Where we Began....

Hello, my name is Sara Llewellyn, and I’d like to share the story behind how Louie’s Helping Hands began. 

My son, Louie, was born with a rare chromosome deletion known as 2q24.3 deletion. From the very beginning, his journey has been one of strength, resilience, and determination. 

On 11th December 2015, Louie’s school - the Royal School for Deaf Children in Margate - closed its doors permanently. This left Louie and many of his peers without access to a suitable educational environment that could meet their complex needs. 

Faced with this sudden loss, we knew we had to act. We made the difficult decision to open up our home and use our annex to provide activities and support for these children. Initially, Louie’s Helping Hands had been created solely to support Louie throughout his life. Expanding its purpose was not something we had originally planned, and it was a big step for our family. 

However, it quickly became clear that Louie was not alone. Many children were suddenly without access to vital therapies, social opportunities, and specialised support. The need was far greater than we had imagined. 

With this in mind, we made the decision to grow Louie’s Helping Hands into a registered charity. Our aim was to support children like Louie by providing the socialisation, therapies, and equipment they both need and deserve. 

We have been incredibly fortunate to receive so much support along the way. Thanks to the dedication, kindness, and generosity of friends, family, and even strangers, we achieved registered charitable status on May 19th, 2016 - something we could never have done alone. 

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported Louie and our journey over the years. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. 

The Queens Award

For voluntary service by groups in the community

Created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and previously known as The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), the Award has been shining a light on the fantastic work of voluntary groups from all across the UK for many years. 

Louie’s Helping Hands was honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021, recognising its outstanding contribution to the community. The award celebrated the organisation’s dedication to facilitating educational and therapeutic care for vulnerable children with multi-sensory impairments, making a meaningful difference to their development and quality of life.

Kent Charity Awards 2021

In September 2021, Louie’s Helping Hands was named a finalist at the Kent Charity Awards in the Best Use of Volunteers category for Charity of the Year. This recognition highlights the organisation’s meaningful impact within the community, particularly its ability to mobilise and support volunteers to make a real difference in the lives of others. Being shortlisted reflects the dedication, compassion, and collective effort that drive Louie’s Helping Hands and its ongoing work to support those in need.