A GROUP of mums who were frustrated by the lack of support in their area for families with disabled children have set up their own club.

Last week, the first Tanga Club session was held in the Torch Centre in Hexham, after the parents came together to form a fully inclusive youth group for children with additional needs and their families.

The group welcomes those with a wide range of needs to come along with their parents, from those with severe disabilities to high functioning young people with ADHD, and their siblings who might have no additional needs at all. Tanga is inspired by the Maori word for autism – Takiwatanga, meaning in his or her own time and space.

Chairwoman of the group, Katherine Miller, said: “We just thought ‘there is nothing in the area or even close by where maybe a child with a severe case of cerebral palsy could mix and be friends with children with no issues whatsoever’ – and that’s really sad. We decided to do something about it.”

Interest in the group has already been high, and now the members are calling for more volunteers to come on board to help with the running of the sessions.

During the club, which runs on a Friday evening, the main hall is filled with activities such as football, basketball, space hoppers, Play-Doh and Lego, while the small hall is where children can use electricals such as the Nintendo Wi, and also play pool and table tennis. There is also a sensory room providing a calm, quiet environment with sensory lights and toys.

Secretary of the group, Natasha Leontiou, added that it was not only helpful for the young people, aged from babies to 18, but for their parents too. “It can be so isolating being a parent with a child with special needs, you sometimes feel like you are the only person in the world dealing with it, so it is so nice just having people to talk to.”