Charity supporting families of children with special needs helped more than 8,000 people in August

Little Miracles, a charity that supports families of children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), said it supported more than 8,000 people in August as it experienced one of the busiest summers since it launched 15 years ago.

The organisation provided counselling, therapy, accessible summer activities and family support across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and said demand for its foodbank was "extremely high," with shelves sometimes needing to be restocked before lunchtime.

Louise Evans, head of income generation at Little Miracles, said the charity ran inclusive, no-cost events during the school holiday season, including a summer festival, trips to activity centres and sensory soft play sessions at its 22 branches in the East of England. "Little Miracles had the most incredible summer but also the busiest one," she said.

Evans attributed part of the rise in demand to reductions in services from other charities. "We have seen a massive rise in demand for some of our services, particularly due to some charities reducing their services," she said. She added that the charity had seen increasing need for its foodbank over the past 12 months and that any family with SEND children can access it, "no questions asked." The foodbank operates every day from 09:00 BST.

The charity said it is supported by staff and volunteers and relies on fundraising and corporate sponsorship to run its programmes. Evans said families seeking help are offered support within two weeks of contacting the charity, but that there is a long waiting list of parents and carers in need.

"Being part of a family that has a child with a disability or life-limiting condition can be really lonely, scary and increasingly expensive," Evans said. She said Little Miracles also helps families with Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications and school placements, reflecting what she described as a "nationwide issue with SEND school provisions."

Little Miracles operates across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and said its summer programme aimed to provide accessible and inclusive activities so families could "have fun and just be themselves." The charity asked for continued support from donors and sponsors to maintain services as demand rises.

The charity's report on August activity comes amid wider concerns about pressure on SEND services and school provisions in England. Little Miracles' experience of increased need mirrors other organisations' accounts of stretched resources and higher reliance on community support, particularly during school holidays when families may face additional childcare and financial pressures.

Officials at Little Miracles said they would continue to prioritise rapid access to support, maintain the daily foodbank service and deliver free, inclusive activities, while seeking funds to expand capacity and reduce waiting lists.