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 We have a new venue for our next Drop In! It’s at the HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton, 1 Queens Avenue, M12 5PX, on Wednesday 24th May, 10am-12.30pm. Look out for a news bulletin next week with more information on the venue and the event.
Our Drop Ins are aimed at parent/carers living in the Manchester City Council area. If you live in other parts of Greater Manchester, search for ‘Local Offer’ with the name of your Council area to see what is available.
COMING UP:
Wednesday 21st June, 10am-12.30pm,
Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre, Wythenshawe
Thursday 13th July, 10am-12.30pm, Moss Side Powerhouse
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Inclusive Swims - Now Free!
The inclusive swims at Moss Side Leisure Centre are now free as part of the SEND Community Offer! Sessions are every Sunday 9-11.30am and are for families living in the Manchester City Council area. The swim provides a calm environment and a clear process from entry to the pools. Families can access the small pool and floats for family fun or use the main pool for lane swimming when available. For now, there’s no need to book – just turn up at the leisure centre. The picture shows Rasema, Manchester Parent Champion, who swims most Sundays and can help you get settled.
Manchester residents aged 16 and under can swim for free during any ‘Swim for All’ session during school holidays and at selected times during term-time weekends. Find out more on the Better website.
Fun with FLIP - New day!
FLIP are free weekly sessions at Projekts skatepark near Piccadilly Station, running until 18th July 2023. It’s now every Wednesday (instead of Tuesday) in term-time 4.30-6.30pm. It's a chance for young people with SEND aged 8-25 years to enjoy an hour of skateboard coaching, followed by an hour of music-making with Billy and Andy who offer accessible music workshops. Siblings can join in too. Families are welcome to hang out in the cafe during the sessions or watch the skateboarders from the viewing balcony. To book places, contact info@billyandandy.co.uk, 07429 826053. Part of the SEND Community Offer for families in the Manchester City Council area.
Free Travel Training for 14-25s
The A-Z Travel Training Programme offers young people one to one support in gaining confidence and independence in travelling around Manchester and beyond. It’s for young people with SEND aged 14-25 who live in the Manchester City Council area, supporting them to access leisure activities. That might be the cinema, going to the shops or meeting up with a friend. They’ll be asked:
- Where do you want to go?
- How do you want to get there?
- How can we support you to get there?
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, eg. travel cards, CEA cards and Our Pass. To find out more or register, contact 07851 249676, traveltraining@youngmanchester.org. Part of the SEND Community Offer.
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Super 1s Cricket
Super 1s is a Lord’s Taverners programme designed to give cricketing opportunities to young disabled people aged 12-25. It includes Super 1s Disability Cricket on Friday evenings, 7-8pm, at Denmark Road Sports Centre in Moss Side, M15 6FG. It’s free - or £2 if young people join the multi-sports with Champion’s Sports Club from 6-7pm. Find out more about the session and Super 1s. The contact is Amlyn Layton, 07799 639838, alayton@lancashirecricket.co.uk.
Free Twinkleboost Classes
In the run up to summer, Join Twinkleboost for free communication classes for children with SEND/speech delay at Manchester Settlement Community Hub,1328 Ashton Old Road, Openshaw M11 1JG. There are multisensory, fairytale-themed sessions on Thursdays at 10am for children with additional needs aged 0-5 years and their parents. At 11am, it’s Ready Steady Words for children aged 18 months to 3.5 years. Booking essential - telephone 0161 974 1300 or email info@manchestersettlement.org.uk. Manchester Settlement is a family friendly community hub working in partnership with Twinkleboost to deliver these programmes. They’ll do their best to support families to attend with older siblings where this presents a barrier. Let them know when booking.
Mini Members Club
There’s a Mini Members Club for children aged 4 to 7 with additional needs and disabilities and their parents at Manchester Youth Zone in Harpurhey. Sessions are every Sunday 10.30am till 12 noon, including arts & crafts, sports, messy play and more - for just 50p per child! Snacks and refreshments provided and siblings welcome. Spaces are limited, so booking is advised. Please contact Tia on 0161 203 5333 or Tia.Kelly@manchesteryz.org.
Get With The Whitworth
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 28th May. Find out more on The Whitworth website. The gallery also has open-ended play all the time in their School of Creativity. Learn more about visiting the gallery in their access information.
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The Whitworth also runs a free regular Outdoor Art Club on the third Saturday of every month. Drop in between 10.30am to 2.30pm to splash around in the water play, create a masterpiece in the mud painting studio and produce all sorts of yucky and marvellous medicines at the potion stations. Children can move around the stations in their own time, playing and exploring at their own pace in a safe and enabling environment. The next session is Saturday 20th May.
Accessible Rave For 18+
There’s an Accessible Rave For All with Nite School and DJ Xanda on Thursday 22nd June, 6-9pm at The Pink Room, YES, 38 Charles Street, Manchester M1 7DB. Tickets are £4 (+ booking fee), carers go free, minimum age 18. DJ Xanda, otherwise known as Alexander Robin Webb, started dj-ing at the age of 10(!) and is into Breakbeat, House & Old Skool. Learning disabled and registered blind, he is now 25 and very excited to be doing this gig. Under One Roof is a safe and welcoming space for adults who identify as having a disability, as well as their friends, family and carers. To find more information and to book, go through Skiddle.
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Nothing About Us Without Us |
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The People’s History Museum has a landmark exhibition exploring the history of disabled people’s activism and ongoing fight for rights and inclusion. Suitable for 12+, ‘Nothing About Us Without Us' is the most accessible exhibition that has ever taken place at the museum, with a range of accessible formats to enable visitors to engage in different ways. There's also an accompanying programme of accessible events and activities. The exhibition runs until Monday 16th October 2023. The museum is open daily, except Tuesdays, and has a family-friendly offer. Find out more about accessibility at the venue.
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Free First Aid Course
There are still some places on The SPACE Group’s free First Aid course for parent/carers. There are two dates:
- Friday 12th May, 11am-1pm, St George’s Community centre, Bothwell Rd, M40 7NY
- Wednesday 17th May, 10am-12pm, St Margaret's Church, Burnage Lane, M19 1FL.
Booking essential. Please text your name and preferred date to The SPACE Group at 07749 116211.
VOTE FOR THE SPACE GROUP!
In just 18 months, this dynamic group of parent volunteers have reached so many families in the city! Vote for them in the National Diversity Awards, the UK’s most prestigious diversity event, celebrating the achievements
of grass-root communities. Voting closes: 12th May.
Counselling For Carers
Gaddum's affordable adult counselling service is open to carers aged 18 and over living in Greater Manchester. You can have counselling sessions from the comfort of your own home via telephone or online. The cost is based on your income and starts at £10 per session for those on means-tested benefits, including Carers Allowance.
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A Summer Break With Carefree
Carefree offer low-cost short breaks in the UK for full-time unpaid carers. After registering with them, you can browse the options and submit a request for a hotel on specific dates. Hotels donate 1-2 night breaks in a twin or double room, plus breakfast where possible, for you and a companion (adult or child). There’s no charge for accommodation, just a £25 admin fee to help with the cost of operating their charity. Find out more on the Carefree website.
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Child Trust Fund News
New figures recently shared by the BBC reveal that thousands of disabled young people in England and Wales will miss out on Child Trust Fund savings worth millions. National charity Contact are making a call for urgent action to stop thousands of savings accounts being locked. Find out more on Contact’s website, including what to do if you have a Child Trust Fund and think this issue may affect you.
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Universal Credit Managed Migration
The national roll-out of managed migration – the process of replacing legacy benefits with Universal Credit for existing claimants – will start in June 2023. Initially this applies to tax credits-only claimants but over the next two years will roll out to all legacy benefits claimants. To help you understand the roll-out and how it might affect you, national charity Contact have tried to anticipate some questions you might have.
New LGBTQ+ Programme
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Parent/carer Co-production Session
The Early Years Social Communication Pathway team want to find out if the new assessment pathway is making a difference to families’ quality of life. Parent/carer feedback is essential to this work, so you're invited to join them and Manchester Parent Carer Forum at a face-to-face co-production session. It’s on Monday 15th of May, 10-11.30am at St Thomas Centre, Ardwick Green North, Manchester, M12 6FZ, with a virtual session on Monday 22nd May 12-1.30pm. Find out more and book through Eventbrite.
Manchester People First Opportunity
Manchester People First are looking for learning disabled adults to join their Learning Disability Action Team. It’s a way of having a say about health and social care services in Manchester and how they can be made better. Find out more in the easy read flyer or by contacting Manchester People First at mcrpeoplefirst@gmail.com or 0161 839 3700.
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