Half Term Special From Manchester Local Offer

Manchester City Council sent this bulletin at 14-02-2023 10:32 AM GMT

Local Offer - www.manchester.gov.uk/sendlocaloffer

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Here’s our Half Term SEND Community Offer!

These are free activities for families living in the Manchester City Council area. Everything needs to be booked, apart from Simply Cycling.

Please let organisers know if you can't make it

so places can be offered to others. Thank you.

SEND Community Offer

Family Cycling

Simply Cycling are offering free outdoor sessions with their range of adapted bikes – plus warming hot chocolate and cookies.

Boggart Hole Clough:

Monday 20th & Tuesday 21st February, 10am-2pm

(Park next to the athletics track or the main car park, a short walk away at the top of Charlestown Road)

Wythenshawe Park Athletics Track:

Tuesday 21st & Friday 24th February, 9am-3pm

Wednesday 22nd February, 9am-12 noon

(Parking at the athletics track, off Wythenshawe Road)

No need to book, just drop in on the day saying you’re with the Local Offer. Find out more about Simply Cycling and their regular sessions on their website. This activity is for Manchester SEND families.

Sensory Play

Families have free use of the Sensory Room at Benchill Community Centre in Wythenshawe over the half term. Each slot is for 45 minutes and on the hour, Monday 20th to Friday 24th February 10am-4pm. Call the community centre on 0161 946 9520 to book. Manchester SEND families only.

Have fun in the Sensory Rooms at Redbank House in Cheetham Hill over half term. Free slots are available at various times between 9am-4pm (on the hour for 50 minutes) during weekdays from Monday 20th to Friday 24th February. Manchester SEND families only. Book directly with Redbank House on 0161 214 5959 or email info@redbankhouse.com.

Get Outdoors

SEND Family Forest School returns to Platt Fields Market Garden (off Mabfield Road, Flalowfield, M16 6LT) Wednesday 22nd to Friday 24th February 10am-3pm with lunch around 12 noon. This free stay-and-play style activity offers a warm welcome for all ages, including sensory play in the mud kitchen and sand pit, den building and seasonal nature crafts. It’s a drop in but please book with Manchester Bees Forest School using this form: https://forms.gle/tAYvw8iGp3FZh3XB8 (copy and paste into browser if link not working). Please assume you have a place. You’ll be contacted if you are on the waiting list. If you can’t make the session on the day, let Siân know on 07506 342945 or hello@manchesterbeesforestschool.co.uk. Your places can be offered to another family. Manchester SEND families only.

Hands On With Clay

Venture Arts are running two family workshops on Thursday 23rd February at 1-2pm and 2-3pm. With help from professional artists, you'll learn how to make your favourite pop group from clay (or favourite people, if preferred). These will be fired in a kiln to create pieces of art that can be kept forever. It’s for 5 years and over and is at Venture Arts in Hulme. Enter at the main entrance off 43 Old Birley Street, M15 5RF. Booking essential - email laurabiddle@venturearts.org saying which session you’d like. For Manchester SEND families only.

Cooking In The Kitchen

Man and boy in aprons, smiling as they cook

The Community Kitchen returns! There are free sessions on Monday 20th, Wednesday 22nd and Friday 24th February, 3.30-6.30pm. They’re for young people with SEND and/or social emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) to come with their families and cook (and eat!) together, learning about healthy food and cooking techniques. All food and tuition provided. The half term menu includes tender curried lamb, jerk chicken ackee and mac’n’cheese, as well as freshly baked cakes and cinnamon rolls. It’s at Procter Learning Centre, Hulme Street, Off Jackson Crescent M15 5EF. Manchester SEND families only. Booking essential - call Roger on 07970 922132. Please arrive on time and enter the building opposite the parked van.

Film & Family Fun

Manchester Parent Carer Forum has two free events this half term as part of the SEND Community Offer. The first is a relaxed cinema session for Manchester families of children and young people with SEND at Cineworld Didsbury. It’s Puss In Boots: The Last Wish on Monday 20th February 1-3pm. Booking essential – please use this link which is due to go live: https://bit.ly/relaxed-cinema-spring-2023.

There is also fun for Manchester SEND families with children aged 0-5 on Thursday 23rd February, 10-11.30am at Martenscoft Children’s Centre, 33 Epping Street Hulme, Manchester M15 6PA. Booking essential – use this link when it goes live: https://bit.ly/early-years-spring-2023.

Follow MPCF’s Facebook group to keep up to date with these and other activities.

Free Travel Training

Did you know we have free travel training as part of the SEND Community Offer? It’s called the A-Z Travel Training Programme and is an opportunity for young people living in the Manchester City Council area to gain confidence and independence in travelling around Manchester and beyond. It’s for young people with SEND aged 14-25 and is based around leisure activities, whether going to the cinema, shopping or meeting up with friends.

There’ll be up to six sessions, each session lasting around three hours, depending on where the young person wants to go. They’ll also get useful information on travel cards, Our Pass and more. See the flyer for more information. To register, contact 07851 249676, traveltraining@youngmanchester.org.

Other Stuff To Do

Family Walk

There is a SEND family Walk In The Park at Boggart Hole Clough on Sunday 19th February at 12 noon. Meet outside the Lakeside Café. Drinks and sunflower kits after the walk! There's no need to book but it'd help if you could let the Manchester Parent Champions know for numbers in their Facebook group or by contacting 07423 264769.

SEND-friendly Swimming

Join the SEND family swims at Moss Side Leisure Centre on Sundays 9-11.30am. Book via the website, by visiting the leisure centre, or through the BetterUK App which can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App Store.

There is free swimming for under 17s in the city during the school holidays – find out more on Manchester City Council’s website.

Free Activities For Eligible Children

If your child is eligible for benefits-related free school meals, MCRactive and Manchester City Council are offering free activities, ranging from sports to arts and crafts, and much more, with a free meal during the day. To book, you need to sign up for an MCRactive Go account: https://www.mcractive.com/ (‘Sign in/up’ button on top right). After you've done this, log into your account, select ‘Search activities’ in the top bar, and then ‘Search by Category’, selecting ‘MCR Holiday Activity’. Use the following code when asked: 79112. Spaces are limited, so if you book a space and your child can no longer attend, please cancel to allow another child to take the place.

Quiet Sundays

Quiet Sundays are multi-sensory, open-ended family play sessions every last Sunday of the month at the Whitworth Art Gallery. They are designed for a quieter experience, with children leading the way in their own time and at their own pace. Held in the School of Creativity space, they are free and there’s no need to book, just come along any time between 10.30am and 12.30pm. The next one is Sunday 26th February. Find out more on The Whitworth website.

Manchester Museum Re-opens

Manchester Museum reopens on Saturday 18th February! To help you plan your free visit, take a look at this access information, which includes a section around neurodiversity. Saturday mornings 8–10am is a quieter time to visit the museum but please call 0161 275 2648 to arrange.

Loads To Do

Do you know about Loads To Do? It's the place to find out what is on in your local area and around the city this half term!

Over the Half Term holiday, there are places where kids can eat for free or for a £1. See Money Saving Central.

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