Early concerns and finding support
Lucas’ parents found themselves navigating a world full of uncertainty when he was born with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. While he reached some early milestones quickly, including learning to walk, this only shifted his mum’s worries rather than easing them.

“I still wondered what the future would hold for Lucas,” mum, Lisa, explains.
Lucas received some NHS physiotherapy support, but it was limited and inconsistent. Group settings, in particular, were difficult. As a lively twin with lots of energy, Lucas was easily overstimulated, and typical toddler groups often felt chaotic rather than supportive.

“What should have been everyday experiences just felt really hard,” Lisa recalls. “Instead of enjoying them, we were managing stress.”

Everything changed when they saw a flyer for Playskill. At first, Lucas’ mum, Lisa, didn’t think they would even be eligible. Lucas’ physical challenges were considered ‘mild’, and she worried that children with more severe disabilities needed support more than they did.

“Lucas falls into a grey zone,” she explains. “He’s mildly affected physically, but that often meant we had to fight harder for support because people say, ‘He can walk, so he’s fine.’” But Playskill’s founder, Andrea, encouraged the family to come along for an assessment. When Lucas was offered a place, it marked a turning point - not just for him, but for his whole family. “I remember thinking, this could really change things for us,” says Lisa.

A calm, understanding environment
Walking into Playskill for the first time brought an immediate sense of relief.
“There was a calm coming over me - everything that felt hard outside was accepted here,” Lisa recalls.

Playskill provided Lucas with tailored physiotherapy and occupational therapy designed around play, creativity and encouragement. Sessions were adapted to his interests and abilities, turning therapy into something joyful rather than clinical.
“It never felt like therapy to Lucas,” Lisa says. “It just felt like play.”

Simple activities, like using tiny dinosaur figures with tweezers (because he was dino mad!) to build his pincer grip, became powerful tools for development.
Playskill’s inclusive ethos made all the difference. Lucas’ twin sister was welcomed, included, and even given her own special chair.

Friendships and shared understanding
Beyond the therapies themselves, Playskill gave Lucas and his family something just as vital: connection.

Lucas formed friendships with other children who shared similar experiences, including another boy with hemiplegia whose family understood the realities of daily life with a physical disability. For Lisa, the relationships built with other families were transformational.

“The other parents just understood,” she says. “You didn’t have to explain or justify anything. In a world where disability is often minimised or misunderstood, Playskill was a place where nothing needed defending. It was built on empathy, trust and shared experience.”

Advocacy and emotional support
Playskill’s support extended far beyond the session room. The team helped Lucas’ family navigate systems they didn’t even know how to begin accessing, from understanding brain fatigue, to applying for a blue badge, funding for specialist equipment, and learning how to advocate for Lucas within education and healthcare settings.

“I didn’t even know where to start,” Lisa says. “Playskill helped us find our way.”
For Lucas’ mum, this guidance was life-changing.

“As a parent, you arrive as a broken parent, adapting to a new idea of the child you thought you were having,” she reflects. “Playskill helps put you back together.”

The emotional support from staff and other parents was invaluable. Everyone had been through the system; they just knew.

Playskill became integrated into the family’s life. Lisa even went on to work as a support worker for the charity when Lucas was a bit older.

Life after Playskill
Lucas attended Playskill from the age of three until he started school at five. Now almost 16, he is entering a new chapter as he completes his final year of GCSEs.
“With every new stage, the worries come back,” Lisa admits. “You’re always stepping into the unknown again."

Facing a world that isn’t designed with disability in mind can be daunting. As services begin to discharge him because of his age, old feelings resurface.

“Every time someone says ‘discharge,’ my heart leaps,” Lisa says. “I think, who will look after us now?”

Alongside the fear, there is also pride. Each discharge is a reminder of how far Lucas has come, and how much he has already achieved.

A new chapter
Sport has become a big part of Lucas’ life. After trying rugby, he discovered his passion in football. Two years ago, Lucas was invited to try out for the England Cerebral Palsy Football Pathway, an opportunity that would once have felt unimaginable.
“I never would have believed it years ago,” says Lisa.

He now trains with FA-qualified coaches in regional squads, attending sessions at Brentford and St George’s Park. The training is demanding and physically intense, but Lucas thrives on it.

Lucas has now received an official CP classification, which makes him eligible to represent England in a Paralympics team in the future. “I’m Danish, his dad is Welsh, and our son might play for England!” Lisa reflects with pride.

The long-term impact of Playskill
More than a decade after Lucas first walked through its doors, Playskill remains part of the family’s life.

During COVID, Lucas even asked to fundraise for Playskill himself, raising £1,000 by cycling 100km. In 2022, Lisa and Lucas also took part in a 16 mile fundraising walk together.

What does Playskill mean to the family?
“It was a game changer,” says Lisa. “An inclusive, life shaping support that helped our whole family.”