Oldham Council approves vital funding to support children and families with SEND through short breaks play and leisure activities

Oldham Council has agreed to keep paying POINT, the Chadderton charity on Middleton Road, £200,000 a year for the next two years so its after-school clubs, holiday sessions and weekend trips for children with special needs can carry on without a break.

Parents say the breathing space matters. While their sons and daughters try out adapted bikes at Alexandra Park or head off to Flamingo Land, the adults grab a few hours to rest, work or spend time with siblings. One mother told councillors the charity's 10-week 'Riding the Rapids' course had handed her 'a super-power' for understanding her autistic child.

The original three-year deal was due to finish next month. Town Hall education chiefs say extending it until March 2028 avoids the cost and upheaval of finding a new provider and keeps places open for roughly 400 youngsters who are already on POINT's books.

Activities range from sensory craft mornings for toddlers to late-night cinema sessions where the room is blacked out like a proper theatre. Staff tailor every session, so a child who struggles with noise can wear headphones and one who needs quiet time can slip into a pop-up tent.

Council leader Mohon Ali signed off the cash after visiting the centre and meeting parents fresh from the Riding the Rapids course. No new money is involved; the sum comes from the council's existing short-breaks budget, which officials argue saves larger sums later by keeping families out of crisis.