The Alan Shearer Centre has been named Disability Service Provider of the Year at the North East 2026 Local Awards, recognising an inclusive, welcoming and much-loved activity centre that provides free access to sensory activities, calming spaces and specialist facilities for people of all ages and a wide range of abilities. The Alan Shearer Activity Centre is a unique place for disabled children, adults and their families. Packed with sensory rooms, accessible activities and its own hydrotherapy pool, the Centre offers a safe and supportive environment where members can relax, enjoy themselves and feel completely accepted. Through its free membership model, families can access the facilities without charge, removing barriers and making sure support is available to those who need it. For the team, this award is a proud and emotional recognition of the care, effort and dedication that goes into making the Centre such a special place. It also celebrates the members, families, fundraisers, donors and supporters who continue to help keep the Centre running and growing.

An Inclusive Activity Centre for All Ages and Abilities

The Alan Shearer Centre is built around one simple but powerful idea: everyone deserves a place where they can feel safe, included and free to be themselves. For many disabled people and their families, finding fully accessible, welcoming and understanding spaces can be difficult. The Centre helps meet that need by providing facilities designed specifically for people with a wide range of abilities. Inside the Centre, members can enjoy sensory activities, calming environments and specialist support spaces that help create positive experiences for children and adults alike. The hydrotherapy pool is one of the most valued facilities, offering members the chance to enjoy the benefits of warm water in a safe and accessible setting. For some families, these sessions are a regular part of life and make a meaningful difference to wellbeing, comfort and confidence. What makes the Centre especially important is that membership is free. This means families are not priced out of support or forced to choose between cost and access. By removing that barrier, the Alan Shearer Centre gives thousands of members the chance to use facilities that may otherwise be difficult to access elsewhere. That sense of openness and inclusion sits at the heart of everything the Centre does.

A Centre Created Through Generosity and Community Support

The Alan Shearer Centre began its journey in 2007. It was developed by St Cuthbert’s Care and brought to life thanks to a generous £250,000 donation from Alan Shearer’s testimonial at Newcastle United, alongside remarkable support from schools and parishes across the North East. That beginning says a great deal about the spirit behind the Centre. It was not created by one person or one organisation alone. It grew from generosity, community effort and a shared belief that disabled people and their families deserved better access to inclusive spaces. Alan Shearer’s support provided a major foundation, but the wider North East community also played an important role in helping turn the vision into reality. Since then, the Centre has become an essential part of many families’ lives. Its story is rooted in giving, and that spirit continues today through fundraising, donations and the commitment of people who believe in the value of the service. The award as Disability Service Provider of the Year recognises not only the work being done now, but also the legacy of kindness and community action that made the Centre possible in the first place.

A Place Where People Can Be Themselves

There are not many places like the Alan Shearer Activity Centre. From the outset, it has been committed to creating inclusive and accessible spaces for disabled children, adults and their families. That commitment is what makes the Centre feel so different. For members and families, the value of the Centre goes far beyond the facilities themselves. It is about the feeling they have when they arrive. It is a place where people can come without fear of judgement, without needing to explain themselves and without worrying whether their needs will be understood. That sense of acceptance can mean everything. The team works hard to make sure everyone feels welcome and safe. Whether a member is using the sensory spaces, enjoying hydrotherapy, taking part in an activity or simply spending time with family, the aim is always to create a calm, supportive and inclusive experience. The Centre understands that every person is different, and it celebrates that difference rather than treating it as a challenge. This is why so many families feel such a strong connection to the place.

Free Access That Removes Barriers

One of the most significant milestones in the Centre’s history came in 2012, when the creation of the Alan Shearer Foundation allowed the Activity Centre to become completely free of charge. This was an incredible achievement and a major turning point for the service. The money raised through the Foundation helps develop disability provision across services, supporting the Centre and helping ensure families can continue to access facilities without financial barriers. For many members, free access is not just a helpful extra. It is what makes regular use possible. Specialist facilities can often be expensive, and families already face enough pressures without worrying about whether they can afford support. Since becoming free, the Centre has continued to grow and now has more than 9,000 members. That figure shows just how needed and valued the service is. It also reflects Alan Shearer’s ongoing commitment and the generosity of supporters who continue to raise funds, donate and champion the Centre. Thousands of people have benefited from a model built on inclusion, accessibility and community generosity.

Meeting High Demand for Hydrotherapy

One of the Centre’s biggest challenges is the high demand for its hydrotherapy pool. With membership continuing to grow quickly, the pool is an incredibly popular and important facility. Families value it deeply, and many members benefit from the calm, movement and comfort that hydrotherapy can provide. Managing that level of demand is not easy. When a facility is so valuable to so many people, the team has to work hard to make access as fair and organised as possible. The challenge also highlights just how much the Centre is needed. High demand is a sign that families are actively looking for specialist, inclusive and accessible spaces where their loved ones can enjoy meaningful experiences. This demand is also driving the Centre’s future plans. Fundraising is currently underway to help build a second hydrotherapy pool, supported by the Alan Shearer Foundation’s Million Pound Mission. A second pool would make a major difference, helping more members access hydrotherapy and reducing pressure on the existing facility. It is an ambitious goal, but one that reflects the Centre’s continued commitment to improving provision for disabled people and their families.

Fundraising That Shows How Much the Centre Means

One of the proudest things for the Alan Shearer Centre is the constant fundraising from members’ families and even strangers who want to help keep the Centre running. This ongoing support shows how deeply people value the service and how strongly they want it to continue. Fundraising can take many forms, from community events to sponsored challenges, and every effort matters. A member’s mum once held a fun fête to raise money for the Centre because her son attends weekly and benefits from every session. That kind of personal fundraising is incredibly meaningful because it comes directly from lived experience. Families see the difference the Centre makes, and they want to give something back. Staff members from residential services have also taken part in the Great North Run to raise money for the Centre. These acts of support, whether from families, staff or strangers, create a powerful sense of shared ownership. The Centre belongs to the people who use it, support it and believe in its mission. Every donation, large or small, helps keep that mission alive.

Supporting Families During School Holidays

Community focus is a major part of the Alan Shearer Centre’s work. The team offers members and families free packed lunches during children’s holidays, as well as a free meal of the day for care support and staff. These gestures may sound simple, but they can make a real difference. School holidays can bring additional pressure for families, particularly when routines change and support needs increase. Offering packed lunches helps ease some of that pressure while creating a welcoming environment where families feel looked after. It shows that the Centre is thinking not only about activities and facilities, but also about the practical realities families face. The Centre also arranges inclusive and accessible activities for members and their families to enjoy. These activities help create positive memories, encourage social connection and give families opportunities to take part in experiences designed with their needs in mind. By combining practical support with meaningful activities, the Alan Shearer Centre continues to strengthen its role as a place where families feel supported in every sense.

Why Local Community Matters

Being part of the local area is extremely important to the Alan Shearer Centre because it creates a sense of community and safety for members. The Centre offers a place where people can arrive, relax and be themselves without the feeling of judgement. That sense of safety is invaluable. For many disabled people and families, everyday outings can involve planning, anxiety and uncertainty. Questions about accessibility, understanding and acceptance can affect whether people feel able to take part in community life. The Alan Shearer Centre helps remove those worries by providing a space that has been built around inclusion from the very beginning. The local community also plays a vital role in supporting the Centre. Through fundraising, donations, volunteering, awareness and encouragement, people across the region help keep the service moving forward. This relationship works both ways. The Centre supports families, and the community supports the Centre. Together, they create something that is much stronger than a building or service alone.

Feedback From Members and Families

The Alan Shearer Centre regularly receives positive feedback from members and families, both on its Facebook page and in its feedback book. Families often praise the staff and the effort they go to in order to help people feel welcome, comfortable and included. This feedback matters because it reflects real experiences. A centre like this is judged not only by what facilities it has, but by how people feel when they use them. Do families feel listened to? Do members feel safe? Do staff show patience, kindness and understanding? The comments received by the Centre suggest that the answer is yes. Positive feedback is also a source of encouragement for the team. The work can be busy, demanding and emotionally important, and hearing directly from families helps staff know that their efforts are making a difference. Every kind word, review and message of thanks reinforces the value of the service and motivates the team to keep improving.

A Surprising and Grateful Reaction to Winning

When the Alan Shearer Centre found out it had won Disability Service Provider of the Year, the team was very surprised and incredibly grateful to everyone who had voted. The recognition meant a great deal because it came from the people who know and value the Centre’s work. Awards like this can be especially meaningful for services that operate with community support at their heart. The Centre exists to serve disabled people and their families, so being recognised by that wider community is a powerful moment. It shows that the care, effort and dedication of the team are being seen and appreciated. For everyone involved, the win is not just about celebration. It is also a reminder of the responsibility the Centre carries. Families rely on the service, members benefit from its facilities, and the community continues to support its future. Winning the award gives the team pride, but it also gives them motivation to keep pushing the Centre to be the best it can be.

What Winning Disability Service Provider of the Year Means

Winning this award is a tremendous honour for the Alan Shearer Centre and its team. It recognises the effort made every day to ensure everyone feels welcome, safe and included. It is a reflection of the hard work, dedication and collaboration of everyone involved in the Centre and its wider charitable mission. The award is rewarding because it shows that the Centre’s efforts are making a real impact. For staff, supporters and families, recognition like this brings a sense of pride. It confirms that the work being done matters, not only in practical terms but in the way it changes people’s experiences and creates a more inclusive community. It also motivates the team to keep improving. The Centre is always looking for ways to update, adapt and strengthen what it offers, from sensory rooms to hydrotherapy and accessible activities. This award is an important milestone, but it is not the end of the journey. It is encouragement to keep going, keep listening and keep creating a place where members and families feel valued.

Plans for a Second Hydrotherapy Pool

The future of the Alan Shearer Centre includes an exciting and ambitious goal: raising funds to help build a second hydrotherapy pool. With support from the Alan Shearer Foundation’s Million Pound Mission, the Centre is working towards expanding one of its most in-demand and valued facilities. A second hydrotherapy pool would be a huge step forward. It would help meet growing demand, give more members the opportunity to benefit from sessions and allow the Centre to support families more effectively. With more than 9,000 members, the need for expanded provision is clear. Alongside this, the Centre is always looking for new ways to update and adapt its facilities, including its sensory rooms. Needs change, membership grows and new ideas emerge, so the team remains focused on making the Centre as supportive, accessible and welcoming as possible. The award provides encouragement at an important time, as the Centre continues to grow and improve for the people who depend on it.

Thanking Members, Supporters and Donors

The Alan Shearer Centre would like to thank all of its members for their continuous support over the years. The team is also sending a huge thank you to everyone who voted for the Centre and to every person who donates, fundraises or supports the service in any way. Every contribution matters. A little donation can go a long way, helping to keep the Centre running, support its facilities and create more opportunities for members and families. From families holding events to staff running challenges and strangers giving what they can, the kindness shown towards the Centre makes a real difference. The Disability Service Provider of the Year award belongs to the whole community around the Alan Shearer Centre. It belongs to the members who use the facilities, the families who champion the service, the staff who make people feel welcome, and the donors and fundraisers who help keep everything moving forward. Above all, it celebrates a place where people can feel safe, included and free to be themselves.