Pathways 4 All is a parent-led charity, providing leisure services for children and young people with disabilities/ additional needs (0-25 years old). Our primary service is a specialist play and activity provision, the Tim Lamb Centre (in the grounds of the Rising Sun County Park, Benton). Our centre is open to families from across the North East region.

The Toby Henderson Trust (TTHT) is an independently funded charity supporting autistic children, their families and carers.  After 15 years at Whitehouse Farm the trust has recently moved to Toby House, Earth Balance, Bedlington, Northumberland.

We are the one and only charity in the North East focused on life changing early intervention with autistic children (aged 2 to 7). Our service users tell us early intervention can transform the life of a child…

Northern Stage is a theatre in Newcastle City Centre, very close to Haymarket. You can enjoy plays, dance, comedy and musicals on all of our three stages.

We have family shows throughout the year and at Christmas we have two magical shows one for under 5s and one for over 5s. 

The Owl Tree Childrens Café CIC is a parent support group offering a safe, affordable and accessible space for parents and children up to the age of 7 years.  We offer a range of activities and classes in our building, including a sensory room.  At the heart of our building is our themed play café, offering weekly themed activities, songs, crafts and sensory play.

Themed and sensory play sessions
Funded spaces are available
for more information go to www.theowltreechildrenscafe.com
or call 07536 060607

HEY, I'M AISHA, the founder and dreamer behind Cup Of Parenting, on a mission to help mums navigate the challenges of parenting.

My story really began after the difficulties we all faced during the lockdown. 

With a new baby at home and eldest going through the challenging teen years, parenting was tough! This was when I decided to train in Positive Discipline parenting and The Incredible Years parent training. This made a huge impact on our family life, thus I decided to help other parents through coaching. 

The North East Autism Society run a Family Networking Group, a closed group on Facebook which aims to empower, educate and connect parents, families and carers by: 

• Increasing knowledge

• Sharing useful information 

• Connecting people   

You can find out more here: Family Networking - North East Autism Society

SEN sessions at the Owl Tree Community Nest. Children can run, climb, and explore in the larger hall with a soft play area.  They can also use the sensory room. Included is a reserved table in the main café for families with SEN children. For children aged 0-5, but older children are welcome.

Every other Friday: 1:30pm - 5:00pm

Every other Monday: 10:30am - 2:30pm

No need to book in advance. You can arrive and leave anytime between the times shown.  

All of our libraries are autism friendly. To do this we have:

• provided staff training

• created 'calm zone' areas with autism friendly furniture

• put up posters to promote that we are autism friendly

We have also introduced a quieter hour from 10am to 11am every Saturday on Level 3 of City Library. We avoid making any excess noise to make the library quieter and calmer to help customers with autism and other additional needs.

Swimming is an essential life skill for everyone. We believe that everyone should feel comfortable and confident in the water.

We offer a variety of swimming lessons tailored for both adults and children, including those with:

Join us for inclusive sessions of dance, movement, and aerial at Dance City, held two Sundays per month. 

This group is inclusive and has just 10 places so that we can welcome all abilities and needs. Pre booking recommended and Under 5s are welcome but a parent/guardian must be present.

Each session costs £8.75 or £7 for Accessible Price (click here to learn more Pricing - Dance City)

To book, go to the relevant page and click 'Book Now':

Browse and borrow a wide range of toys for children (0-5) with special educational needs. These can help with your child's learning and development. Toys can be borrowed for up to 4 weeks.  

The library is open Monday to Friday during term time.

Come to the Tree House Early Year's Centre (map below).  

For more information, you can call 0191 278 8458 or email treehouseenquiries@newcastle.gov.uk 

The sensory room has a range of sights, sounds, textures, and fidget toys. Perfect for children up to age 5 with SEND, autism, or sensory needs.

You can call 0191 278 8458 or email treehouseenquiries@newcastle.gov.uk to book a slot.  Just request a date and time.

Slots are usually 30 minutes long.  

This is a free service for those who care for children with additional needs. Browse a wide range of suitable, quality and specialist toys.  You can borrow 4 toys for up to 4 weeks.  

For more details on this service please contact us on 0191-2656158 or email admin@napi.org.uk

Relaxed screenings are for children and young people with autism.  They are sensory friendly with reduced sound, dimmed lighting, and no adverts or trailers.  It is okay for guests to move around and make noise during the film.

Autism friendly screenings are offered by most cinemas.  For more information about the these screenings, the cinemas, and how to book, please click on the links below: 

Tovertafel: Magic Table is a fun interactive activity for children and young people.  Different items or objects are projected onto the table.  Users can move their arms and hands to interact with the projection. Scatter leaves and knock a football around on the magic table!

This is an activity for everyone but is often enjoyed by children with autism and learning difficulties.

The magic table is on Level 3 at City Library and free to use but must be booked in advance.

Contact is the UK charity for families with disabled children. They support families, bring families together and help families take action for others. They give support through:

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a… MOUSE! 

Join Mouse on a daring Christmas Eve mission to deliver a present in a captivating festive tail told with original music, puppets and lots of opportunity to squeak along and join in!

The Sensory Shuttle is a mobile sensory room. It provides a safe space to regulate - direct to your door!

Every visit includes advice/support for parents and carers.

Why book the Sensory Shuttle? 

• Suitable for parties, public events and private hire across North East England

• Wheelchair accessible

• Direct to your door - ideal for those with anxiety

What's inside the Sensory Shuttle?

We are a small team of massage therapists We specialise in massage therapy for individuals with Special Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). We work with all ages 3 years old+. 

What do we offer?

Tuesday 28th October 2025

• 9am to 9.45am - explore the museum

• 9.45am to 10.20am - Relaxed Mouse Tales session 

FREE but booking is required.

Relaxed Mouse Tales is a session aimed at families who may require a quieter environment to enable them to participate. This could include visitors with:

Come along and enjoy these autism friendly tour of St James Park. They were developed with help from North East Autism Society (NEAS). 

It will last approximately one hour. 

We will visit all the key parts of St James’ Park including:

• level 7

• players entrance

• dressing rooms

• media suite

• pitch side

To book email admin@napi.org.uk.