Our Activities

Throughout the year, we run a programme of activities and events to empower families, build skills, and provide opportunities to enjoy life. We do this through the delivery of our four core projects.

Children/Young People’s Activities

New Hope North East provides a wide selection of inclusive activities for disabled children/young people, their siblings, and peers. These regular activity sessions provide an inclusive space for disabled and non-disabled children/young people to interact, enabling them to increase their communication skills, self-esteem and confidence, reduce their isolation and social exclusion, and learn from each other. Our activities usually run every Friday between 4:00-6:00 pm and include both virtual and in-person sessions, which are run by experienced and qualified staff and volunteers who have undergone the necessary checks and training.
Activities include:
  • Sports and games sessions
  • Cooking and baking
  • Creative story writing
  • Arts and crafts
  • Music and dance

Gardening

New Hope North East has five wheelchair-accessible raised beds in the Trinity Walk allotment in South Shields. During the growing seasons, we host regular group gardening sessions where families can plant, tend, and harvest a variety of vegetables alongside our Gardening Lead. This is a fun opportunity for families to learn new skills and develop an understanding of where food comes from, that can be used in their own gardens. It also promotes healthy eating and wellbeing, social interaction with others, and provides access to green outdoor spaces. New Hope North East provides suitable tools for children to use. However, please note that the allotment does not have a toilet, and families should bring water to drink on warm days.

Family Trips and Events

New Hope North East hosts seasonal events and embarks upon inclusive family day trips throughout the year. Previously, our families have enjoyed trips to: farms and gardens, local spa and wellbeing centres, museums and educational centres, and local beaches to name a few. We also organise annual seasonal events such as Christmas and Easter parties, and alternative celebrations such as our Platinum Jubilee party in 2022 and our Coronation party in 2023. These trips and events are a vital part of reducing isolation among our service users by encouraging social interaction, developing friendships with people who face similar challenges and the wider community, improving English language and communication skills, introducing families to new locations in the local area, and increasing their confidence to undertake such outings for themselves.

Parent/Carer Support

New Hope North East provides valuable support to parents/carers of disabled children/young people. We deliver this in three ways. Firstly, we offer parents/carers one-to-one person-centred advisory meetings with our dedicated staff. During these meetings, we provide information and advice, signpost to relevant agencies and authorities, and guide members through applying for relevant support services and referrals. Secondly, we run a monthly Parent/Carer Support and Wellbeing forum. This is a member-led supportive network through which parents/carers can connect with one another, benefit from their shared knowledge and experiences, and discuss the challenges they face with others who understand the complexities of raising a disabled child. We also invite representatives from local authorities and services to give talks and provide advice to our forum members. Finally, we encourage parents/carers to attend local meetings, empowering them to advocate for their own needs and aspirations, and speak out on the issues that affect their families.

Please get in touch to learn more about our activities

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