Local Offer Live is back, and it’s bigger than ever
A flagship event for families of children, aged 0-25, with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) returns to Kirklees next month, and it’s set to be the biggest yet.
This free event takes place:
On: Thursday 23 October 2025, 9.15am to 5.15pm – drop by any time
At: Accu Stadium in Huddersfield (formerly John Smith’s Stadium).
There is free accessible parking and café on-site, and an interpreter is available if needed.
About Local Offer Live
We are thrilled to support PCAN (Parents of Children with Additional Needs), to bring the Kirklees Local Offer to life.
The event continues to grow, with over 80 services coming together under one roof to offer advice and support for local families.
PCAN have used parental feedback from previous events to prioritise invites to the providers most requested by parents and families. Those attending this October include Carers Count, the EHCP team, wheelchair services, KIAS, children and adults social care and REAL Employment, alongside providers of activities for children and young people with SEND. People will also be able to take part in a range of free workshops.
See a full list of Local Offer Live organisations and activities.
If you’re a parent or carer of a child with SEND, and you’re looking for information and support, make sure you drop by. It’s also a great place to connect with other families in Kirklees and share experiences.
Cllr Jane Rylah, Cabinet member for Education said:
“It’s exciting to welcome back the Local Offer Live event. We’ve been working closely with PCAN to make this year’s event the biggest ever.
“Our goal is to help every local child and young person with SEND thrive, and that starts with making sure families feel informed, supported, and empowered.
“Many parents and professionals will already be aware of the Local Offer website – which is brilliant resource of services and support. This event brings that range of services and support to life for the hundreds of people who visit.
“If you’re a parent or carer looking for inclusive activities, therapy services, mental health support, or just a chance to meet other families on a similar journey, the Local Offer Live event is a welcoming place to find it all. The same applies to professionals in the SEND environment who want to make connections with others.”
For more details of SEND support across Kirklees visit the Local Offer website.
PCAN Trustees added:
“Parents regularly tell us how hard it is to navigate lots of services so in addition to the information stands, there are also free workshops on topics such as knowing what to expect from your child’s school, finding inclusive activities, financial planning for the future, and managing a multitude of meetings”.
Continuing to make improvements
A huge amount of work is taking place to improve SEND services across Kirklees, with a strong focus on positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
We are making multi-million-pound investments in special school facilities, that will enable more children with additional needs to be educated locally and improve outcomes. Other improvements include the creation of ‘Additionally Resourced Provisions’, which create a greater number of specialist places in local school, and the introduction of ‘clusters’, a new way for schools to work together in identifying and responding to children’s individual needs at the earliest opportunity.