'Dance is the best thing that's ever happened'

A teenager injured in a horse-riding accident is among young people being helped by a Warwickshire charity.

Liv said she struggled with the emotional impact and her recovery, but had been given a fresh start by Haddon Charity of Performing Arts, which is based in Nuneaton.

“Now I have dance and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said.

The charity, which receives funding from Children in Need, supports access to performing arts for youngsters who may face barriers to joining other groups.

Haddon’s impact on children’s lives is evident to Terri-Ann, whose son Otis has special needs.

She explained when Otis started going aged 18 months old, he could not sit up but has since been in shows and was a fixture of the group.

“He is celebrated. He comes in in his walker. He's got friends that hold his hand and dance with him. He loves the staff. He's included in everything,” she said.

Going to Haddon also gives Terri-Ann a chance to chat to other parents, safe in the knowledge Otis is being supported.

“It's been our lifeline many times. It's our weekly break. It's our weekly haven," she said.

Founder Eleanor ‘Elle’ Dicks started the charity to provide young people with a sense of community through performing arts.

"I teach the connection and the love that I would have wanted if I was that age,“ she said.

The funding contribution has meant she can train more staff and provide help to every child who needs it.

“I’m really, really grateful and I know the children here are as well, thank you,” she said.

Fostering positive mental health and wellbeing is also important for Flourish, a charity that also receives Children in Need funding.

It provides mentoring to girls and young women.

“I've come so far since I started working with the charity, I feel a lot more secure in who I am as an individual,” said Evie, who uses the service.

In particular, she loved how Flourish provided a space to be creative and to just be children without modern-day pressures.

“I would love to see more people get involved and see more girls realize that they have a voice and that they are allowed to speak their mind and reach out for help,” she said.

Flourish mentor Helen Laycock explained the funding was vital to its work offering support.

“We look at different topics that matters to them, whether that's well being or friendships or being able to do kind self talk, lots of different things that really help build their kind of self esteem and confidence,” she said.

For Shine a Light, Children in Need’s funding helps provide stability for the families they work with and has also given the Rugby-based charity financial security for the next two years.

Sam Schooler, who herself had cancer as a child, founded the charity to help children with cancer and their families.

Rhiannon and her family begun receiving support after her son Archie was diagnosed with the rare condition, Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis.

Her other son Leon has been attending weekly play therapy sessions at Shine a Light, which he loves.

“I normally play and we talk about my feelings and what’s going on, it makes me calm,” he said.

According to Rhiannon, Leon’s play therapy has given him crucial time to himself.

“They have helped with helping him to understand his own emotions and and sort of process, what's going on in our home life,” she said.

For Ms Schooler, the security and help the charity provides is key to her mission.

“Families have got this stable base they can come," she said.

"It's a warm, welcoming and lovely place for people to visit."

BBC Children in Need Day takes place on Friday night. Find out more about it here.