CHILDREN who have autism and those who struggle with crowds are being invited to enjoy a special visit to see Santa.

Stockeld Park, near Wetherby, has teamed up with Autism Angels, its charity for 2016, to provide trips to see Santa, giving them exclusive access before the park is open to the public.

They will be met by elves and taken to meet the man in red in his log cabin between 9.30am and 10.30am on Saturday, December 3 and Saturday, December 10.

The sessions are available to any child who would struggle to access public sessions due to a variety of reasons, whether cognitive, physical or sensory.

The experience will be tailored to the children’s needs with reduced waiting times and lower music volumes. Families will also be assisted by Autism Angels’ volunteers to make their visit as special as possible. To book a place, email events@autismangels.co.uk

The attraction has also raised £2,493, with the help of visitors, to support the charity’s work with children and their families.

Sarah Murray, sales and marketing manager at Stockeld Park said: “Christmas is a very special time of year for families and we want to ensure that all children can enjoy a magical experience with a visit to see Santa. We have great disabled access and working with Autism Angels helps us to draw on their knowledge and fantastic experience to reach even more children in our communities.

York Press:

“They are a wonderful team of people and we are proud to have them as one of our chosen charities for 2016.

“We have been raising funds throughout the year, with our generous visitors, and we are proud to be donating £2,493.45 to enable them to continue with their excellent work.”

Kearby-based Autism Angels uses horses as therapy in its work with children and families across North and West Yorkshire.