About Talbot House

In 1976 four parents of children with complex needs decided to organise a play scheme for children with special needs and their families. At that time it was supposed that children like ours could not be educated, so "school" was pick up at same time and returned home 2pm.

The parents approached the council for a grant and were refused, they appealed that decision and one councillor supported that appeal and a grant for £200 was given. The play scheme was successful but even more successful was the recognition that while the parents were together they were able to support each other in no other way that any of the services could.

Spurred on by this knowledge they decided to ask the council for some premises that they could work from and create a parent support group. The same councillor, with the help of a Community Worker and the Head Teacher of the local special school managed to secure an old rectory in the city centre. The Families got busy decorating and restoring the building until it was serviceable, cosy and welcoming hence "The Peter Pan Centre" was born - the first support group for parents of people with severe learning disabilities.

Today the support centre continues under the name of Talbot House (peter pan flew away with all the PC people) and at a new location. So here we are many, many years later still believing that if you get Mam and Dads head OK the kids will be OK and working on the idea that we provide a drop in for parents and their families to share good news, bad news and to share anything they wish without judging. WE are amazing providing up to date information on all the services, we even try to make sense of government policies for carers and we manage it. We provide various training and a pamper service, including Talbot House Tanning. We also provide carers lunches, older carers summer days out, home visits, form filling, advocacy, and on and on ........

We service the best tea and coffee in town.