Family Fund supports families living across the UK who are who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person up to the age of 17. Our support is focused on those on low incomes with a child/children who have a high level of additional support needs.

At Family Fund, we believe that all families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people should have the same choices, quality of life, opportunities and aspirations as other families.

Children Today helps provide specialised equipment for children and young people with disabilities throughout the UK. The aim is to ensure that every disabled child and young person fulfils their potential and leads an active childhood.

We believe the provision of specialised equipment has a direct and immediate impact on a child’s quality of life and independence, and is vital in helping them to overcome obstacles and achieve their potential. Equipment can include wheelchairs, walking frames, tricycles and other mobility aids along with multi-sensory equipment.

The Access Fund is a grant to help disabled children and young people to participate in activities in their local community.  This can be any daytime, evening or weekend activity that the child or young person enjoys whilst their parent/carer has a break from caring.   The Access Fund seeks to support children and young people to take part in inclusive activities alongside their non- disabled peers.

Max Card is issued by North East Local Authority specialist teams to children in care, and children and young people with additional needs.

Max Card offers these children and their families or carers free or discounted entry into many museums, galleries and heritage attractions across the North East.

Just show your Max Card at the entrance and you will get in for free or at the Max Card discounted rate – see the venues page for a full list of venues offering discounts.

Residents of Karbon Housing can get specialist advice on welfare benefits, money advice, home energy or help finding work or training. Whether one off advice or the help of a dedicated caseworker is needed, Karbon’s dedicated team of expert advisers can help.

To self refer, you can email moneymatters@karbonhomes.co.uk, fill in a quick online form https://www.karbonhomes.co.uk/customer-area/my-money or phone 0808 164 0111 

Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity exists to grant the wishes of children who are living with serious or life-threatening illnesses between the ages of 3-18 who live in the United Kingdom.

Our dedicated wish team responds to all wish applications within two weeks. We do not operate a waiting list, but give every wish our immediate attention.

With your help they and their families can experience the joy and excitement of doing something they've only ever dreamt of before.

Help us turn wishes into happy memories.

Disability North is a registered charity (no. 514733) promoting inclusion, independence and choice for disabled people and their families by providing information, advice and support on any aspect of disability. Services are also provided for students or professionals working in the statutory, voluntary and the public sector.

Molehill Mountain is an app to help autistic people understand and self-manage anxiety.

You can use Molehill Mountain to explore the causes and symptoms of anxiety.

• Track your worries and the situations that trigger anxiety.

• Get evidence-based daily tips to understand more about anxiety.

• Feel more confident to self-manage anxiety.

It was developed by Autistica and King's College London.  Adults with autism were consulted throughout the development of the app.

Free, safe, confidential support for young people

Children and young people in Newcastle and Gateshead can now get help from mental health counsellors using a free online service supported by the NHS.

Kooth.com is an award-winning online counselling and support service which is now available to all young people in Newcastle and Gateshead aged 11-18 years.

What is the service?

NHS England has developed an in school eyecare service for all children in special schools across England.

The service will enable every child to get the most from their vision, including sight test, and the dispensing and fitting of glasses – all completed on the school premises.

Why the need?

This is important because:

Public Health School Nurses provide a range of health improvement and health promotion activities including confidential health advice for children and young people, an immunisation programme and assistance to school staff in the delivery of PHSE (personal health and social education). 

Every school in Newcastle has access to a School Nurse.  School Nurses also provide information, advice and support on a range of health issues including:

Tyneside Women’s Health was established in 1985 with the key aim of helping women to improve their mental health and emotional wellbeing.  

Tyneside Women’s Health offers a range of interventions for women including drop in sessions, support groups, mental health courses, counselling, and various therapeutic activities such as relaxation.  We have also introduced a range of online and virtual support services. Please visit our website for more information.

Our main Centre is based in central Gateshead, and we have a second Centre in Byker, Newcastle.

Help and Connect is a service offered by Skills for People.

If you live in Newcastle upon Tyne and are aged 16 or over, our Help and Connect team can help you to get your support right and to make the most of what’s going on in your area.

What does Help and Connect offer?

Our team will help you make the most of the information we have. You can find out about:

Children North East exists because growing up can be hard. We want all babies, children and young people to be happy and healthy and to grow up feeling: 

• Safe and loved

• Resilient to the challenges they may face

• Valued and confident  

We have a strong children’s rights ethos and believe that real social change is achieved when those who are, or have, experienced issues lead the change.  

For over 35 years we've led the way in providing specialist care, education and services for children, young people and adults with autism, across the North-east of England.

Recognised for our innovation and excellence, everything we do stems from an unswerving belief in providing bespoke person-centered support. It’s at the heart of who we are to recognise the uniqueness of every human being, and to understand that as a spectrum condition no two people with autism will have the same needs or wants.

This is a FREE service for parents/carers of children going through the diagnostic process or with a diagnosis of autism.

These groups give support, advice and information on services available to families. Trained autism practitioners will run sessions that aim to:

Autism North East is a Social Enterprise, non-profit-making organisation providing assessment, diagnosis and intervention for children, young people and adults where this is a concern related to an Autism Spectrum Condition. 

Free tandem or tag-along bike to anyone with a disability or additional need.

What we do:

We lend, at no cost (i.e. for free), tandems and tag-alongs to (and only to) people with disabilities or additional needs, who are unable to ride a bike safely on their own, so that they can enjoy the wonders of cycling.

What you need to do:

Inclusion North promotes the inclusion of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers.

The world is a better place when people with learning disabilities are included in everything.

We try to make this happen by:

Today, 10 children and young people in the UK will hear the shocking news that they have cancer.

Treatment normally starts immediately, is often given many miles from home and can last for up to three years. Being diagnosed with cancer is a frightening experience and the emotional, practical and financial implications of treatment are intensely challenging for the whole family.

Whether you need to hire a wheelchair in Newcastle, rent a disability hoist in Blackpool or hire a mobility scooter in London, you're at the right place - Strive Mobility

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…

About Arthritis Action

Founded in 1942, Arthritis Action is the only UK charity giving hands-on, practical help to combat the pain of arthritis through self-management and lifestyle advice. We offer people with arthritis a holistic self-management approach, looking at both the physical and mental aspects of arthritis.

At Rapid Ramp, we specialise in the design, manufacture and installation of high-quality modular wheelchair ramps and steps. Our ready-stocked products allow for an infinite number of configurations, ensuring a perfect fit for every project. We cater primarily for commercial and public buildings – both temporary and permanent.

We work in partnership with people with a learning disability, and all our services support people to live life as they choose.

Our work includes: