Thank you & Merry Christmas!

For the past 12 months, Little Hiccups has been taken under the wing of Strata Homes who have been fundraising for us. We are pleased and proud to announce that through their year-long hard slog of The Major Series, climbing mountains, jumping out if planes and the much nicer Bake Off, Go Karting and Bowling they have managed to raise us a massive

£90,557

Everyone at Little Hiccups is so overwhelmed and grateful for everyone that has raised money for us. This will truly help us to take Little Hiccups to another level. 

Thank you! 

Christmas Adventures

So December brought us back to Sundown Adventureland to kick off Christmas in style. Every year we make an annual trip here and each year is bigger and better than the one before. This year we again had over 100 people attending, many of whom have joined us year on year for this festive trip.

It was a cold but dry day. About as perfect weather-wise you can get for a December trip and all the families that attended thoroughly enjoyed themselves despite the cold. It must be said as well that the organisation and effort put in by Sundown has improved year on year and this year was by far the most efficient yet. All the Hiccups families met up for the Christmas ride around noon and for our annual group photo. The elves on the ride along with the Hiccups Directors helped with the wheelchairs which allowed every child the opportunity to ride the magic ride and to meet the Big Man himself at the end.

Sundown have also continued to expand the park and this year the Wooden Fort was completed after a period of renovation. There was a large castle with swings and seesaws that managed to entertain the children for some time. And I think one of the favourite things about Sundown are the lights that come on when dusk falls. It sets the Christmas atmosphere beautifully and is truly a wonderful start to the Christmas festivities.

"Thank you so much for organising this."

"Thanks Little Hiccups for such a wonderful day at Sundown. We really enjoyed it! Same again next year!"

"Thank you we have had a fantastic day!!"

"Thank you so much. We made lots of memories that will last forever xx"

"What a team! Thanks for looking after us today. X"

"Great day today as always even though I got us lost on the way!! Thanks to the Little Hiccups team for organising hope everyone had fun"

"Had a great day and the Santa ride was just beautiful - Emily did some brilliant looking at all the lights. Thanks little hiccups! Xxx"

"Thank you for a wonderful day!! Lots of fun as always."

"Lovely day at Sundown thanks for organising"



Website: http://www.sundownadventureland.co.uk

A more fun side of fundraising!

Molton Brown is a sensory experience that's actually disguised as a night of fundraising and it's becoming a firm annual fixture on our social calendar. Who, after all, can turn down a night of pampering? It really is VIP treatment - something that you would normally only see on TV. 

The experience of having a shop open exclusively for you just before Christmas and which allows 

you access to wander and sample all the delights of the Molton Brown products is truly wonderful. 

The Molton Brown store team are an excellent bunch who really do look after us. On the night we enjoyed drinks, nibbles and an arm massage. With the ticket price of only £20 we also received a voucher to use in store and a Goody Bag worth £20! It really is excellent value. I can't believe such a fun relaxing evening is actually fundraising. I'm never running 10k again if this is the way forward.


The total amount raised will be available soon! 

Sarah Stewart (Little Hiccups Chairperson)

I can't stop the feeling so just dance, dance, dance!

Hiccups Directors looking serious

At least once a year we try to book a private showing at The Showcase Cinema for our Little Hiccups families. every year it gets bigger and bigger as word spreads and this year was no exception. We had over 100 people wanting to come and the Showcase were more than happy to oblige!

This November we went back to the Showcase Cinema to see The Trolls which is a feel good story about friendship. With lots of singing as well of course! Which the children loved with many joining in. And why not! This is why these trips are so popular. We book the cinema just for Hiccups families so that everyone can relax and know that it doesn't matter if the child does not want to sit down for 2 hours straight. Or if they do want to join in the songs or yell out. To us - its all part of the experience. We also make it fully accessible. The lights are left on dim, the sound is reduced so its not quite as loud and we had subtitles for the hard of hearing. Audio description can also be used but wasn't needed in this instance. I had two families come up to me after and say this is the first time their child has been to the cinema - and THAT is why we do this. To give every child the opportunity to experience what they are entitled to and to create special memories.

This time, Little Hiccups also purchased snacks for everyone. Children has the Child's pack which included popcorn, a sweet and a drink whereas the adults were also treated to a drink and an adult sized popcorn. And I can confirm that the adults were very well behaved and there were no popcorn fights!

Thank you to the Showcase and we'll be back next year for more!

Queuing for snacks

 "A good time was had by all. Thanks."

"Had a great time thank you! Xx"

"Please pass our thanks to everyone who helped organise this. We had a great time and really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. Thanks again."

"Thanks for today. Think Lyall enjoyed his first cinema experience. Xxxx"

"Thank you for this .Was lovely .My son Hamaad and family loved it xxxx"

"Had a fab time thank you xx"

"Thanks for a wonderful morning watching trolls xxx"


Website: http://www.showcasecinemas.co.uk

Little Hiccups is proud to announce that we are now a Registered Charity!

Little Hiccups is proud to announce that we are now a Registered Charity! Our official Charity Number is 1170147. 

We're very pleased with this news as its been a long hard slog to get here. Here's what our gaining this number can mean to you:

1) It gives us authenticity. We know that you know that all our money raised goes straight back into Little Hiccups and in particular the fun events that we hold ever month. But those people that have not yet heard of us might not know. With a Charity Registration we are required to report back to the Charity Commission - so everyone knows where the money goes.

2) We can apply for a lot more grants and different sources of funding. Due to the above reason, we now have access to a lot more funding streams - which means more fun for you guys in the future. Now is your opportunity to tell us what you've always wanted your children to have the opportunity to do and we'll see if we can make it possible! 

3) We are now eligible to register with organisations such as Google for Nonprofits, eBay for Charity and seethedifference.org

4) You lovely people can also help us fundraise. We've had so many kind offers from people who say that their work is willing to fundraise for us and it will be matched by the business to double the amount. BUT they will need a Charity Number....well  - now we have one! 

It truly is a fantastic opportunity for Little Hiccups and is a step towards our big plans for the future. We're really very excited about what 2017 is going to bring for us. And we couldn't do it without all you lovely people supporting us. Thank you! 

No mountain is too high for Little Hiccups

In October we went to tackle the ramps and hills of The Works Skatepark. In a private session of 20 children, Little Hiccups families were allowed to trial out stunt scooters, BMX's and skateboards. Or of course, if none of those took their fancy they could explore the smooth, wooden surfaces at their own rate and use the ramps as slides if they chose.

It was a massive success, with children enjoying it in the way that they found best. I saw children getting braver and braver as the session went on and the ones in wheelchairs taking on the ramps by themselves. It was truly a #NoLimits session and again our children showed us that they are fearless and ready to take on new challenges.

The staff at The Works were also fantastic - they were on hand at all times to guide and teach if needed. They have emailed since to say that they too enjoyed the session and have invited us back. I think we'll definitely be going!

The Works is also a Charity and works closely with schools, youth groups and extended services where our aim is to help get children back into exercise whilst having fun through learning or improving with different non-traditional sports.

Meanwhile, while the children were exploring downstairs, upstairs in the cafe area Little Hiccups held a Bake Sale to help raise funds for Cash for Kids and are proud to announce that we raised a very worthwhile £149.30. Plus of course, as an added bonus, we got to eat a lot of yummy cakes!

Cash for Kids is an extremely worthwhile Charity which responds to the needs of children in our communities so they can live life to the full and realise their individual potential. Currently they are raising funds and advertising for Christmas Presents for Mission Christmas. They are asking people to buy an extra present that they can give to a disadvantaged local child to make their Christmas morning special.

As well as cake, Little Hiccups made sure that refreshments were also provided via the cafe. Many thanks to the staff there as well for making sure we were all fed and watered!

Leeds Law Firm Ison Harrison Supports Charity Ball

Our upcoming charity ball on Saturday 19^th November is just around the corner and we’re really pleased to announce that our friends over at Ison Harrison Solicitors will be showing their full support for the event this year.

Ison Harrison is a well-established law firm with a head office in Leeds city centre and a further 9 offices in the local surrounding areas. The firm specialises in complex clinical negligence cases as well as offering a full service across family law, conveyancing and wills and probate.

With over 230 people expected to descend on the Leeds Marriot hotel this Saturday, Ison Harrison has booked 4 tables for the event and will be proudly taking part in what promises to be a great evening for a fantastic cause.

Supporting the event, Ison Harrison are attending alongside members of a leading Erb’s Palsy Group who offer treatment advice to families who have suffered birth traumas.

Ison Harrison has offered up some fantastic raffle prizes for the evening, including two X Factor tickets and a free mirror will provided by the firm’s expert wills and probate team.

Managing Partner at Ison Harrison, Jonathan Wearing, commented:

“We’re proud to be supporting the Little Hiccups charity ball this year and feel it is important to be able to create strong ties with such organizations and advice groups in the local area. Special needs and disabilities are still under-recognised in the UK and by working with local initiatives, we hope to change this.”

For more information, please visit www.isonharrison.co.uk

The Day We Flew

We did it! We really flew! And what an experience it was. Our dreams of flight became a reality and for those with mobility issues the opportunity to free the limbs and fly must have been truly amazing.

The instructors were fantastic. They were patient, clear and adapted to every child and parent that came through. And with 70 or so people attending, all with different needs and abilities, they certainly had their hands full that day! Some children didn't settle so well to begin with - the experience, after all, is a completely new one but the instructors were never phased. If two instructors were needed it was no problem. Or if a child needed a break they were given it. The patience and experience of the instructors really did shine through. It wasn't for everyone but the majority really loved it with a number booking their return visit on the same day. Most children and adults also have the High Fly a go - where they were taken up to the top of the tunnel by the instructors. And the faces of those that came out after certainly showed what fun that was!

It was clear from the feedback of our volunteer photographers that day just how much fun everyone was having. When asked if they wanted a break it was often declined with the comment that just watching these kids fly and seeing the expression on their faces was truly making their day. You can't ask for more than that!

We also provided a rolling buffet courtesy of in house cafe Salvi's Bar to feed the hungry flyers. We were given warm pasta and pizza and a variety of cold sandwiches to suit all tastes. And the food certainly went down a treat. A fact determined by how quickly it disappeared from the table.

It was truly magical experience and we'll certainly be back as soon as we can! Next stop...second star on the right and straight on till morning.

"Brilliant day, thank you! Absolutely brilliant, hope you manage to book again!!"

"OMG We can not thank you enough for this wonderful experience of fly such a fab day n so wonderful seeing everyone being able to experience it well done n thank you Little Hiccups"

"Thanks Little Hiccups, we had an ace time"

"AWESOME SKYDIVING! I am so proud of all of our Little Hiccups and especially my own little hero! They are truly inspiring. You all rocked it today#NoLimits xx"

"Had a fab time today at Airkix and it was amazing to do this kind of an event as a family and something we could all participate in. Thanks to Little Hiccups for yet another inclusive activity...you've put a big smile on Max's face yet again!"

"The kids haven't stopped talking about. It was brilliant - thank you so much for organising."

"Loved it ....so great for Freya to be flying free amazing experience for a wheelchair bound person am sure she felt fantastic she was all smiley afterwards I'm sure we'll be going again!!!thank you!!! Ps I loved it too something I'd not thought of trying but brilliant."

Website: www.airkix.com/plan/manchester.aspx

Raising Funds at Swithens Farm!

Little Hiccups threw a Fundraising Summer Fair on Saturday August 6th at Swithens Farm in Rothwell. The sun deemed us worthy enough to visit us on that day and we couldn't have asked for better weather to be honest. The fair had free entry and Tractor Ted visited and providing an activity trail, bouncy animals, giant jigsaw and interactive storytelling. Not only that but there were bouncy castles, tractor rides, refreshments, a Fun Family dog show by Walkabout Hounds Ltd and over 20 stalls for people to peruse. I think a particular favourite amongst the children (certainly mine) was the Sand Art stall but the range of items on sale ranged from beauty goods to delicious cakes.

A fire truck was also popular with a stall next to it with children having to throw wet sponges at people hiding in the windows of a 'burning house'. Little Hiccups, of course, also had its own stall and we welcomed a few new families and raised awareness of who we are and what we do. And of course - who could forget the quad bikes that took children on rides around the field!

For Hiccups families (and some new ones!) the Sensory Fun Bus also visited us. The Sensory Fun Bus has been created to overcome barriers that prevent people from accessing a sensory room environment. From babies, individuals with sensory processing disorders or people who just enjoy a sensory room experience. They boast a great variety of features within The Sensory Fun Bus, which unlike many sensory rooms, can be adapted and customised depending upon your needs. We had a lot of very positive feedback from those that visited the bus and the activities that were held outside the bus such as the ball pool and foam were a massive hit also amongst all the children.

We had a lovely day and certainly hope to do it again!

Website: www.swithensfarm.co.uk / www.tractorted.co.uk / www.sensoryfunbus.co.uk

It's our 7th Birthday!

It's Little Hiccups 7th Birthday! Hard to believe that we have been going for 7 whole years and have come so far in so short a time. 7 years ago we used to turn up with a bag of toys and a jar of coffee - now we are celebrating in the glamorous settings of The Royal Armouries and hiring the fantastic Mimika to come and help us celebrate. 

Mimika is a two person Company formed in 1981. They believe that children deserve the best so their primary aim is to create beautifully crafted theatre that can effectively communicate with a wide variety of young audiences.Over 30 years the style, content and techniques have changed but there are two constants:-

• The work is always non-verbal

• The work is always accessible

They exploit the power of the visual image to both communicate with and move their audiences. The work is always gentle and highly original. Performances integrate movement, puppetry and unusual theatrical effects. They attempt to combine traditional and contemporary techniques to create an experience that is rich in content and detail. 

We organised three different showings throughout the day and as always at the Royal Armouries they put on a fantastic food spread including sandwiches and warm food such as sausages, fish nuggets and wedges and of course it is a birthday so we had a lovely birthday cake to enjoy! 

"Happy birthday Little Hiccups the kids and adults all had a wonderful day celebrating xxxx"

"Thanks for another lovely day. Thank you for letting us celebrate your birthday with you. The puppet show was awesome. It even managed to chill a very non chilled child for the rest of the day. So a very big thank you from me."

"We also had a good time watching a theatre group who used puppets to tell a story, at a birthday party for Little Hiccups. Nathan enjoyed the BIG orange fishes, and mummy enjoyed the food lol! :)

No seriously though, we had a really good time, and the production was "so creative," in that the 2 puppeteers had made their own puppets, and set's and everything. They were really, really good! A worthwhile afternoon!

Happy Birthday Little Hiccups."

Little Hiccups - past, present and future

A few of you will remember the days back in 2009 when we used to turn up to Stay n’ Play events every fortnight in Headingley with a big bag of toys and tea and coffee. Since then we've grown somewhat. We now have approximately 150 registered families and have a large following on social media. As well as expanding our Stay n’ Play to include soft play at Swithens Farm and sensory sessions in Headingley we have also expanded into monthly Family Fun Days which are getting bigger and better all the time, an Outreach service, access to Max Cards and an annual Fundraising Ball. We've also had another major change...

So what is it?

Well...do you remember that we received two Kangoos and then it went all quiet? We haven't forgotten them and we haven't just been sitting on them. Here's what happened. The simple truth is that it turns out you guys were just amazing. We had estimated that it would take us a few years to fundraise the amount required to raise the necessary funds to purchase them. But then word got out. The conquerors raised fantastic amounts and the newspapers got a hold of our story. From there Cash for Kids at Radio Aire and a lovely man from Therma Casa heard about us too and they each DONATED us a Kangoo. This was just so heartwarming and amazing. But here's the thing...we were still a non-profit organisation. We had planned in the time it would take us to fundraise to become a legal entity so that we could safely hire out the Kangoos. The good news is that we are now a Company limited by Guarentee. This is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality which is exactly what we needed to start hiring out the Kangoo as it protects Little Hiccups’ finances and the Trustees! And we are well on the way to becoming a Registered Charity.

So where are the Kangoos?

We had another problem. Time. Hiccups is run by a group of volunteers. Most of whom are parents who have children with additional needs themselves or who work full-time. And the year of fundraising did another thing. It raised our profile in Leeds and our rate of expansion grew exponentially. Events that used to have 12 people attend had grown to having over 100 people. Each event requires organising, advertising, booking, answering queries, finalising and sending out details then after collating the data, recording the accounts, sharing the photos and uploading to the site. And that's just a single event.

A few of you may know that I was self employed. My time on Hiccups was limited as I needed to earn a living. Every hour spent on Hiccups was an hour unpaid. Consequently, in November 2015 the Trustees made the decision to hire my company to run hiccups. This means I have more time to spend on Little Hiccups and to do what is needed. I've already made a start on all the necessary documents required to hire out Kangoos such as the Terms and Conditions, the booking out process, the Risk Assessments, etc. My plan is to have all these completed, checked and finalised by May 2016. Then we'll need some regular Hiccup families to volunteer to test the process and feedback any issues or suggestions. If you are interested in this please let me know by emailing me on info@littlehiccups.co.uk. Then they will be open to everyone!

What else is happening?

Lots! This year promises to be another big one. We're very excited to be Strata Homes Charity of 2016 which basically means the sky is the limit. We want to purchase another Kangoo so that we have one available in all sizes and we also want to provide Workshops for parents. Raising a child is a scary and exciting journey anyway. Raising a child with additional needs throws in a whole new set of factors that come with little or no guidance in how to manage them. Little Hiccups wants to change that. We want to be able to guide parents to help them learn what is available and what help and rights they have and they can receive on their journey. We want to let them know that they are not alone in this and exactly where they can go to get the support that they need.

We have other things planned too. I want to organise a Charity Fun Day during the Summer holidays and we have our annual Ball again this year (put it in your diary – November 19^th!) AND we still have plans to fund a short break in cabins for several families.

Basically, watch this space!  I also want to take this opportunity to thank you for joining us in our travels. We couldn’t do it without you guys.

If you have any questions about the above or have any suggestions about where Little Hiccups can go in the future, please email me on info@littlehiccups.co.uk