Northern Lights Northumberland is a community group for families who have a child with a disability, or additional needs, in Northumberland. We accept families whose children have an official diagnosis, and those who are currently waiting to be assessed and in need of support. We now have over 1400 families from around Northumberland. Our aim is to reduce the isolation that parents of children with SEND can experience, support families, and provide inclusive enrichment activities for children who would struggle to access social opportunities otherwise.

We are run by a team of volunteer parents, who all have children with disabilities themselves, who dedicate extraordinary amounts of time, and energy, to keep our community group running. We work with children’s activity providers to adapt sessions, enabling our children to participate in enriching activities they would otherwise find barriers to. From fundraising, to supporting families, to organizing activities and trips, we are always tirelessly working towards better outcomes for disabled children in our county.

In 2024 we provided around 1500 places on inclusive activities for children with disabilities in Northumberland. These take place during school holidays, alongside our regular activities which run fortnightly.

One of our main challenges is fundraising. Families who have a child with SEND often face financial hardship, due to caring roles becoming a barrier to full-time work. We fundraise throughout the year in order to be able to subsidize the activities we provide, thereby making them a bit more affordable for families.

Please do consider helping us out by donating what you can! Every pound helps our children have better lives. Thankyou for taking the time to read about us.