This summer, PaCC’s Healthy Lives Programme once again brought children and young people with SEND and their families together to enjoy activities, try something new and feel part of an inclusive community.
Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, the Summer 2026 programme delivered 74 activities, 898 activity spaces and worked with 30 activity providers. More than 250 children and young people with SEND and their siblings took part, including 68 siblings.
Healthy Lives aims to provide opportunities that children and young people with SEND may find difficult to access elsewhere. Activities ranged from kayaking, cycling and forest school to filmmaking, animal experiences, music, pottery painting, relaxed cinema screenings and much more.
Families told us that the programme helped children and young people to try new experiences, develop skills, build confidence, make and maintain friendships and feel safe and accepted. For parent and family carers, it provided opportunities to meet others who understand, feel less isolated and enjoy activities together as a family without fear of judgement.
This year, 54% of attendees were new to the programme, helping Healthy Lives reach families who had not previously taken part.
The children and young people attending had a broad range of communication, sensory, emotional, developmental, learning and physical needs. Many had overlapping needs, highlighting the importance of activities being flexible and responsive rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Families were also willing to travel to find opportunities that worked for their child or young person. 77% of participants travelled outside their local area to attend activities. This also highlights the importance of continuing to develop suitable opportunities across Shropshire so that families have greater choice closer to home.
Perhaps the strongest message from this year’s report is what can happen when children, young people and families are given opportunities where they feel they belong.
Families described Healthy Lives as helping them feel supported rather than alone, giving their children opportunities they would otherwise struggle to access and providing safe spaces where differences are understood and accepted. For some families, its impact was described as “life changing” and a “life saver.”
Healthy Lives demonstrates that inclusion isn’t simply about being able to attend an activity. It is about being welcomed, understood, supported and able to participate in a way that works for you.
A huge thank you goes to every child, young person and family who took part; to our activity providers for working with us to create inclusive opportunities; and to our fantastic PaCC volunteers who gave so much time to planning, administration, supporting families and providers, attending activities and keeping the programme running throughout the summer.
You can read the report here.