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Participants at the SNAPS Superhero Challenge 2025

Superheroes in Action for SNAPS!

We are absolutely thrilled to share that this year’s SNAPS Superhero Challenge has already raised over £12,000 to help us continue supporting children with additional needs and their families! 

The event, which took place on Sunday 29th June at the John Charles Centre for Sport, brought families together for a day packed with fun, celebration, and superhero spirit! 

Designed to be fully accessible and inclusive, the Superhero Challenge invites children of all ages and abilities to set their own distance goals around a 400m athletics track. Whether walking, running or wheeling, every child was cheered on to their personal finish line, where they were presented with a special medal and goody bag to mark their achievement.

Alongside the track challenge, families enjoyed a host of activities –  from superhero character meet-and-greets, bouncy castles and face painting, to a petting zoo, silent disco, crafts, sensory play, and inclusive rugby sessions led by Leeds Rhinos Foundation coaches.

The day was made possible thanks to the generous support of our event sponsors Irwin Mitchell, Wade’s Charity, and Taylor Wimpey, as well as an incredible team of volunteers who gave their time to help everything run smoothly.

Lisa Morton, Head of Fundraising at SNAPS, said:

“What an incredible day of celebration! Seeing so many families come together to champion the amazing achievements of children with all different abilities has been truly inspiring.

“The funds raised through this event are crucial for keeping our services running, so we’re grateful to every family who participated and to our wonderful sponsors and volunteers who made the day possible.

“Most importantly, congratulations to all our young superheroes who showed such determination and joy — you truly are extraordinary!”

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who made this event such a success – our families, sponsors, volunteers, entertainers and supporters. We’re so proud of what we achieved together, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!

📸 Check out some more of our favourite moments in our event photo album on Facebook. 

Imaan

Imaan gets set for the SNAPS Superhero Challenge!

"It’s a special way for us to say thank you to SNAPS and to help make sure other children like Imaan can benefit from the same life-changing support.”

Meet one of this year’s dedicated participants of this year’s SNAPS Superhero Challenge, taking place on Sunday, 29th June: four-year-old Imaan. 

Imaan will be taking part alongside her mum, Dominique, and the pair have already raised over £540.00 in sponsorship for SNAPS!

Imaan, who was born with a rare chromosome condition that causes low muscle tone, has been supported by SNAPS for several years, accessing physiotherapy and taking part in inclusive play sessions. Dominique says that SNAPS has made a huge difference to their lives:

“For the first few years of Imaan’s life, everyday things that many take for granted, such as sitting up or walking, were major challenges.

“We were introduced to SNAPS when Imaan was around 18 months old, and it’s no exaggeration to say that they transformed our lives. Through regular physio sessions, Imaan has made incredible progress, and thanks to SNAPS, she took her very first steps at four years old – an unforgettable moment of triumph, courage, and independence.

“Being part of the SNAPS community has brought not only physical benefits for Imaan, but also emotional support for our whole family. It’s given us hope, strength, and a sense of belonging.

“This is our first time joining the Superhero Challenge, and we couldn’t be more excited. It’s a special way for us to say thank you to SNAPS and to help make sure other children like Imaan can benefit from the same life-changing support.”

Imaan and Dominique will join other families from across the region donning their capes for our Superhero Challenge. Hosted at the John Charles Centre for Sport this fully inclusive fun-run event gives all children, whatever their ability, the chance to feel like a superhero for the day. 

All ages and abilities are welcome, and each child can decide on their own distance target around the 400m athletics track. Those requiring an accessibility aid such as a wheelchair, walker or pushchair can also wheel their way around. Children will be cheered on to the finish line, where they will each receive their own challenge medal and goodie bag.

As well as the zoom around the track, there will be lots of other fun activities, including: 

  • Superhero meet and greet
  • Bouncy castle
  • Inclusive football sessions with Leeds United Foundation and rugby with Leeds Rhinos Foundation coaches
  • Fire and Rescue Service and Police
  • Face painting
  • Silent disco
  • Craft and sensory activities
  • Games

At SNAPS, we receive no government funding to deliver our services –  all funds raised from the Superhero Challenge will go towards our vital work.

The event is being kindly sponsored by Irwin Mitchell, Wade’s Charity and Taylor Wimpey.

Lisa Morton, Head of Fundraising at SNAPS, says: “We’re thrilled to bring the Superhero Challenge back again this year! It’s one of the most joyful, and inclusive family events in the city. Every child is celebrated for their strength and spirit, and every family gets to enjoy a fun-filled day in a supportive and welcoming environment.”

Families can register for the Superhero Challenge for free if they commit to raising £47.00 or more in sponsorship. This would support the cost of a physiotherapy session for a child with additional needs. Alternatively, tickets cost £12 per child if you would prefer not to fundraise (adults are free).

The SNAPS Superhero Challenge takes place on Sunday, 29th June at John Charles Centre for Sport, Middleton Grove, from 10.30am until 12.30pm. 

Register for the Superhero Challenge here
Charity Governance awards 2025

SNAPS wins at the 2025 Charity Governance Awards!

We’re delighted to share that we were one of five big winners at the 2025 Charity in Governance Awards ceremony last night! 

SNAPS won the ‘People in Governance’ award, with judges praising the vital role our Board has played in transforming SNAPS from a grassroots organisation into the professional charity it is today.

In their feedback, the judges praised our “thoughtful, inclusive and transparent” approach to governance, commenting:

“The board’s blend of lived and professional experience creates an authentic culture of shared purpose and collaboration. Particularly striking was the charity’s commitment to amplifying all voices – including children – through its Junior Ambassadors programme and open AGMs, where families can directly raise questions and offer feedback.”

We’re incredibly honoured and proud to receive this recognition. It’s a reflection of the passion and dedication our Board brings to SNAPS – combining lived experience with expert governance to help ensure that families of children with additional needs and their families get the support they need. 

Our Chair Chris Eatwell and Trustee Roberta Gamba accepted the award on behalf of SNAPS at the live ceremony in London on 3rd June, during Volunteers Week 2025.

A heartfelt thank you to our Board of Trustees for their incredible work, and to The Clothworkers’ Company for organising such an  inspiring event to celebrate great governance in the charity sector.

Congratulations to all of the other brilliant shortlisted and winning charities. It’s a privilege to stand alongside so many organisations doing such meaningful work.

You can read more about what the judges said about SNAPS here: SNAPS – Winner – People in Governance.

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Our new site at Co-op Academy Brierley

We’re delighted to announce more information about our brand new site at Co-op Academy Brierley, launching in September 2025.

From Saturday 20th September, families will be able to access a range of services, including: 

  • Sensory room (private family sensory sessions)
  • Rebound therapy
  • Dance and musical theatre sessions
  • Archery (using safe inflatable equipment)
  • Cinema Club (monthly)
  • Cookery Club (monthly)

Co-op Academy Brierley is located at Cross Green Lane, Cross Green, Leeds LS9 0BA. 

Referrals Now Open

Referrals for our new site are now open. If you would like to apply, please complete a referral form and a member of the SNAPS team will be in touch.

Complete a referral form

Please note: We expect demand to be high for these sessions, so we kindly ask for your patience while we process referrals.

We’re very excited to be expanding our reach and offering more opportunities for children with additional needs and their families.

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SNAPS Shortlisted for Charity Governance Award

We’re thrilled to share that SNAPS has been shortlisted in the People in Governance category at the Charity Governance Awards 2025!

This award recognises excellence in charity governance, and celebrates outstanding contributions made by charity boards and trustees. We’re incredibly proud that the hard work and dedication of the SNAPS Board of Trustees is being recognised in this way.

Our trustees’ commitment, experience, and guidance help us ensure we’re delivering the best possible support to the children and families we work with across Leeds and West Yorkshire. .

The winners of the Charity Governance Awards will be announced at a special ceremony in London on Tuesday, 3rd June 2025. We’re honoured to be shortlisted alongside so many inspiring charities doing exceptional work across the UK. 

A huge thank you to the Charity Governance Awards for this recognition, and congratulations to all of the other shortlisted organisations.

Runner at the London Marathon

The London Marathon for SNAPS: 26th April, 2026

  • Sunday, 26th April 2026
  • Minimum Fundraising: £2,000
  • SNAPS application deadline: Sunday, 17th August 2025
Run the London Marathon 2026 for SNAPS!

We are extremely excited that SNAPS has secured a place in the London Marathon 2026! 

We are now seeking one fantastic fundraiser to take on this epic challenge for us. We are looking for someone who is dedicated, enthusiastic and full of fantastic ideas to raise as much as possible for SNAPS. 

If you would like to take part in this iconic event, please email: fundraising@snapsyorkshire.org  to request an application form. The deadline for applying for a SNAPS place is Sunday 17th August 2025. Forms returned after this time unfortunately cannot be considered. 

You will be informed whether your application was successful or not by Friday 5th September. 

If you have any questions, please contact fundraising@snapsyorkshire.org.

For further information about the event and terms and conditions, please visit:  https://www.londonmarathonevents.co.uk/london-marathon  

Thank you for your interest, and good luck! 

Request your application now
SNAPS logo

A new look for SNAPS

We have a fresh look (kind of)!

Our logo still has the same bright and colourful look, but you may notice a small change. We’ve simplified the design and removed the tagline of “Special Needs and Parent Support”. We think that this updated name better reflects who we are today and the positive and inclusive work that we do.

Rest assured, we’re still the same SNAPS! Our mission hasn’t changed: we’re here to provide vital support to children with additional needs and their families.

If you have any questions about the new brand, or you are from a partner organisation that needs a copy of the new SNAPS logo, please contact our Communications Manager, Sarah Tulley: sarah@snapsyorkshire.org. 

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Celebrating World Book Day

Today is World Book Day, a day to celebrate reading for fun.

We love books at SNAPS. Reading can be such a fun and rewarding experience for all children, no matter their age or ability. It offers countless benefits for development and wellbeing – fostering speech and language development, enhancing creativity and imagination, promoting empathy, and helping to reduce stress and anxiety.

At SNAPS, we see storytelling as a powerful way to bring families together, creating connections that go beyond the page. We especially love to see books where children with additional needs are represented in a positive way. It can really help to nurture self-esteem and confidence when children are able to identify with the characters,

Here are just some of our favourite children’s books featuring characters with additional needs or storylines about diversity and inclusion. Many of these have been written by people with additional needs or parents and carers with first-hand experience.

Picture books

See What I Can Do by Jon Roberts
This book tells the stories of children with a variety of additional needs, inspired by the real-life experiences of the author’s daughter, who is autistic.

No Horn Unicorn by Shani Dhanda
There’s something different about Ugo the unicorn… a heartwarming story that celebrates difference.

When I See Blue by Lily Bailey
A touching and honest book about life with OCD, and the power of friendship. 

You’re so Amazing! by James and Lucy Catchpole
About a child with a limb difference who is tired of being told how amazing he is for doing normal things.

Dexter! The Amazing School Dog! by Lucy Plunkett and Sian Bowman
Introduces readers to neurodiversity through the lovable school dog, Dexter. 

This is Me! by George Webster
A heartfelt and positive picture book from one of our favourite CBeebies stars. 

Talking is not My Thing: Rose Robbins
A celebration of diversity and neurodiversity, this is a rare example of a story that recognises non-verbal communication.

My Brother Otto by Elisa Pallmer
An engaging picture book that shows everyday life with little crow siblings when one of them is on the autism spectrum. 

Loud! by Rose Robbins
An adorable picture book about a little girl who  finds that she can express herself through singing. 

Chapter books for older readers

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones
An action-packed, epic adventure featuring an autistic heroine.

The Stickleback Catchers by Lisette Auton
A magical adventure of family and friendship with inclusive portrayal of disability and illness. We especially like the positive description of the main character’s mobility aids. 

The Amazing Edie Eckhart by Rosie Jones
Inspired by comedian Rosie Jones’ own experiences of navigating school with cerebral palsy.

Wilder than Midnight by Cerrie Burnell
A magical, fairy tale inspired story that celebrates individuality and difference.

Further reading

 

SNAPS logo

SNAPS is expanding!

We are thrilled to share the exciting news that SNAPS is continuing to grow!

Due to increasing demand for our services, we will be launching sessions at a brand-new site:
Co-op Academy Brierley, located on Cross Green Lane, East Leeds.

This is in addition to our existing services and will allow us to support even more children and families across the region, as well as offer some new and exciting services to our current families.  

We are planning to launch this new site in September 2025, with additional sessions including sensory, rebound therapy, stay and play and more.

This expansion will not affect our current provision at Penny Field and Broomfield – they will continue to operate as usual.

What’s happening next?

  • To help us prepare for this expansion, we will be increasing physiotherapy sessions at Broomfield for the Summer term only.
  • Referrals for our services at Brierley will follow the same process as Penny Field and Broomfield. We plan to take referrals for the September term, for all of our sites, later in the summer.
  • More details on how to book sessions will be shared in the coming months.

Please keep an eye out for further updates, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

We are very excited to be able to extend our support to more families and widen the range of services we offer.  We look forward to this next chapter for SNAPS!

Smiley Charity Film Awards logo

Smiley Charity Film Awards Finalists!

We’re thrilled to say that our film has been shortlisted as finalist at the Smiley Charity Film Awards! 
 
We’re very proud of this film as it tells the story of SNAPS so well and really highlights the impact we have on the families we support. A huge thank you to our friends at Strata for producing it for us. 
 
It’s wonderful to get exposure like this for SNAPS and the work that we do with our amazing families. Thank you to everyone who voted for our film, we couldn’t have done it without your support . 

We’ll find out whether we’ve won on 20th March. 
 
You can find out more about the Smiley Film Awards at their website. 
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