Little Roan Energised By Gas Charity
3rd January 2008
Roan Craig (7), who attends Roddensvale Special School, has received a welcome boost from the Energy for Children Charitable Trust – the Charity set up by the local natural gas industry to raise funds for disadvantaged children.
Roan’s parents recently got news that they are to receive a sizeable four-figure contribution towards ongoing costs associated with the Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) that their son is receiving to help combat the negative effects of autism. ABA is a behavioural treatment programme that is widely used with autistic children and research has shown that it can significantly improve social interaction skills and behaviour.
Roan’s father Jonathan has seen the effects ABA has had on his son and commented:
“Roan’s development is progressing little by little every day and we can see the small but positive signs that his speech, dexterity and social skills are improving. We are very aware that his treatment will be a long-term process and as such this funding from the Energy for Children Charity will greatly help our determination for Roan to continue to receive the treatment and as a result continue to improve his standard of living”.
Phoenix Natural Gas administers the Energy for Children Charitable Trust and it was a staff member from the gas company who nominated Roan for funding from the Trust. Simon Little of Phoenix Natural Gas reflected:
“A friend from Larne had told me about Roan and how the family and local community had been working hard to raise money for the Behavioural Analysis so that he could have a better quality of life. I approached the natural gas industry’s Charitable Trust regarding the possibility of getting funding and I was so delighted to hear that the application to help Roan had been successful”.
The Energy for Children Charitable Trust recently set itself a target of raising £250,000 for local disadvantaged children by the end of 2009.
(L-R): Jonathan Craig and son Roan (7) celebrate their fundraising lift with Simon Little of Phoenix Natural Gas.