
- We are non-judgemental and inclusive
- We listen to families to discover better ways of doing things together
Bold
- We are ambitious about what we can achieve together
- We are determined and driven in everything we do
- We take positive risks and learn from our mistakes
Every purchase from Fledglings directly helps Contact to continue supporting families of disabled children with expert information and advice.
Supporting Fledglings means Contact can continue bringing families together at events and workshops to support each other, and help families volunteer, fundraise and campaign to improve their lives and the lives of others - this is our cycle of support.
Find out more Contact’s national advice, information and support service, helpline, parent workshops and more at www.contact.org.uk
The Turn2Us grants finder on Contact’s website can help you find out if your family qualifies for a charity grant in the form of money, products or services.
If you require a quote to apply for funding through the NHS or a Charity, please contact us and we will be more than happy to supply this.