WARRINGTON theme park Gulliver’s World has been working on a number of initiatives to help enhance their offering for children with autism and other special educational needs.
Gulliver’s World has teamed up with The A-World UK, a Salford-based not-for-profit organisation which exists to support the autistic community across the north of England, to host events specifically for autistic children and their families and to gain their expertise and feedback on how the resort can be more inclusive for all moving forward.
For the fourth time, the entire theme park and hotel at Gulliver’s World will be handed over to The A World UK on 28 December to offer a safe and quiet space for the community to relax and have fun.
The sell out takeover event, which took just hours to be fully booked, allows attendees and families spend time in a fun environment for those who understand living with autism. Three other dates for similar takeovers have also been booked for 2024.
In addition, The A-World UK team are currently providing feedback to the resort on its popular Land of Lights lantern festival which is taking place this winter with the aim that some specific SEND friendly sessions can be held in the New Year.
Gulliver’s World has also trialled some SEND friendly Christmas packages this festive period which sees children who may prefer not to have a 1-1 experience with Santa in his Grotto, also eliminating the winter wonderland lights and the North Pole express experience where the queue line is not possible to fast-track, with an alternative. Children instead enjoy seeing Santa in a group environment, in his stage show. Again, feedback will be gained to hone the offering for Christmas 2024.
Craig Clews, resort manager at Gulliver’s World, said: “Here at Gulliver’s we are always looking at ways to be an inclusive as possible so all children and their families can experience a magical day out or sleepover adventure.
“We understand there is always more to be done but we are making strides in this area, using the expertise of partners such as The A-World UK to support us, to ensure we are providing different options that may suit some children and their families more so they too can make important family memories.
“We don’t want anyone to feel excluded or not able to come to Gulliver’s World and this is just the start of doing what we can to learn and develop our offering.”
Adam Howell, managing director at The A World UK, said: “We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire Gulliver’s World team for their unwavering support and generosity. Since our partnership began in 2022, the resort has opened its doors to us, allowing us to exclusively hire the park, and this collaboration has had a profound impact on the lives of over 4,800 autistic individuals and their families.
“Gulliver’s has created a warm hospitality and commitment to creating a safe, non-judgmental environment where our community can be authentically themselves. It is a rare and precious gift that to those who often face unique challenges, and it means the world to us and the individuals we serve.
“We are really pleased to continue to grow our relationship with Gulliver’s by also providing advice and guidance for how the resort and its team can enhance the provision for SEND children in other events like Land of Lights and the general operations of the park. This can only be of huge benefit to lots more SEND children who deserve to experience a fun-filled family day out like lots of other families do up and down the country.”
For more information visit: www.gulliversworldresort.co.uk
1 Comment
Brilliant to read this .. we visited gullivers Warrington 20 years ago, autism wasn’t recognised as a disability and we were refused a fast track disabled access as my son wasn’t in a wheel chair.. they did however change the policy a few years later, good to hear that times can change