Home

Second Friday of the month. 10.30pm – 12.30pm There is no charge for attending any of the sessions, although donations are always welcome. All sessions are 18+

There is no charge for attending any of the sessions, although donations are always welcome. Siblings are welcome to attend the Saturday sessions as well.

Swimming sessions for Sunshine Families  Sessions are 40 minutes long and we will run 2 sessions of 4 pods on a fortnightly basis. The 1st pod will run from 3.15pm to 3.55pm followed by 20 minutes between sessions, with the 2nd session being from 4.15pm to 4.55pm with 20 minutes to exit the baths. Each pod will be a 1/4 of the pool – 2 shallow end pods & 2 deep end pods (your child must be able to swim without arm bands or floats for the deep end pods) with a maximum of 6 people from the same family or support bubble in each pod. All sessions must be booked in advance and spaces are released for booking the Saturday before the swim session. The link to book is: Sunshine & Smiles Swimming We will then ensure we pass family details to Bramley for the purposes of NHS track & trace & for checking into the session. There will be two teachers available on the poolside to give advice & guidance to families during the session, unfortunately teachers cannot be in the water with children due to ensuring social distancing & the session being Covid secure. You will be allocated poolside changing cubicles on arrival and will need […]

Sunbeams is our youngest group and is for any children from birth (or even before!) to 4 years along with their siblings, parents and carers. It is a lovely time for playing, chatting and sharing a cuppa with other familes. We always end the group with a time of singing and signing which is popular with the little ones. If you are planning to attend could you please let us know via WhatsApp or email (adminteam@sunshineandsmiles.org.uk) including how many parents or carers will be coming along. The group takes place in a hall with plenty of space, and we will provide hand sanitiser and encourage mask wearing and distancing. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to chat with someone before joining a session.   Every other Monday, 12:30-14:00 Address Stainbeck Community Hall 162 Stainbeck Lane Leeds LS7 2EA Contact Phone: 07725 041601 Email: hello@sunshineandsmiles.org.uk

This friendly informal group, run by our volunteers Fiona and Sue, brings carers together to chat and discuss the book the group have read. Leeds Central Library provide the group with books and they currently meet about every six weeks on a Wednesday at the Carers Leeds ofice. They also keep in touch with each other through email. Carers at the group enjoy having time for themselves and the social aspect of the meetings. There is always time for a chat and a catch-up. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Valerie Banks, Volunteer Coordinator on 07985 754 570 or email valerie.banks@carersleeds.org.uk.  

Do you work with children with a vision impairment aged 0-4, including those with complex needs? Join our webinar on Thursday 14 December 4-5pm, to hear how Guide Dogs’ Children and Young Peoples team are supporting children with a vision impairment and their families with early years development through Guide Dogs My Time to Play sessions. Guide Dogs My Time to Play sessions are fun and supportive small group sessions that help children aged 0-4 to develop the practical skills and confidence to explore their world through play. The sessions are delivered free of charge by our Habilitation Specialists and focus on five key areas of development: concept development, sensory skills, fine and gross motor skills, self-help / first steps to independence and communication skills. The webinar will give you the opportunity to hear from those involved in delivering sessions, a Habilitation Specialist who leads the session, and feedback from parents who have attended. So, you can understand how Guide Dogs My Time to Play might support the children and families you work with and ask any questions you may have. We are also keen to work in partnership with organisations, if you support a group of children with a […]

Last Tuesday of the month. 6.30pm – 8.00pm – Adults with (suspected) ADHD 7.30pm – 9.00pm – Parents/Carers of children with (suspected) ADHD There is no charge for attending any of the sessions, although donations are always welcome. All sessions are 18+

This will be the first of out fortnightly cricket sessions for young people aged 12 – 25, and will be held on 26th May at St Chad’s Cricket Club in Headingley. We have 10 places available for each session and we are aiming to have 3 or 4 support staff from Sunshine & Smiles so that young people can take part independently of parents and carers if we have sufficient support in place for the young people attending. We will send out a consent form for more information from you once places have been booked so we can plan for each session. The sessions are being coached by a qualified Yorkshire Cricket Board coach. We do need people to book onto the sessions in advance so that we can plan support & staffing needed and so that we know who we are expecting to attend. The booking form is here and it is now live for bookings. Please email ailith@sunshineandsmiles.org.uk if you have any questions.

Make your own social story on your iPad with our Discover Digital workshops. Social stories can help children with an autistic spectrum condition, and other additional needs, to develop a greater social understanding of how the world around them works, and help them stay safe. We will use the app ‘Clips’ to make a social story. ‘Clips’ is a free app available from the App Store. Join the ‘Make a social story’ workshop on Friday 12 January at 10.30am. Sign up for the Make a social story iPad workshop Please note: the workshop is held online via Zoom with an Apple-accredited trainer and a member of staff from the Family Fund team this is a friendly, informal workshop intended for parents/carers of disabled or seriously ill children and young people you’ll need to have an iPad (or an iPhone) to take part in the workshop activity to keep your iPad free to use during the workshop, you will need to join the Zoom call on another device, such as a smartphone or laptop If you would like more information, please contact our team by emailing digitalskills@familyfund.org.uk or call us on 01904 550066. S

Wed 17th Jan 10am – 11am Free This is a 1 hour virtual session which will take place via Zoom. Suitable for total beginners or more experienced painters.This event is aimed at Parent/Carers but homeschooled children may be interested in doing this alongside their parent/carer. Book Now > 

Speak to services and receive information and advice about SEND Services in Leeds: Leeds Local Offer SENDIASS Scope Leeds Parent Carer Forum 10.30-12.30pm Sanderson Room, Leeds Central Library Contact llo@leeds.gov.uk for more information and to request a visual walkthrough of the venue.

Carers UK and Carers Leeds are delighted to be hosting two free online seminars for working carers in Leeds. These two, one hour online sessions in February are for working carers in Leeds. The sessions will be led by Katherine Wilson, Head of Employment at Carers UK. These will cover your rights as a carer, flexible working, protection from discrimination and balancing caring with employment. Please click on the date you would like to attend to book the session. The sessions will be held on Tuesday 6 February at 6.30pm and Thursday 8 February at 12.30pm.