Reunited for a creative day.

Hello Sunshine Readers,

Whilst the sun has been shining this week, team sunshine was so pleased to meet up for a socially distanced creative meeting, for the first time since March. Twice a year we make sure that we all make time in our busy calendars to sit down as a team and plan as many exciting events, fundraising efforts and new campaigns as possible. These creative days are always our favourite of the year as it means so much to us to sit down together and talk about the many ways that we can continue to help support children all over our region.

Although we may not be in the office, and things certainly looks a little different for us, we joined together on Tuesday afternoon armed with laptops, notebooks, highlighters and pens, ready to be as creative as possible. Thanks to The Brandling Arms in Gosforth, we had a tasty lunch as part of the governments Eat Out to Help Out scheme and got to work. With many exciting things in the pipeline now, we can’t wait to start sharing with you our exciting ideas. And yes, we may have started to plan Christmas already, we just can’t help ourselves!

This week’s incredible news came in the form of a very generous donation courtesy of Charities Ad Foundation. Thanks to their emergency release fund, they kindly gifted us £3000 to ensure that we can continue to provide equipment to children living with disabilities that so desperately need it. We support babies, children and young adults up until their 19th birthday by funding equipment such as specialist beds, wheelchairs, trikes, IT and sensory equipment that is not available through the NHS, local authorities or any other sources. We receive no statutory funding and so we rely solely on the support and generosity of local organisations and individuals. So, this generous and kind donation will go a huge way in making sure we’re helping children that need us right now.

We have also been asking for your help this week, as we look to hear from families who have been affected by Covid-19 and the impact it has had on their family lives. We understand that this has been a hard and impactful time for so many in the North-East, but never more so for families that include a child living with disabilities. That is why we want to hear more and find out exactly how we can continue to help in such an unprecedented time. This research will be used for future communication materials to further understand how the impact of Covid-19 has affected children living with disabilities and their families, right here in the North East. We want to talk to people that are comfortable having their experiences shared in articles in the paper, on our social media, and on promotional materials that will aid us in getting as many donations as possible, raising awareness and reaching more families who need us, so we can continue to help children across the region.

If you have a family member that is living with a disability or additional need, up to the age of 19, we want to hear from YOU. Please send us a message for more information and spread far and wide to those who may be able to offer their views.

We are all in this together.

Katie x