Our Story
Fledglings is part of the national charity, Contact.
We are a non-profit shop that helps children and adults with special 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.
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.