What a fantastic turnout we had for our latest West Yorkshire CANN (WYCANN) termly meeting last week! On Wednesday 1st July, the Parkside Suite at the John Charles Centre for Sport was absolutely packed out with member organisations, all dedication personified, coming together to connect, share, and collaborate.
As our co-chair Carmel Gallagher beautifully put it, thank goodness she brought extra biscuits to welcome such an incredible crowd!
A Huge Thank You
First and foremost, a massive thank you to everyone who attended and brought their passion, energy, and insights to the room. Our network thrives because of your ongoing commitment to supporting children with additional needs and disabilities across West Yorkshire.
We also want to extend a huge thank you to the John Charles Centre for Sport for hosting us in the Parkside Suite. The venue was fantastic, completely accessible, and the team made us feel incredibly welcome.
Inspiring Presentations & Exciting News on the Horizon
We were incredibly fortunate to have two brilliant guest presenters join us, and the updates they shared left us all feeling incredibly motivated:
- Amy Thraves-Connor from Experience Community: Amy gave us a wonderful introduction to the vital work they do in making the great outdoors accessible to everyone.
- Louise Walker from Active Leeds: Louise shared some truly exciting news that is on the horizon for our city—plans are officially underway for a brand-new, inclusive wellbeing centre being built next year! She also updated us on Active Leeds’ ongoing initiatives, including their fantastic support for disability hub swimming and complimentary access for carers.
Adaptive Cycles & Brilliant Networking
Following the presentations, we moved into our dedicated networking time, which is always a highlight of these meetings. The buzz in the room was brilliant as ideas were sparked and connections were made.
A personal highlight for many of us was getting the chance to head outside and have a go on the incredible adaptive cycles at the centre. There is nothing quite like experiencing these fantastic accessible resources firsthand!
The networking even brought some wonderful personal moments of learning; swapping BSL (British Sign Language) signs with colleagues was a particular favourite of mine and a fantastic reminder of how much we can learn from one another when we share a space.
Save the Date!
If you missed this one, or if you are already looking forward to the next, please make sure to pop our final meeting date for the year into your calendar:
- Next Meeting: Wednesday 2nd December 2026
- Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Thank you again to our presenters, our hosts, and every single member who made the day so vibrant. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive network across West Yorkshire!
