The partnership promotes joint working to combine funding, resources and expertise to enable support to reach more children. The partnership will leverage Leicester Children’s Holidays’ Matched Funding Programme, which has already seen up to 100 children helped this year, whilst enabling Menphys to enhance their Activities Programmes.

Ian Caldwell, Menphys CEO, said: “Our research with families confirms just how important it is for children with disabilities to have equal opportunities to access inclusive and bespoke activities to meet their specific needs. 

“We are delighted to be partnering with Leicestershire Children’s Holidays to extend the range and scale of opportunities that we can make available to those children and their families.” 

One of the first projects of the partnership will provide a programme of canal boat trips during the summer and autumn, funded by Leicester Children’s Holidays, for children registered with Menphys. Children, with their parents, will be able to enjoy exploring the waterways around Loughborough and Barrow-up-on-Soar in a safe, inclusive and enriching environment of friendship and support.

Nichola Moore, Leicester Children’s Holidays CEO, said: “We are really excited to be working in partnership with Menphys and the Peter Le Marchant Trust enabling this exciting opportunity for these children. As a charity we are widening our offer to look to provide different opportunities to vulnerable children that broaden their horizons and can make a real difference to their lives.”

Menphys will be working with the Peter Le Marchant Trust, the UK’s oldest canal boat charity, to arrange the trips from the trust’s moorings in Loughborough where they operate specially-adapted canal boats for day trips and holidays.

Tim Marren, CEO of the Peter Le Marchant Trust, said: “Canal boat trips and holidays are a fun way to access the waterways around Leicestershire. We are delighted to be able to support Menphys and Leicester Children’s Holidays to deliver such a large number of trips with our specially adapted boats.”

If families of children with a disability would like to know more about the trips please contact Menphys on Menphys.services@menphys.org.uk.

For more information about the range of services and support Menphys, Leicester Children’s Holidays and the Peter le Marchant Trust provide please visit their websites.