Holiday Squad delivers fully inclusive Easter fun

A County Durham-based school holiday programme has expanded its offering to better support neurodivergent children and those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Karbon Homes teamed up with Unite Club and The HUB Consett to deliver a fully inclusive Easter Holiday Squad, packed with activities including science experiments, creative projects and problem-solving games. 

Ran from The HUB Consett, a café and a shop owned and operated by social enterprise Celebrate Difference,sessions were designed by specialists in SEND support and included help for parents and carers.

The programme, which has been running since 2021, was adapted in response to feedback calling for more accessible options. 

This year’s sessions were held in a relaxed and understanding environment, allowing children to thrive.

Katie Toner, owner of Unite Club, said: “My passion is creating inclusive spaces and supporting the community to embrace and understand neurodivergence. 

“Being able to work with Karbon Homes, The HUB and Durham County Council to help bring fun SEND friendly activities to even more families is fantastic. 

“I hope this is just the beginning of more activities like this in the North East and beyond.” 

Graham Martin, education pathways lead at Celebrate Difference, added: “We’re thrilled to be hosting these SEND friendly activities with Unite and Karbon. 

“It can be hard to find activities that support SEND children and often they can be left feeling excluded. 

“Having these Holiday Squad events lets them meet new people and have loads of fun in a way that feels comfortable. 

“It also gives parents the reassurance that their children are in safe hands.” 

Funded by Karbon Homes and supported by Durham County Council’s Fun and Food programme, the initiative included a free meal for every child taking part.

Paul Moralee, Karbon Homes’ Community Investment Manager, said: “While our early Holiday Squad activities were aimed at being SEND friendly, feedback told us that they didn’t always fully cater to some SEND children’s needs. 

“We noticed higher no-show rates amongst SEND children.  

“We did a lot of work speaking to parents and practitioners to find out what activities they would like to see and what the sessions would look like. 

“This included having smaller group sizes, making guides to venues, and calling parents to discuss the activities.  

“We’ve now partnered with Unite Club, The HUB and Fun and Food County Durham to make these SEND activities a reality and we’re excited to see both children and parents enjoy them.” 

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