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

Little Hiccups December Trip: Sundown Adventure Land

Christmas is no longer Christmas without our annual trip to Sundown to visit Father Christmas in his magic grotto. If you have never been, Sundown in a theme park designed for under 8's. It is especially fun at Christmas time when it is decorated into a magical wonderland!

We've been going to Sundown now for a number of years and its one that is requested every year. It's now a Hiccup's tradition and this year we were recognised and remembered by the cheeky elves at Santa's house. Which was particularly good as they were able to help us with the buggies and wheelchairs!

Santa was certainly jolly when we visited him too and he asked the children if they could do him a favour and check on Dancer and Prancer to see if they had enough food and water. They did as we did as we promised and checked for him.

The Angry Bird park was a hit as always and we bumped into a few Hiccups families in there - seems it is popular with all the children!

And as always we stayed until the lights came on and then wondered back through the park enjoying the scenery. It really does make you feel very Christmassy and is a fantastic way to start December. Thank you Sundown!

"Thank you again What a fantastic magical Santa the Elves & Sleigh ride experience for Ellie we all loved it... this is the 1st time she has not been upset & our little star even spoke to Santa! Xxxx"

"Thankyou for an amazing day guys! Thankyou for all the help! Thankyou Sarah for sticking with us to help out your a star."

"Thank you so much for today. We had so much fun x"

"Thanks for organising a wonderful day at Sundown. We had a great time. Jacob enjoyed seeing Santa and gave him his letter, it's the 1st time he's not been upset. He had such a good day he didn't want to leave and fell asleep not long after we got in the car."

"Thank you once again for another brilliant day out xxx"

"Another fab Sundown Adventure. Thank you Little Hiccups xxx" 

"Nile had a lovely day today thank you x"

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

Little Hiccups Year 2015