Ardrossan-based initiative shown on BBC's Children in Need

On Friday, November 17, Sense Scotland’s STRIDE Ayrshire programme was highlighted during the BBC's Children in Need coverage.

The STRIDE initiative - which stands for Supporting Transition, Resilience, Independence, Development and Empowerment - has been developed by the charity to support children and young people with additional support needs in their transition to adult life.

The programme has been developed and carried out in Ayrshire at Sense Scotland's hub on Princes Street - known as Touchbase Ayrshire.

The feature saw the STRIDE group being paid a visit by one of McGill’s electric buses, where members of the group were helped through the process of taking public transport.

This included paying for their tickets – which were adorned with a stamp of Pudsey the Bear - and getting off at their stop. This process was another step in empowering members to feel more independent.

The initiative was featured by the show as Children in Need helps to fund the STRIDE programme.

Executives expressed interest in filming the group over a number of nights due to a recent funding report from Sense Scotland which detailed the overwhelmingly positive impact the STRIDE group has had on its members.

In addition to filming the visit from McGill’s Buses, Children in Need also interviewed STRIDE manager Sarah Julyan and Tracy, mum to Thomas and Grace – who are supported by the project.

All four were in attendance at the Children in Need live show on Friday evening at BBC Scotland's studios in Glasgow.