Southwark has a good selection of youth clubs and organised activities for the afterschool and the holiday period. Most are open access but here you will also find information on services that offer specialist provision.

Please see below for more information: 

SEN play session for under-5s: Ann Bernadt Children's Centre



SEN drop-in play session for children under five with any additional needs/disabilities. Siblings are welcome. Wednesdays, 1.30-3.30pm. Ann Bernadt Children's Centre in Peckham. For more information please call: 0207 525 0252.

Under 5s Sensory Room: Albrighton Centre


Calming sensory experience for children with developmental concerns or a disability. Children aged 4 and under, ages 5-7 with permission. Saturday morning 9.30-11.00am. Albrighton Community Centre.

Contact South Camberwell Children's Centre: 0207 274 1829 or Pam: 07927 299548 or Albrighton 020 7737 6186.


Gambado Softplay Beckenham

SEN Evenings
Gambado runs monthly SEN-only evenings – soft play fun exclusively for children with disabilities. Entry for all children is £6 and the carer/parent goes free. For more information go to the Gambado Beckenham Facebook page.

Charlie Chaplin Adventure Playground


Short break service, referral from Children With Disabilities and Complex Needs team and/or initial assessment paid for by direct payments.

Tel: 020 7735 1819. Contact: Beverley Salmon bev@charliechaplinadventureplayground.org

Grow & Learn Garden Project



Grow & Learn offers young people aged 14-16 years with a learning difficulty, complex needs or disability the opportunity to realise their aspirations to progress towards employability, increase their confidence and and develop independence skills. Grow & Learn, a vegetable growing project, runs on Wednesdays at Burgess Park, and offers the opportunity for students to gain a City & Guilds Level 1 qualification in Work Based horticulture.
For more information please contact:
Shirley Wisbach on 0207 7202212 or

email: shirley.wisbach@thrive.org.uk Or visit: www.thrive.org.uk

RLSB - Social Group for Visually Impaired Young People


The Royal London Society for the Blind (RLSB) runs a social group for visually impaired young people aged 11-19 living in Southwark. There is a mix of meetings, outings, social events, training sessions and one-to-one support. The emphasis is on young people making decisions about what they want to do and where they want to go, to promote independence and enable better access to the local community.

Contact: Debbie Watton on 0207808 6112 or 07801 675335 Or email Deborah.watton@rlsb.org.uk

Down's Syndrome Saturday Play Group



The sessions run every 1st Saturday of the month from 10am-12pm and are open to all parents and carers of children with Down’s Syndrome and are run as informal ‘drop in’ sessions, you can just turn up at any time, have a tea/coffee and stay for as long as you like. Siblings are very welcome and there is a range of toys and activities available for children of all ages. It’s free. For more information please contact:

Richard Hurry Tel: 07970 418199 or richard.hurry@infocorp.co.uk


Peckham Rye Park Adventure Playground: SEN Session



Southwark's Play Service offers a free, exclusive session for children with autism or a learning disability and their parent/carers at Peckham Rye Park Adventure Playground on Sundays 11am-2pm (term time only).

Resources for Autism – Clubs & Home Support



Resources for Autism runs play and activity groups in North Dulwich: 
Sunday 1-3pm: 8-14 years 
Monday 6–8 pm: Evening Youth Club for ages 15– 19. 
To apply to either group:
Tel: 020 8458 3259 or go to: www.resourcesforautism.org.uk Or contact Catherine at: Catherine@resourcesforautism.org.uk

One to one support is available. All staff are autism trained and experienced.
Resources for Autism also runs a Reach Out home support service in Southwark. This is for families with children of any age up to 19. To apply: Tel: 020 8458 3259 or go to: www.resourcesforautism.org.uk

KIDS sibling project


Southwark residents who help look after a brother or sister with a disability. Meet other siblings, make friends and share experiences. Opportunities to have fun and take part in activities through attending small groups and ongoing regular meetings outside the family home.

KIDS Southwark Tel: 020 7701 2826 or Natalie.woods@kids.org.uk

The Salmon Youth Centre: Club & Befriending Scheme


The Salmon Youth Centre in Bermondsey hosts a 14+ disability youth club 'Mixables' on Fridays from 3.30-5.30pm called Mixables. The Salmon Youth Centre also runs a befriending scheme Connect 2 for young people who have a disability. Connect 2 matches a volunteer aged 18-30 with a young person aged 14-19 years old with a mild to moderate disability (ie. who have a Statement of SEN but are probably not getting services from Children with Disabilities Team) to meet up once a fortnight and assist them to access leisure and social services. For both of the above, contact:
Miranda Haslem on 020 7232 5301 or 07945 859051 Or call Salmon Youth Centre on: 020 7237 3788.


The Camden Society


After-school clubs on Tues and Thurs (free) in Southwark and a holiday scheme (paid), for 11-18 year-olds with moderate/severe disability. For more information please contact: emma.bracewell@thecamdensociety.co.uk or Tel: 07772 680985

Please also visit the Short Breaks section of Southwark Council's website, where there is further information about activities for disabled children and young people. You can download a list of all short break services in the borough.

Youth and Play Services
 

These services provide open access activities for children and young people at adventure playgrounds and youth centres across the borough. Term time and holiday programmes are available. Some of these services offer specialist provision for children and young people with SEND.

For more information or to see the programme, please follow this link.

Last updated: 12 June 2020