About us
Yes You Can is a small community organisation supporting children and young people from in and around Wiltshire with additional needs, and their families. Yes You Can welcomes all children and young people, from tiny babies through to older teens, with a wide range of additional needs. Yes You Can is here to celebrate our young people, to focus on what they CAN do, and to support them to reach their full potential.
Yes You Can originally formed in 2014, under it’s former name Jacob’s Ladder. Kirsty created Jacob’s Ladder after her passion formed when she began working at a local play-scheme for children with additional needs aged 14, before finishing school and going to university in London. Whilst completing her art degree she worked at an after school club for children with complex needs, and knew instantly that this was exactly what she wanted to do. Fun days out, splashing in puddles, being covered in paint and glitter, and more than anything, the feeling of forming connections with very special children and young people, that feeling was immeasurable.
Kirsty completed her PGCE and came back to Wiltshire to work as a teacher in a local special school, before creating Jacob’s Ladder and now Yes You Can. Every conversation when creating Yes You Can came back to the same thing; that Yes You Can should be a place where families felt supported, accepted and understood, and that the children and young people attending could fully and completely be themselves.
Yes You Can formed with the help of Kirsty's husband, Paul, and her fabulous family, including her parents Jo and Tom, who all help to make up the Yes You Can team. Yes You Can is registered as a form of social enterprise called a Community Interest Company (CIC), and is registered with Companies House. Our statement to Companies House promises that we will provide fun projects for children and young people supporting them in their development in a safe and understanding environment. We have agreed to an 'asset lock', which ensures that all money stays within the company to provide the best activities, interaction and opportunities for our children and young people.
At every session, we endeavour to ensure that families walk through the door and feel welcomed and at ease, supported and included, and that the children and young people feel at home. Enjoyment and fun will always be at the heart of our sessions.
Yes You Can runs with the support of a team of wonderful volunteers. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and bring various skills and strengths to the team. They help with the setting up of sessions, ideas, and most importantly, supporting the children and young people that come to us to enjoy fun filled sessions. We couldn't do what we do without them.
Yes You Can operates in accordance with a wide range of policies. This ensures that things happen the way they should, and also that all staff and volunteers follow the same consistent approach to different procedures. If you would like to a read a specific policy then please email yesyoucanwiltshire@outlook.com to request it.
Why Jacob’s Ladder to Yes You Can?
Jacob's Ladder was originally named after Jacob Moles, Kirsty's younger brother. A lively and cheeky boy full of life and love who had Fragile-X syndrome. Jacob passed away when he was five leaving a wealth of happy memories for his family and friends. The huge smiles, cheeky attitude and full of life spirit is exactly what Jacob's Ladder represents, and this is why it was originally named Jacob's Ladder.
In 2022, after a break of two years due to Covid, Jacob's Ladder relaunched under the new name Yes You Can. Over the two year Covid pause, our own family grew through adoption, and our two wonderful children, who both have their own unique superpowers, inspired the name change. We felt it was important that we had a name that reflected more about who we were and what we believe in, and also a name that was easy for children and young people to say. The name Yes You Can explains how we believe that all children and young people can achieve, be included, and feel safe and happy with the right support and environment.
