Tag Archive for: Thank you

Jovial Monk Fundraiser Event for MAIN 30th August 2026

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The Jovial Monk Fundraiser for MAIN – Saturday 30th August

We’re delighted to announce that The Jovial Monk will be hosting a fundraising day in support of MAIN on Saturday 30th August, starting from 11:00am.

Join us for a fantastic community event packed with entertainment, family fun, and plenty of opportunities to support a great cause. Every pound raised will help MAIN continue providing vital support to autistic children, young people, adults, and their families across our community.

The day will feature a sponsored motorbike ride led by Road Krakens MCC, along with a wide range of activities for everyone to enjoy, including:

  • Food stalls
  • Games for all ages
  • Live music
  • Family-friendly activities
  • And plenty more surprises throughout the day!

Whether you’re coming along for the bikes, the entertainment, or simply to show your support, there’s something for everyone. Bring your family and friends and help us make it a day to remember while raising vital funds for MAIN.

Date: Saturday 30th August
Time: From 11:00am onwards
Venue: The Jovial Monk

We can’t wait to see you there and thank you for supporting MAIN! 💙

Blessed and Thankful to KSB Greenhouse UK

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🌱 A Huge Thank You to KSB Greenhouse UK for Their Incredible Support

We are absolutely delighted to share our sincere thanks to KSB Greenhouse UK for their kindness, generosity, and support towards MAIN.

Thanks to their incredible help, we now have a newly installed 3m x 4m Signa Lux polytunnel, which would normally cost upwards of £1,500 installed. Through their generosity, we have been able to access this at less than half the usual cost, and we are truly grateful for this outstanding support.

A heartfelt thank you also goes to the amazing installation team, who did a fantastic job. The polytunnel is secure, high-quality, and already looking like it will make a real and lasting difference to our charity. Your professionalism and care throughout the installation process have been greatly appreciated.

This new space opens up so many exciting opportunities for us at MAIN. We are now able to take another step forward in our vision of “soil to plate” learning, where our young people, aged 5 years and upwards, can actively engage with growing, harvesting, and cooking their own produce.

From tomatoes and herbs to runner beans climbing our wigwam supports, this hands-on approach will encourage learning in unique and meaningful ways. It will help the people we support to build confidence, develop life skills, and connect with nature in a therapeutic and inclusive environment.

At MAIN, we proudly support autistic and neurodiverse individuals, as well as people living with mental health challenges, disabilities, and complex needs. Opportunities like this help us to continue creating accessible, engaging experiences that make a real difference in people’s lives.

We would also like to extend a special thank you to Emma and Gary, whose encouragement and connection helped make this possible. Your kindness and community spirit are deeply appreciated, great friends doing great things locally.

From all of us at MAIN, thank you to everyone involved for helping us grow, both literally and figuratively. 💚

Celebrating Linda Dickinson’s Incredible 25 Years of Dedication to MAIN

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Celebrating Linda Dickinson’s Incredible 25 Years of Dedication to MAIN

Everyone at MAIN would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our much-valued Trustee, Linda Dickinson, as she retires after an incredible 25 years of dedication and support.

Linda has been part of MAIN since the very beginning, playing an instrumental role in helping shape the organisation into the specialist charity it is today. Through her unwavering commitment, compassion, and belief in our mission, Linda has helped MAIN grow to support autistic, neurodiverse, learning disabled, and complex needs children, young people, and adults through our short breaks provision and wider services.

Over the past 25 years, countless families have benefited from Linda’s care, encouragement, and advocacy. Her wisdom and understanding have had a lasting impact not only on the individuals and families we support, but also on staff, volunteers, and fellow trustees across the organisation.

Linda has always brought kindness, warmth, humour, and positivity into every room she enters. Her ability to support others with genuine compassion while championing the values of MAIN has made her an irreplaceable part of our journey.

Trustees are often the quiet strength behind charities, and Linda has been exactly that for MAIN, offering guidance, reassurance, and unwavering belief from our inception through to where we are today.

As Linda begins her retirement, we want to say how truly well deserved it is. After 25 years of support and helping countless families, her legacy within MAIN and the wider community will continue for many years to come.

Thank you, Linda 💙

With love and appreciation from everyone at MAIN.

St Mary’s Cathedral, St Clare’s and St Francis supporting MAIN

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“Honoured to Be Chosen as a Charity of the Year 💙”

We’re incredibly grateful to share some wonderful news with our community 💙

MAIN has been chosen as one of the charities of the year by the Justice & Peace Group across the three parishes of St Mary’s Cathedral, St Clare’s Brookfield, and St Francis, Acklam.

After attending the recent meeting, we were truly touched by the warmth, kindness, and genuine care shown by everyone we met. It’s clear that these parish communities are built on compassion and a real desire to make a difference, and we feel so honoured to be part of that.

Thanks to the generosity of parishioners across all three churches, regular collections will be kindly donated to support our work over the next 12 months. This support will make a meaningful difference to the children, young people, and families we work with every day.

We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the Justice & Peace Group, and everyone across the three parishes for choosing MAIN and believing in what we do. Your support truly means the world to us.

We’re really looking forward to building this relationship over the coming year and hopefully welcoming you to visit us soon.

#togetherraisingsmiles

 

 

we are hiring pa and outreach workers

Join MAIN be part of something AMAZING

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Join MAIN: Make a Real Difference Every Day

Are you looking for a role where your work truly matters? At MAIN, we’re always looking for passionate, dedicated people to join our growing team, whether that’s in a paid position or as a valued member of our volunteer bureau.

MAIN supports children and young people from the age of 5 through to adulthood, delivering services at our Middlesbrough centre and out in the community. We work closely with families and carers to achieve the best possible outcomes, focusing on building life skills, confidence, and independence, while always keeping happiness at the heart of everything we do.

Our work spans a wide range of support, including autism, neurodiversity, learning disabilities, and complex needs. We offer short breaks, alternative education provision, adult day services, transition support into adulthood, and even online chat groups, creating a safe, supportive environment for everyone we work with.

There are many ways to get involved. You might work directly with children and young people, helping them grow and thrive. Or you could support behind the scenes in areas like administration, finance, marketing, or social media, each role playing a vital part in making our services possible.

By joining MAIN, you’re not just taking on a role, you’re becoming part of a community that is committed, compassionate, and driven to make a difference every single day.

If you want to be part of something meaningful, we’d love to hear from you.

To apply, please visit our website at www.iammain.org.uk or email info@iammain.org.uk to request an application form.

#togetherraisingsmiles

 

 

Exciting Updates at MAIN

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Exciting Updates at MAIN

There’s lots happening at MAIN as we continue to develop and improve our space for the autistic, neurodivergent and learning disabled community.

We are excited to share that our sunken trampoline has been delivered and will be installed on 22nd April, creating a safe and sensory-friendly space for movement, regulation, and fun.

Alongside this, our boiler replacements are underway, helping us improve comfort, reliability, and energy efficiency across the building.

Our community garden and allotment area is also taking shape, becoming a calm and welcoming outdoor space where people can connect with nature, learn new skills, and take part in meaningful activities.

We are incredibly proud of the progress being made and grateful for all the support we continue to receive. Every improvement helps us create a more inclusive, accessible, and engaging environment for everyone at MAIN.

#togetherraisingsmiles

 

 

Resilience Fund at its BEST

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This month marks an exciting and meaningful milestone for MAIN as we take a significant step forward in improving our facilities and reducing our environmental impact. We are proud to share that new solar panels and energy-efficient boilers are currently being installed across our site, an investment that will benefit both our community and the planet for years to come.

This progress has been made possible through the Resilience Fund, and we are incredibly grateful for the generous support we have received. A very big thank you goes to SIB and Groundworks for believing in our vision and helping make these vital upgrades a reality.

Through this funding, MAIN has been fortunate to secure 40% of the total project costs as a grant, along with access to a 10-year repayment plan at a fixed interest rate of 8.5%. This opportunity allows us to move forward sustainably without compromising the quality of support we provide to the individuals and families who rely on our services.

For those who may not know us, MAIN supports children and young people from the age of 5 through to adulthood who are autistic, neurodiverse, have learning disabilities, and/or complex needs. Every improvement we make to our facilities directly enhances the environment we offer—creating safer, more comfortable, and more inclusive spaces where individuals can thrive.

By investing in renewable energy and more efficient systems, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint but also ensuring that more of our resources can be directed toward what truly matters: supporting our community.

We are incredibly proud of this step forward and deeply thankful to everyone who has made it possible. To learn more about our work and the impact we strive to make every day, please visit www.iammain.org.uk.

Together, we are building a brighter, more sustainable future.

#togetherraisingsmiles

 

Redcar Rangers in Action for Charity

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Redcar Rangers coaches and chair are taking on the Hard Moors 55 on 21st March 2026, running from Guisborough Rugby Club to Helmsley!

Three team members are pushing themselves across this challenging course to raise funds for MAIN. 💛

We’d love your support!

Keep an eye out for fundraising details from John (Milky) to follow, every contribution counts! 🙌

Let’s show our Redcar Rangers spirit and help make a difference! ⚡

#RedcarRangers #HardMoors55 #CharityRun #Fundraising #CommunitySpirit #togetherraisingsmiles

The Hardmoors 55 is a 55 mile Ultramarathon running from Guisborough to Helmsley. The 55 mile race will take competitors through the North York Moors and the Cleveland Hills in quite possibly winter conditions. Do not underestimate this race!! The race contains over 2000metres of ascent and has a time limit of 16 hours.

Please follow the link if you are able to donate to this worthwhile challenge, supporting two amazing charities.

Hello! I’m raising £750 to Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation & Main Together Raising Smiles an autism charity. Here’s my JustGiving page, if you’d like to donate, please head to: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/john-morrill?utm_medium=CF&utm_source=WA

The race will start in Guisborough at the Rugby Club on Belmangate and finish at Helmsley Sports Club

Win a FREE Personal Assistant (PA) Session at MAIN!

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🌟 Win a FREE Personal Assistant (PA) Session at MAIN! 🌟

Sophie, a dedicated member of the MAIN team 💙, is raising funds to gift one lucky family a FREE Personal Support (PA) session at MAIN!

Our PA sessions are fully tailored to your child’s individual interests, strengths and preferences, delivering meaningful, person-centred support for autistic and neurodiverse children and young people, including those with learning disabilities.

🎉 One family will receive a session completely free of charge!

📅 The session will take place during the Easter holidays:
Friday 3 April 2026 – Friday 17 April 2026

⏳ Closing date for entries: 31st March 2026

To support Sophie’s fundraiser, you can:
💷 Drop off a cash donation at MAIN
🔗 Donate online via GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/2dd9bb782

To ensure complete transparency and fairness, the winner will be selected using a random number generator and the draw will be live streamed.

To enter your child into the draw:
📧 Email: snandrews@iammain.org.uk

📱 Text: 07736 925252
(Please include your child’s name)

Thank you for supporting Sophie and MAIN — and the very best of luck to everyone entering! 🍀💙

Children’s Mental Health Week 9th – 15th February 2026

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It’s Children’s Mental Health Week, and this year, we’re shining a light on every unique way of thinking, feeling, and being. 🌟

Whether your child is neurodiverse, neurotypical, or somewhere in between, this week is all about listening, sharing, and celebrating feelings, the good, the messy, and even the “wait, what just happened?!” kind.

Here’s the thing: every feeling matters.  Anxiety?  Frustration?  Joy?  Excitement?  They’re all part of the story, and every story deserves to be heard. 🎨📝

So, how can we make this week a little brighter (and a lot more supportive)?

1️⃣ Talk, doodle, or dance it out – Not everyone can put feelings into words.  That’s okay! Drawing, journaling, or even dancing like nobody’s watching are all superpower-level ways to express yourself.

2️⃣ Celebrate strengths – Neurodiverse kids often see the world differently and that’s a gift!  Maybe it’s a quirky sense of humour, a lightning-fast memory, or a way of noticing details others miss. Cheer it, celebrate it, and let them know it matters. 🌈

3️⃣ Create safe spaces – A quiet corner, a calming playlist, or a favorite fidget toy can make a huge difference. Support looks like listening without judgment, asking open questions like “How are you feeling?” and giving space to answer in their own way.

4️⃣ Share and connect – You’re not alone, and neither are they.  Sharing stories, tips, or even small victories builds understanding, empathy, and community. 💌

Remember, mental health isn’t just about fixing problems, it’s about nurturing growth, kindness, and connection. And a little humour along the way never hurts. 😉

💛 This Children’s Mental Health Week, let’s promise to:

  • Listen more than we talk

  • Celebrate every brain, every feeling, and every win

  • Remind children (and ourselves) that it’s okay to ask for help, to pause, and to be exactly who we are

Because in the end, love, care, and understanding are the superpowers that make every child feel safe, seen, and celebrated.