Overloaded

23/03/2026

🩷🩷Monday Motivation🩷🩷

Facts:

🌟There are approx 12.6 million children in the UK

🌟Over 1.4 million children are not attending full time education (not included home educated)

🌟1 in 6 autistic young people have been unable to access education since Oct 2025

If you are a parent or young person who is stressed, frustrated or questioning yourself. Look at the above growing statistics.

It is not a ‘you’ issue this is a ‘system and process’ issue. Not enough parents and young people hear this.

The Education system, is very tough and the SEN world is changing. Do not let these changes distract from quality time and energy you put into your child. 😊- it’s a short 18years that should be full of happiness.

22/03/2026

** Thank You! **

Yesterday we celebrated our 4th Birthday at the Overloaded Gift Shop. The sun was out, the brownies were yummy, the music was perfect and the sales were high…

The shop is run by young people learning Employment and Community skills. They sell local crafters work.

The shop opened in 2021, to provide a couple of young people a space to learn, talk, be heard and sold 2 people’s artwork. These young people were ‘Overloaded’- with the school system, life, demands and the expectation to leap into full time work.

The space allowed them time, self discovery and opportunities. We have grown organically, around the voice of young people. Those who started with Overloaded are now in Employment or education. We follow the process through.

Yesterday, it was lovely to see young people, parents, crafters and the community give up some time and visit. Smiles, confidence, community connections and partnership beaming 😎😊

Thank you!

1 Fishers Yard PE19 2AG

Saturdays: 10-2pm
Weekdays: 9.30-2.30pm

21/03/2026

The Gift shop is open 10am-3pm today, to celebrates its 4th Birthday.

Pop in and see what local artists sell and support the young people in the area.

1 Fishers Yard, PE19 2AG

20/03/2026

** The Overloaded Gift Shop- turns 4!**

This week the young people have worked hard to get the shop ready to celebrate. Tomorrow (Sat 21st March) the shop will be open until 3pm.

All are invited to celebrate the young people, crafters, families and staffs hard work.

Overloaded has supported young people who are not in school, education or training since 2021. The Gift shop is a key part in this support.

Pop along. 1 Fishers Yard PE19 2AG

18/03/2026

** Accepting help and support**

This is the outcome for this week. It is not always easy for the young people we work with to accept help. Mis trust in professionals, lack of support and consistency can be some of the reasons.

Sometimes, hyper independency at a fast pace is also seen. Learning, that support is a positive contribution with no punishment, judgements or conditions attached takes time.

This week has been a great week and sees many achieving this outcome and even some stretching and challenging it by giving peer support.

13/03/2026

** Mothering Sunday**

Do you still need to get a gift for Mothers Day?

Pop into 1 Fishers Yard PE19 2AG to buy locally made products..

The young people who run the shop as part of their Alternative Provision have been very busy displaying new stock.

Weekdays 9.30am-2.30pm
Saturdays 10am-2pm

Thank you for your support 🤗

09/03/2026

It is great to have the support of Ben Obese-Jecty MP.
Cambridgeshire is particularly struggling. An informed post with facts can be very useful to the families we support.

ECHP backlog update.

Following on from the Government’s launch of their SEND reforms and my question to the Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, in Parliament this week, on Friday I met with Cambridgeshire County Council to discuss how they intend to clear down the ECHP backlog.

I met with Martin Purbrick, Executive Director for Children, Education and Families and Michael Bateman, the council’s Assistant Director Inclusion, in order to walk through the challenges and pressures the council is under regarding clearing the backlog, as well as the issues I can take back to Westminster tomorrow the government to help expedite the process.

There are currently c.8,000 children in Cambridgeshire with an EHCP, and a further 12,000 receiving SEND support. Of those 12,000 the current ECHP backlog is approximately 1,900. These are being worked through with prioritisation given to the oldest cases.

Cambridgeshire County Council has recently received additional support via a specialist SEND adviser and sector-led improvement support from Islington council. We are also awaiting the outcome of how the additional funding announced in the SEND White Paper will be allocated to the County Council to implement inclusion bases within secondary schools and how it will translate into additional resources.

Cambridgeshire, as ever, receives a raw deal on funding due to outdated funding formulas, as we do in other public services, but as such we receive far less money per pupil than schools in London do owing to the way funding per pupil is calculated; we are in the bottom third nationally.

It will take time to clear the backlog. The approval rate is coming down and though still below the national average is moving quickly in the right direction.

Whilst this will only be a small comfort to those families who are long overdue an ECHP approval, it is progress. Please continue to highlight your individual cases to me and I will continue to raise them with the County Council, and with the Government, to fight your cases. We have had previous success and my team are very accomplished in pursuing these cases.

I will be meeting privately with the Minister for School Standards in the coming weeks and will put these issues to her, as well as seeking clarity on the Government’s targets for when the backlog will be cleared.

08/03/2026

** International Women’s Day 2026**

The Overloaded is very lucky to have many great women supporting:
* The staff
* Volunteers
* Parents
*Crafters
* Customers

We teach all young people to have a voice, make choices and grasp opportunities. Today highlights how wonderful women have been successful and acknowledged.

There is no doubt we have many young people going onto wonderful journeys with very bright futures.

06/03/2026

**Exams at the SENtre**

This week, some completed exams in our registered SENtre.

We are all super proud of how they all approached it- calm, pacing themselves and managing all anxieties using strategies learned.

Some sitting exams would not have engaged if you mentioned the words ‘English, Maths or exams’ previously, but they have grown.

Grown in confidence, understanding, motivation and acknowledging they are all capable of achieving….

It is an exciting time for progression and transition.

04/03/2026

** The Overloaded Gift Shop is turning 4!**

….. and you are all invited.
Saturday 21st March 2026.

Come and support local artists and see the wonderful work our young people do.

1 Fishers Yard PE19 2AG

02/03/2026

** Limited places still left for September 2026**

*Does your child have an EHCP?
*Are you trying to find suitable provision for September?

The Overloaded Alternative Provision works with Cambridgeshire, Central Beds and Hertfordshire LA’s.

28/02/2026

**Open today 10am-2pm**

It has been a great week in the shop..there has been sales, displays made, customers served, marketing, finance and 4th birthday planning!!!

This is only possible with the community supporting us- thank you.

Keep buying locally made gifts, keep supporting young people learning employment skills.

Weekdays: 9.30am-2.30pm
Saturdays: 10am-2pm

1 Fishers Yard PE19 2AG