Inclusive Leisure Groups for Young People with SEND

There are many groups that you can join that give you a chance to be part of a community. Here are some you may be interested in.

Ambitious Youth Network

Run by Ambitious about Autism for 16-25 year olds. This provides an opportunity for young people with autism to meet with each other and be themselves. The network provides opportunities such as peer support and being a part of panels. They are also currently developing a similar area for 13-15 year olds. To find out more, visit the Ambitious Youth Network website [External Link].

FLARE (Friendship, Learning, Achieve, Reach and Empower)

FLARE is a national advisory group for young people aged 13-25 with SEND. This means that they talk to the government about what they feel would be helpful for other young people with SEND. They use their own experiences to explain the services and support they feel is needed.

This group is good for you if you are passionate about improving support for young people with SEND. It is made up of members from all around the country. FLARE fights to ensure young people have an equal say in the things that affect them. For more information, visit the FLARE website [External Link].

National Citizens Service

The National Citizens Service (NCS) provide a wide range of experiences for young people. You usually take part when you are 16 or 17, but if you have an EHC plan you may be able to take part until you are 24. They have online experiences that allow you to build skills in many different areas. These include employment skills and understanding how tax works. These are free and will allow you to join live sessions to interact with other young people.

They also run in person experiences where you have the chance to stay away from home. There are three to choose from, and each focus on different skills you may need in adult life. NCS are also developing more opportunities to take part in local to where you live. Many of these allow to participate in and give back to the community. To learn more, visit the NCS website [External Link].

Girl Guiding

Girl Guiding provides opportunities for young girls to socialise with each other and build skills. They have sections for different ages, including guides (10-14) and rangers (14-18) and are open to all. You have the opportunity to take part in many activities that develop a wide range of skills. These include practical, social and physical skills. They also give you the chance to discover new hobbies and interests.

Girl Guiding provides a range of events you can attend too, some of which include staying away from home. This allows you to build your independence too. To find out more, visit the Girl Guiding website [External Link].

Scouts

Scouts allow young people to discover and build new skills and hobbies through a range of activities. They have three sections for young people aged 10-25. These are Scouts, Explorers and Network. There are a wide range of badges you can earn and each help you develop a different skill. These skills can help you as you transition into adulthood. To find out more about Scouts, visit the Scouts website [External Link].

Anyone can attend Scouts and they work to include all young people no matter what their needs are. To learn more about SEND at Scouts, visit their Additional Needs page [External Link].

The Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE award) is a programme for 14-24 year olds. It helps you build a range of skills such as independence, leadership and resilience. There are three different levels you can complete, bronze, silver and gold and each has four sections. As part of the programme, you will get to take part in a trip away from home and charity work among other things. To find out more, visit The Duke of Edinburgh website [External Link].

Anyone can take part in the DofE award. Each person completes their own programme, which means it is very easy to make it fit your own needs. The DofE award has resources in place to support any additional needs you may have. To learn more about how the DofE award supports SEND, visit their Additional Needs page [External Link].