Sparkle Sheffield

22/08/2026

Residential 2026 - that's a wrap! 🥳

We've had the best week for our annual summer residential and we hope everyone who came to visit us did too!

From rock climbing, toasting marshmallows over campfires (which almost didn't happen with the weather!), arts and crafts, magic shows, scary stories, food, music, horses , ducks and more... we loved every second of seeing the smiles on families faces in an environment where everyone more than just gets it... we care.

All of our volunteers are amazing and we couldn't have done it without them. We're the best bunch, even if we do say so ourselves 🥰

We've got more thank you's to say but for now we're exhausted and ready for a good night's sleep.

See you next year The Peak Centre 🧡

15/08/2026

These wonderful bunch of people are taking on the huge Three Peaks Challenge today... and into tomorrow! It'll take them a whopping 24 hours to complete all 3 climbs (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) and they're doing it all while fundraising for our little charity!

We couldn't be more grateful, thankful, humbled and everything else in-between. There are no words to describe how much this act of kindness means to us, and what it'll mean to help support the work that we do 💜

08/08/2026

WELL DONE to Patrick Meleady!! Thank you for all that you do for the children in Sheffield and beyond!

Patrick Meleady has worked in the voluntary and community sector, primarily in disadvantaged areas. He has has also worked in children and family services, and took over leading Pitsmoor Adventure Playground back in the early 1990s. Here, he reflects on the importance of play

07/08/2026

SPARKLING AT CAMP ✨🏕️

Hosted By Angel

EPISODE 1: Shopping and Welcome packs 🛍️🎁💝

In this episode, we go behind the scenes looking at our shopping order and the making of our welcome packs that our families get upon arrival with essentials they might need. Welcome packs are a new edition to our camp and we’re so excited to hand them out very soon!!!

Follow for more 🙏

07/08/2026

✨ SPARKLING AT CAMP IS COMING! 🏕️💛

Get ready to go behind the scenes as we prepare for camp with Sparkle Sheffield! From packing and planning to setting up camp, plus all the fun, laughter and unforgettable moments once camp begins.

Expect:
🌟 Behind-the-scenes preparations
🎒 Camp setup & packing
📹 Day in the life vlogs
😂 Funny moments & challenges
💛 Real camp memories
✨ And so much more!

We can’t wait to take you along on the journey. Stay tuned, follow along, and don’t miss a moment of the adventure! 🫶

27/07/2026

Sparkle Sheffield is now closed to the public until 14th September.

Although our office doors will be closed, we certainly won't be slowing down. Over the coming weeks we'll be preparing for Sparkle Camp, attending festivals and SEND events, recruiting new volunteers, writing funding bids, reviewing policies, delivering training, meeting with our Youth Ambassadors and planning for another exciting year ahead 💜

19/07/2026

✨ Sparkle Sheffield Weekly Update ✨

This week has been filled with preparing for our upcoming residentials, supporting families through our 1:1 sessions and finalising our July members' newsletter. A huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes to make everything we do possible, and we're proud of the dedication our team continues to show every day.

Also as we said in a previous update we been chosen as Charity of the Year by a fantastic local business. We have our first meeting with them this week and cannot wait to begin working together. We are so grateful that they have chosen to support Sparkle Sheffield, and we're looking forward to building a wonderful partnership that will help us reach even more families.

This week also took us to the West Midlands, where we continued supporting families through 1:1 sessions in Wolverhampton while preparing for our Sparkle West Midlands event in just two weeks' time. We were also delighted to welcome two new volunteers from the West Midlands who will be joining us at Sparkle Camp this summer. Seeing our Sparkle family continue to grow is always something to celebrate.

Our thoughts have been with our wonderful friends in Cuba, who have faced incredibly difficult times following the devastating tornado and a virus that has affected many of their team. Despite everything, they have continued bringing joy to autistic children, even hosting a fashion show where autistic children proudly took to the catwalk as models. Their resilience is truly inspiring. We'd love to send them a care package, so if you would like to contribute, please get in touch at [email protected].

A huge thank you to Sarah Roberts, who bravely completed a skydive for Sparkle Sheffield and has already raised over £300. We are incredibly grateful for your courage, kindness and generosity. Your support will help us continue making a difference to the families who need us most.

Our advocacy work continues to grow. This week we supported 49 advocacy cases and responded to 87 telephone enquiries, while continuing to work alongside Equalities and Human Rights UK and Autism Union to improve outcomes for autistic people and their families.

We have also been working closely with children, young people and families following the Government's SEND consultation, which has now moved on to proposals around Education Otherwise Than at School (EOTAS), support for children unable to attend school because of health needs, and the use of accredited online education providers. We continue to gather experiences from families to ensure their voices are heard at a national level. Many families have shared concerns that they felt unheard during the previous SEND consultation, and we remain committed to making sure their experiences help shape future decisions.

Alongside this, we have continued raising awareness nationally about the dangerous and false claims surrounding the use of bleach to 'cure' autism. There is no scientific evidence to support these claims, and the use of bleach can cause severe and life-threatening harm. We will always stand up for evidence-based practice and the safety of autistic people.

We've also been reviewing the Institute for Local Government's report on creating more joined-up SEND services and look forward to sharing this with our members soon.

SPARKLE SHEFFIELD CHARITY TLC BREAK

As schools break up for the summer, Sparkle Sheffield is now closed to the public until 14th September. (Our next update will be at the end of this week) Although our office doors will be closed, we certainly won't be slowing down. Over the coming weeks we'll be preparing for Sparkle Camp, attending festivals and SEND events, recruiting new volunteers, writing funding bids, reviewing policies, delivering training, meeting with our Youth Ambassadors and planning for another exciting year ahead.

We'll still be sharing updates on social media from time to time, so keep an eye out to see what we're getting up to.

Finally, thank you for believing in Sparkle Sheffield. Every family we support, every young person we empower and every opportunity we create is only possible because of the kindness and generosity of our amazing community.

Have a wonderful, safe and restful summer. We look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Together, we shine brighter. 💛

16/07/2026

The holidays will soon be upon us.
We can not wait to see you all over the summer .
However the summer months are difficult for us at Sam’s Space because we are often quiet .
So we are giving you the chance to bring a friend who’s never been for free.
We need your help to grow and tell people about us .
We offer so much more than soft play .
We are all mums and understand the daily challenges of parenthood- there is always a warm smile or hug if you need it.
We have daily craft, small world, Role Play and outdoor play all included in your £6.00 admission.
Let’s make it a summer to remember.

12/07/2026

✨ **SPARKLE SHEFFIELD WEEKLY UPDATE** ✨

What a wonderfully busy and rewarding week it has been at Sparkle Sheffield! 💛 Every day has been filled with opportunities to support families, empower young people, and stand up for the rights of our community.

❤️ This week we continued supporting families through our **online and face-to-face 1:1 sessions**, our **drop-in at Sam's Space - Soft Play, Firth Park Methodist Church**, email advice, residential planning and bookings, and by delivering items from our **Sparkle Lending Library**.

📦 We also made another trip to our storage unit, and we'd like to say a huge **thank you to Big Yellow Self Storage** for supporting charities like ours. Your support helps us continue helping others!

🧗 One of the highlights of the week was our **climbing wall event** with our amazing Sparkle children. Watching them challenge themselves, build confidence, encourage one another and celebrate every achievement was truly inspiring. There were smiles, laughter and so many proud moments.

🌟 We were also delighted to welcome **Harley aged 14 and Alex aged 15**, who joined us for their work experience week. We challenged them to create a **Sparkle Tuck Shop and a Honesty box** from scratch. They were given a budget, chose the products and went shopping to buy them, calculated the profit margins for each individual item, designed and distributed promotional flyers around Knowle House, and successfully launched the tuck shop. They did an absolutely fantastic job! We are incredibly proud of everything they achieved. Their enthusiasm, creativity and confidence grew throughout the week, and while they learned from us, we learned just as much from them.

⚖️ Alongside our incredible partners at **Equalities and Human Rights UK** and **Autism Union**, we supported **32 families** through advocacy and family support, helping them navigate challenges and access the support they need.

Together, we have also been reviewing the accessibility of **sport for disabled children across Sheffield**, helping ensure every child has the opportunity to participate and thrive.

In addition, we have been supporting the **Support for Children with Incarcerated Parents** initiative. With an estimated **193,000 children** in the UK having a parent in prison, this important work focuses on connecting these often hidden children with vital mental health, education and wellbeing services.

Every week reminds us that real change happens when communities come together. Whether you're a family who trusts us, a volunteer who gives your time, a business that supports us, or a young person stepping outside your comfort zone, you are helping to build a stronger, kinder and more inclusive community.

Thank you for continuing to believe in Sparkle Sheffield. Together, we are changing lives, creating opportunities and making sure no family has to face life's challenges alone.

💛 **Together, we shine brighter.**