Well done to the children and volunteers from StarmakerZ and Neuro Network who took part in a bag pack at ASDA Portrack today. Between them all, they raised a fabulous £555.91 toward their trip to London to see Wicked in the West End. Special thanks must go to Tricia Wilkinson, Asda Community Champion and to […]

That’s another one finished, our fourth Easter HAF is over and done with, eight days of noise, fun, laughter and food. This morning the younger ones had a trip to a local play area to let off some steam, while the older ones, who are too cool for playgrounds, stayed in The Hub to continue […]

The weather was a bit dodgy this morning, so the trip to Ropner Park was shelved in favour of activities in The Hub, dancing, music tuition and the usual pool, table football, basketball and running wild on the gym mats. The young people are often happier with that than the more structured activities. After another […]

Today was our trip out day, we all went to Hopetown in Darlington, as part of the Stockton And Darlington Railway Bicentennial celebrations. Hopetown is a former railway station which is now a museum dedicated to the early days of the railways. As well as a few full size trains, there are many interactive displays […]

After a long weekend eating chocolate eggs, everyone has returned to HAF recharged and full of energy. A very warm welcome to all the new faces who have joined us this week, we hope you enjoy the next four days. Today was a busy one, splitting into groups to undertake various activities before reconvening for […]

And in the blink of an eye, that’s four days over. Our fourth day is always cinema day, when we walk to The Arc and watch the previous three days adventures on the big screen, accompanied by as many relatives as the kids can drag in. The morning session is generally a go as you […]

Day three of HAF was a noisy one. Straight after breakfast club we were treated to a show from entertainer Tom Rolfe who brought his Punch And Judy show, as well as a few magic and circus tricks. Audience participation was at full volume and eagerly enjoyed by our young people. An active afternoon followed […]

Second day of HAF for Easter 2025. More horror make-up this morning, in preparation for filming another Skinner Street zombie apocalypse. Filming the upcoming blockbuster took us to lunchtime and another healthy lunch of cheesy pasta and salad. The afternoon session was a visit from Angela Shackleton of Cleveland Fire Brigade, who gave us all […]

The HAF is back and we had a busy first day. After breakfast we had a visit from Ruth Smith – the Feel Amazing Therapist, who taught us some NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) techniques to help us feel amazing. Lunch followed, with an emphasis on healthy eating, lots of salad and fruit. The afternoon session consisted […]