A CHARITY is calling on schools, businesses and community groups to take part in an Islandwide awareness day next month, aimed at improving understanding around children with additional needs.
The One Island. One Day event is being organised by Happy Heroes and is set to take place on Friday 15 May, with organisers describing it as a “landmark moment of inclusive action”.
The initiative will encourage participants to carry out a simple, self-directed inclusive activity on the same day, to raise awareness and promote everyday inclusion for children and young people with additional needs.
Suggested activities could include sensory-friendly adjustments in classrooms or workplaces, inclusive sports sessions, team walks, kindness initiatives or short awareness activities.
Participants are also being asked to share their involvement on social media using #HHOneIslandOneDay and to donate £2 per person to the charity.
Organisers say the campaign has been designed to be accessible, allowing participation from individuals through to large organisations, including schools, care homes and sports clubs.
The launch comes against the backdrop of an independent government-commissioned SEND review published in October 2025, which raised concerns about the effectiveness of Jersey’s current support systems for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The review found that leadership, organisation and oversight of inclusive education was “not sufficiently effective”, while parents and school leaders raised widespread concerns about the quality of provision.
It also highlighted a lack of specialist support, with some schools relying on private educational psychologists and charity support to fill gaps.
Around two-thirds of school leaders who expressed a view said they did not believe pupils with SEND were achieving as well as they could, while parents reported limited access to specialist services and activities outside school.
Happy Heroes says the awareness day is intended to complement, rather than replace, ongoing structural improvements by focusing on community understanding and inclusion.
The charity’s founder, Robyn Soley said the initiative was about collective responsibility.
She said: “Inclusion can’t be something that exists only in policy.
“It has to be visible in everyday life, in schools, workplaces and community spaces across the Island.”
The charity said it hopes the day will encourage sustained cultural change beyond the event itself, embedding greater awareness of additional needs into everyday practice across Jersey.
GET INVOLVED…
- Register: Complete the registration form online.
- Take part your way: Choose an activity that suits your school, workplace or group.
- Share: Post a photo or video on social media using #HHOneIslandOneDay.
- Donate: £2 per person via the registration link, or contact info@happyheroes.je to fundraise as an organisation.
