Christmas 2025
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Welcome to your Christmas CAN Network News. In this issue:
- accessible Christmas theatre
- tips for reducing festive stress
- support for carers
- ASSIST's local heroes creative project
- inclusive Christmas lights
- useful contacts
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We wish all our CAN Network families and friends happy holidays and all best wishes for the new year.
 Accessible Christmas theatre
If you are looking for an accessible alternative to pantomime, many local theatres are offering smaller, inclusive Christmas shows that may be just the ticket.
An inclusive, interactive journey where audiences move through beautifully designed Christmas workshop sets. This means audiences do not have to sit still and wheelchair and frame users can move freely through the inclusive space. Seating is also available.
"A Sensory-rich experience with festive lighting, seasonal scents and tactile elements."
All performances are inclusive and running from 6 to 24 December with a designated relaxed performance on 11 December at 4.30pm
From 12 to 24 December and suitable for age 3 and over.
- Relaxed performance and touch tour on 20 Dec at 11am - contact the box office on 01252 745444 if you would like to take part in the touch tour
- Captioned performance on 21 Dec at 11am
Visit their access page for further details, visual story and relaxed performance description.
From 28 November to 3 January and suitable for age 6 and over. Some scenes may be unsettling for very young children.
- Relaxed performance on 6 December at 3pm
- Signed and captioned performance on 11 December at 7.30pm
- Audio described performance and touch tour on 16 December at 7.30pm
Visit their access page for info and video tour of the space. There is one seating row with step free access and two wheelchair spaces in the front row of the theatre. These seats are bookable by emailing or calling the box office on 0118 370 2620 where you can also request a free Essential Companion ticket.
From 25 November to 3 January and suitable for age 5 and over.
Relaxed and BSL interpreted performances:
- 27 Nov at 1pm - relaxed
- 29 Nov at 11am – relaxed
- 28 Dec at 11am – relaxed
- 27 Dec at 2pm – BSL Signed
There is foyer level seating for those with mobility issues. For wheelchair and carer tickets, please book directly with the box office on 01628 788997.
 Tips for reducing festive stress
Broken routine, over stimulation, social events, pressure to meet expectations of others, or perhaps our own image of what the holidays 'should' look like, the Christmas holidays can be a difficult time.
The following may be useful not only at home, but to share if you are planning on visiting family or friends who would welcome some guidance on how to best support your visit:
Christmas routine tips for children with SEND
Christmas anxiety help for young people
And for carers who may need some additional support during the festive period:
Festive Wellbeing Kit - Open Mental Health
Christmas and mental health (Mind)
Wokingham Carers Partnership support carers in the borough all year round.
Thursday 20 November is Carers Rights Day and Wokingham Carers partnership will be holding a parent/family carers information event at The Charity Hub, Waterford House, Denmark Street, Wokingham, RG40 2YF from 3.30pm to 6.30pm.
 Use your creative skills to celebrate autistic children and young people in Wokingham Borough
To mark 20 years of celebrating autistic children and young people in the Wokingham Borough, ASSIST are producing a book of short pieces created by autistic children and young people (and those on the pathway for an autism assessment), who live in the borough.
"Maybe they would like to tell us about their joyful interests, or skills, write a short story or poem about things that interest them, tell a joke, draw a picture, or share a photograph. Crafts, knitting, sewing, sticking. Please send us a good quality picture, a few details about it and who is sending it. It's an opportunity to showcase the talents of our local autism heroes, and inspire others to see the individual strengths and perspectives they possess."
Please email entries by 31 December 2025.
The team will be in touch to seek each child/young person’s permission to include their work within the book and display any work publicly.
 Inclusive Christmas Lights
A wheelchair friendly winter light trail in the heart of Reading, from 15 November to 4 January.
Carers tickets are available. Supporting evidence required.
Forbury Gardens Park, 26 The Forbury, Reading RG1 3EJ
From 28 November to 26 December, 5pm to 8pm.
Each year, Columbia Court transforms into a winter wonderland, featuring a synchronised light display that dances to festive music, creating a captivating experience for all visitors.
The display is free and any donations will go to support Promise Inclusion.
Columbia Court, Finchampstead, Wokingham, RG40 4PE.
15 December from 4.30pm to 5.45pm
4.30pm to 5.45pm
A relaxed version of Magical Lights with sensory provision, featuring:
- Pre-visit sensory maps
- Sensory backpacks and ear defenders
- Break-out spaces
- Themed, facilitated hands-on activities
Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX
Useful contacts
ASSIST (Autism Spectrum Service for Information Support and Training) is a family support service from Wokingham Borough Council, for those in the borough with a child or young person under 18 with an autism diagnosis or waiting for an assessment. Help with information, advice, guidance and signposting.
Berkshire ASD Family Help - open to all autistic individuals or those with associated conditions. No diagnosis required. Regular parent and carer drop-in sessions. Fun activities for children and teenagers, social groups for adults and outings for the whole family. Practical help and advice.
FIRST - The Family Intervention Resources and Support Team (FIRST) provides information, workshops and courses around sleep and distressed behaviour.
National Deaf Children's Society are sharing tips and advice for school holidays and activities. You can also book a free, friendly appointment for advice and support from Berkshire's local Community Connector, Rania Sammour, here.
Parenting Special Children - set up to help other parents/carers navigate the world of SEND. Empowering families whose children/young people are neurodivergent and/or have special needs and/or disabilities including early life trauma.
Promise Inclusion - a local charity that supports people with learning disabilities and their carers. Weekly, term-time Youth Club for young people aged 13 to 19 with learning disabilities and/or autism. Activity clubs for siblings aged 8-13 years old. Family liaison team offering emotional and practical support to carers; from support in meetings, to advice and information on benefits, form filling, housing, supported living, transition, education, mental capacity, power of attorney, deputyship and more. Monthly carers coffee/lunches, carers respite trips and information events.
SEND Voices Wokingham - an independent parent carer forum. Set up to ensure that families and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and disabilities in the Wokingham Borough, can have a voice and participate fully in the development of services.
Wokingham Carers Partnership - A partnership of three commissioned local charities: Age UK Berkshire, Berkshire Youth and Promise Inclusion. Offering information, advice, and support to people throughout the borough who are caring for a child or adult family member, partner or friend.
Wokingham SENDIASS - free, confidential, impartial information, advice and support relating to all aspects of SEN and disabilities, including health, social care and personal budgets.
What is the CAN Network?
The CAN (Children with Additional Needs) Network provides an information and support service for families and carers of children and young people (aged up to 25) with additional needs and disabilities.
The CAN Network also maintains Wokingham Borough Council’s Children with Disabilities Register and CAN Card.
The Children with Disabilities Register is a voluntary, confidential list of information about children with diagnosed disabilities in Wokingham Borough.
The information shared with us is used anonymously to help plan and improve future services to meet the needs of local disabled children and young people.
Those eligible to join the Children with Disabilities Register can receive a free CAN card.
The CAN card is a photo ID card which can be used as proof of diagnosed disability. It's accepted by many local attractions as proof for concessions or free carer tickets.
Find out more about signing up to the register and receiving a CAN card here.
Get in touch
For support using our online application or for any other enquiries please email.
Disclaimer
By sharing information with you the CAN information network is not providing a recommendation or endorsement of a service/organisation.
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