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You can keep up-to-date with news and events with our social media accounts. The accounts are monitored Monday to Friday (9am to 5pm) by Kathy and Julia. We regularly share information from service providers listed on our website.

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Upcoming events

How Mainstream Can Work - A series of workshops for parents during the Autumn term

Information, Advice and Support Service (IASS) in partnership with Northamptonshire Parent Forum Group and the Local Offer are holding a series of events exploring the advantages that attending a mainstream school can offer students with special educational needs and disabilities.

The two hour workshops will take place at a variety of venues around the county at a range of times with talks from mainstream Sencos and information about the Equality Act and how it applies to children in school. The workshops will provide parents and carers with an opportunity to explain how their child's school made it work for them. 

Booking is essential, for dates and times please visit the IASS website.

Autism East Midlands youth clubs and holiday clubs

Autism East Midlands have published their timetable for their youth clubs and the planned holiday schemes for 2019. All places must be booked with Autism East Midlands.

Autism East Midlands holiday clubs will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays - see the poster for dates and venues.

Please note that the age range for Autism East Midlands is 8 plus, and not 6 plus as detailed on their poster.

• Autism East Midlands 2019 week timetable (PDF 217KB)

Senior youth clubs (11 years plus)

Junior youth clubs (8 to 11 years old)

Action for Children commissioned youth groups and holiday clubs

The local authority currently commissions Action for Children to provide youth groups and holiday clubs. Action for Children run various disability groups across Northamptonshire. They offer fun activities in a safe environment for children and young people to come along while parents have some rest. The groups are designed for children aged 5 to 25 years. Check the details of each group for the age ranges.

• Action for Children Youth Club poster May 19 version (PDF 374KB)

Holiday clubs

They will run the following holiday activities during half terms and school holidays:

To book a place contact Action for Children on northants.disability@actionforchildren.org.uk or phone 01604 752553.

Film making with IASS and Screen Northants

The Information Advice and Support Service for SEND in Northamptonshire (IASS), along with Screen Northants, have arranged for Screen Northants to produce a series of films giving information, advice and support directly to young people. They are looking for young people who will be able to help create these films.

This opportunity will be held each school holiday (but not the Christmas holidays) until next summer.

During the workshops young people will help come up with the ideas for the content of the films then work with professionals to shoot them on location in Northampton.  There will be opportunities for presenters and actors too.

• Film making booking form (Word 35KB)  

If you are interested in taking part, please complete the booking form  and email it to NiTaylor@iassnorthants.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can post it to: 

Nikki Taylor
Information, Advice and Support Service
ONE Angel Square
4 Angel Street
Northampton
NN1 1ED

If you have any queries, please call Nikki on 07736 638533.

Summer Play schemes 2019

The Local Authority has commissioned the following providers to offer summer play schemes as part of the Short Breaks Innovation funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Parents are expected to contribute no more than £10 per day per child.

Please contact the providers to book a place for your child allowing plenty of time for them to make any necessary arrangements.

*Russell Lewis is also running disability football courses on 8 and 15 August at Moulton Football Club and on 9, 16 and 22 August at Northgate School. All run from 10am to 2pm, please contact Russell on R.Lewis@ntfc.co.uk for more information.

Targeted

Deafconnect

Music and the Deaf

On 31 August Deafconnect are holding three workshops through Music and the Deaf.

• MATD poster (PDF 261KB)

"Music and the Deaf is a unique UK charity founded in 1988. Led by CEO Danny Lane, a profoundly deaf pianist, the charity continues to go from strength to strength, and has built an international reputation for pushing the boundaries of what deaf people can aspire to and achieve in music.

"Hearing loss shouldn’t be a barrier to enjoying and making music. It is proven that participation in music can play a crucial role in a person’s development: it promotes inclusivity, teaches young people how to work together, builds confidence, develops communications skills, and provides a vital outlet for self-expression. We are committed to enriching lives through music.”

Deafconnect children and families service hold activities for children who are deaf and those who have a hearing impairment. They also arrange regular coffee mornings for families and holiday activities.

Deafconnect run two youth groups for junior and seniors twice a month. They hold regular coffee morning for adults.  

• Junior Youth Group dates (PDF 4MB)
• Senior Youth Group dates (PDF 309 KB)

Northamptonshire and Buckingham Dyslexia Association

An event for parents will be held on Saturday 21 September 2019 from 10am until 3pm at the Malcolm Arnold Academy offering a range of workshops covering study skills, emotional impact, maths strategies, spelling strategies, assistive technology, reading and comprehension.

Tickets cost from £25 for up to six different workshops.

• Dyslexia awareness training for parents poster (PDF 249KB)

Bookings can be made through Eventbrite.

Northamptonshire Sport

Northamptonshire Sport is a partnership of local and national organisations working together to provide opportunities for people to participate in sport, physical activity and recreation in Northamptonshire.

Carers' support

View a wide range of activities and events for carers.

• Northamptonshire Carers - Carers' café
• Northamptonshire Carers - Health and fitness for carers
• Northamptonshire Carers - Support groups

For more information go to the Northamptonshire Carers website:

• Northamptonshire Carers

Regular SEN events

Play

• Riverside Hub (Northampton): first Friday of the month.
• Boost Trampoline Parks (Northampton): first Wednesday of the month.
• Rugrats and Half Pints (Banbury): first Tuesday of the month.
• Gravity Trampolining park (Corby): Thursdays

Music

• NMPAT Relaxed Sing Along (Barton Seagrave): monthly (term-time)

Discos

• Dolphin Disco (Northampton): first Thursday of the month.
• Care with a Difference Tuesday Discos (Kettering and Northampton):  (18 plus only).
• Rockin Roadrunner (Northampton): quarterly, view website for dates (18 plus only).
• Club Calm Beach Stay Up Late Disco (Wellingborough): third Wednesday of the month (18 plus only).

Cinema (Autism friendly screenings)

• Cineworld: first Sunday of the month, 11am
• Vue: the last Sunday of the month, 10:15am
• Odeon: one Sunday a month, 10:15am

Universal

Northamptonshire Libraries and Country Parks

The Events Calendar provides up-to-date information about activities for children and families in Northamptonshire's libraries and country parks. It includes details and availability of universal children's centre services that are provided by the libraries.

• View the libraries and country parks events calendar

Holiday activities in the country parks this summer   

• View the country parks calendar for activities

Northampton Museums

Activities and workshops for children and families Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and Abington Park Museum.

• View Northampton Museums calendar

National Museums

See the calendar to find museums to visit that are holding sessions suitable for children with ASD.

• View the calendar of events

Summer 2019 in Northampton

Summer activities to celebrate Northampton’s shoe heritage.

Residents and visitors to the town are invited to 'Celebrate Northampton' this summer by taking part in a wide range of events and activities throughout the school holidays.

Launching at the end of July, Northampton Borough Council and Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) will be hosting a number of family friendly activities during the week and each weekend until Sunday 15 September.

The activities aim to celebrate the town’s rich heritage, with many themed around shoes and past events, and support local businesses by encouraging more people to spend time in the town centre.

The Borough Council’s partnership with the Looking Glass Theatre helps to get the summer started on Saturday 20 July, with the first monthly summer history tour. Building on the success of previous tours, they will take place at various locations in the town centre and will cover topics such as ‘Famous Figures’, ‘Rebels and trades’ and ‘Hidden secrets’.

The Market Square beach opens on Tuesday 23 July, bringing all the attractions of the seaside to the town centre. A giant sand pit, deck chairs and fair ground rides will be open every day until the end of August, weather permitting.

A newly developed shoe sculpture trail will also help followers to discover new parts of the town. Located in key sites, people are encouraged to seek out all 12 shoe sculptures, which are sponsored by local businesses and shoe manufacturers, and post selfies of themselves using the #CelebrateNorthampton hashtag.

Four heritage focused days lead activities in August, with a fun catwalk show, classic bus tours, and theatrical mystery tours taking place several times a day from Monday 5 to Thursday 8 August. In addition, an interactive heritage treasure quest on Saturday 17 August offers something a little different for competitive minded groups.

Children will get the chance to meet Northampton’s boots-wearing giant on Saturday 10 August. Created by Festive Road for the Borough Council, the giant will be sharing fun stories on the Market Square at hourly intervals between midday and 3.30pm.

District and boroughs in Northamptonshire

Holiday activities will be organised for all children by the district and borough councils. Some of these may be suitable for children with special educational needs and disabilities, although there should be reasonable adjustments in place to ensure that they can attend. See your local council for more information

Training opportunities