Jumping the Inclusion Gap: Fund the support that makes SEND access possible
Nicole Bateman, The Friendly SEND Advisor
UK Parliament Petition 777808
What is Jumping the Inclusion Gap?
Jumping the Inclusion Gap is a campaign highlighting a gap I see both as a SEND mum and through my professional work with children’s activity providers.
Too many neurodivergent children and those with disabilities are missing out on activities they would love to take part in, not necessarily because the activity itself is unavailable, but because the support they need to access it is not funded.
The Government’s £132.5 million Every Child Can programme is intended to increase access to enrichment through schools, communities, weekends and holidays. That commitment is very welcome but my petition asks Government to build a dedicated SEND access fund into Every Child Can and related enrichment programmes, available when a child needs additional adult support or reasonable adjustments to participate.
This is not a call for more SEND-only clubs, it is about enabling children to access the activities that interest them; sport, arts, drama, dance, STEM, play, youth groups, after-school clubs, weekend activities and holiday provision alongside their peers where that is right for them. For some children that may mean 1:1 or 1:2 support and for others it could mean communication support, sensory adaptations, transition planning or other reasonable adjustments.
The Gap
Many activity providers genuinely want to include children well, I work with lots of providers who train staff, adapt sessions and work closely with families. But when a child needs additional staffing, providers can be left with three difficult choices:
1. Absorb the additional cost themselves, sometimes making the place financially
unsustainable.
2. Ask a parent or carer to remain and provide the support.
3. Be unable to offer the place safely, meaning the child misses out.
None of those options are ok because goodwill cannot fund inclusion alone.
The Children’s Commissioner’s July 2026 report found significant barriers to play and activities for disabled children, including inaccessible or unaffordable provision, transport barriers and lack of care support. The report also specifically identifies higher staffing ratios and additional staffing costs as barriers, noting that HAF funding does not account for some children needing more support if they don’t meet the HAF criteria. The campaign is gathering evidence from families and providers about these experiences, as well as examples of what becomes possible when the right support is in place.
Building a coalition
Jumping the Inclusion Gap is already being supported and shared by organisations and
individuals across the children’s activities, SEND and inclusion sectors, including:
Children’s Activities Association, Club Hub UK, Morton Michel, Book That In, CSS
Activities, Boogie Beat, Kidslingo, Nikki Saunders, creator of Ready Eddie Go, Cerys
Keneally, Diversity Economics Institute, Caudwell Children, Story Rangers, Stagecoach
People are also helping spread the message through our ‘Jumping the Inclusion Gap’ videos; jumping, walking, wheeling or choosing their own movement of joy to show that no child should miss out on activities they love.
How your organisation could help
There is no single way organisations need to support the campaign and I would really value a conversation about what feels appropriate for you.
1. Help share Petition 777808
Share the petition with your members, providers, partners, families or wider network where appropriate. The petition is calling for Government to create a SEND access fund within Every Child Can so that additional support does not become the reason a child cannot participate.
(Copy for provider and parent/newsletter messages can be found here)
2. Add your organisation to the open letter
I am bringing together organisations to sign an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for SEND access funding to be built into Every Child Can from the beginning. I have requested Wednesday 2 December for a Number 10 hand-in, alongside representatives from the children’s activities and enrichment sectors so please do join if able. (OPEN LETTER link)
3. Help us strengthen the evidence
Share relevant research, data or experiences from your sector, introduce me to providers or families whose voices should be heard, or help me understand where the barriers are showing up in your area of work.
4. Help connect the campaign to the right people
I would particularly value introductions to policy teams, sector leaders, Government contacts, networks or organisations who should be part of this conversation.
5. Support the Parliamentary conversation
I am working towards a cross-party Parliamentary drop-in before the petition closes on 24 February 2027, bringing families, activity providers and sector organisations together so MPs and Peers can hear directly about the gap and what would help.
The ask is simple
Being given a place is not the same as being able to access a place so we are asking for a route to fund the support when an individual child needs it to be able to access activities they love because childhood happens beyond the school gates too.
Every Child Can should mean every child actually can.
Petition 777808
Create a SEND access fund within the Every Child Can enrichment programme
Nicole Bateman
The Friendly SEND Advisor
Instagram: @thefriendlysendadvisor
LinkedIn: Nicole Bateman
Petition Link:
Comments