'She is my world and this is hers' - Fight for vital Leeds Playhouse lifeline

Families are urging Leeds Playhouse to reconsider plans to end its Saturday Buzz Sessions

Families fear losing a lifeline as Leeds Playhouse prepares to end its Saturday Buzz workshops for people with learning disabilities and autism.

For the people who attend, the sessions offer far more than dancing, drama and creative activities. They provide friendships, confidence, independence and a safe place to be themselves, while giving families and carers a much needed break from their responsibilities.

The final Saturday Buzz Weekend Workshop is currently scheduled for November 28, 2026, with Leeds Playhouse citing rising costs and funding pressures behind its decision to stop supporting the sessions in their current form. But families say the impact of losing the workshops could be devastating, particularly for young people who struggle to find other activities that understand their needs and provide the same level of support.

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Emma Charlotte Rowley, 28, from Leeds, is among those urging the theatre to reconsider the decision. Her 25 year old sister, Megan Jade Rowley, who has Down syndrome, has found friendship, confidence and a sense of belonging through Saturday Buzz and the wider programme.

Emma's mum, Sheila Rowley, 65, also from Leeds, is retired and plays a significant role in caring for Megan. Emma fears the loss of the Saturday sessions will affect not only her sister's social life, but the whole family's ability to manage their caring responsibilities.

Emma said: "Megan is my world. We have a very strong bond, and although I'm her older sister, I often feel very protective of her. She has her own personality, relationships and interests, and I want her to have every opportunity to enjoy those and live a fulfilling life."

Megan loves dancing, singing, animals and going for walks. Since leaving college, attending Buzz and Bright Sparks has become an important part of her life, giving her something to look forward to and opportunities to spend time with people outside her immediate family.

Emma's mum first heard about Saturday Buzz through mutual friends, and the sessions soon became a regular part of Megan's routine. Emma continued: "Saturday Buzz gives Megan something of her own to enjoy and look forward to. It is somewhere she can dance, express herself and spend time with other people in a welcoming environment.

"It is much more than an activity to fill a Saturday. It is part of her social life and routine. Her favourite part is seeing her friends and meeting new people. She feels comfortable in her own skin there, and that means a great deal." One of the most emotional moments for Emma comes at the end of each term, when participants perform and showcase the skills they have developed during the sessions.

She said: "At the end of each term, the participants usually put on a performance showcasing the skills they have learned. Every performance brings proud tears to my eyes, not just for Megan, but for the other young adults too. Seeing their confidence grow and watching them proudly share what they can do is incredibly moving."

Emma has noticed how the sessions have helped Megan grow in confidence, giving her the opportunity to introduce herself to people, build friendships and stand tall and proud.

She said Megan has a wonderfully chaotic sense of humour and is naturally funny, adding that she would love to claim responsibility for that herself as her older sister. But Emma is worried about how Megan will react when she learns the sessions are ending. Emma said: "I worry that Megan will be upset and find it difficult to understand why something she enjoys is being taken away. From experience, upsetting news can leave her overwhelmed.

"She may become very distressed and find it difficult to talk about or acknowledge what she has been told while she processes it. We would need to explain the change sensitively and give her time and space to express how she feels." The decision also comes at a difficult time for the family. Emma is preparing to move to South Korea in February 2027 and wants to know Megan will still have access to the activities and friendships that matter so much to her.

She said the sessions provide valuable respite for her mum and other relatives, allowing them to rest, manage other responsibilities and have time to themselves while knowing Megan is safe and happy. Emma also believes the value of Saturday Buzz cannot be measured simply by the cost of running the workshops.

Emma said: "We love Megan dearly, but carers also need opportunities to reconnect with their own lives and identities. My mum is a person in her own right, with her own personality and needs, as well as being our mum and Megan's carer. That breathing space matters, and it helps us continue supporting her.

"These sessions also offer belonging. They give people with learning disabilities opportunities to be creative, build friendships and enjoy their own social lives. Someone looking only at the cost of a session might miss everything it provides around it: confidence, routine, connection and support for families. Those things have real value."

Emma also wants families to have a meaningful opportunity to help find a solution before the workshops end. She said an approximate figure of £50,000 a year was mentioned at a meeting on Saturday, October 3, but the family had not yet received confirmation of the exact amount or what the figure covers.

Emma said: "We understand that financial pressures can be complicated. What frustrated me was that, from our perspective, the decision to cancel had already been made before families were given a meaningful opportunity to offer fundraising support or explore alternatives.

"The meeting was presented as an opportunity for participation, but it felt as though we were being informed of a decision rather than invited to help shape it. That is one of the reasons I have come forward."

She would be willing to help promote a fundraising campaign and would consider supporting a GoFundMe appeal, provided Leeds Playhouse agreed to the arrangement and confirmed that any money raised could be used to continue Saturday Buzz.

Emma said she would welcome a conversation involving participants, families and the theatre to explore whether the workshops could continue in another form. She added: "I want people to understand that Megan is a young woman with her own friendships, interests and things she looks forward to. People with learning disabilities deserve opportunities to have fulfilling social lives, just as anyone else does."

‘He feels safe enough to be himself’

For another Leeds family, Saturday Buzz has been a source of stability and reassurance for a young person with complex needs who finds unfamiliar environments particularly difficult.

Gladys Karran's son has autism and learning difficulties. He is non-verbal, relies heavily on routine and can find transitions into new environments extremely challenging. He has attended Saturday Buzz for five years, having joined after the pandemic.

Gladys was initially worried about whether he would settle into the sessions. She knew that unfamiliar situations could lead to increased noises and rituals that other people might not understand, and she wanted to be certain he would be accepted rather than judged. She said the support she received from the outset made all the difference.

Gladys said: "From the start, while making enquiries, the service was amazing. Natalie answered all my questions, provided all the information needed, photos for social stories, and reassured me."

Natalie Kyrkos, who runs the sessions, took time to understand her son's needs and make sure the environment was suitable for him.

Gladys continued: "Natalie has fantastic people skills and acute awareness of young people's needs. She gets to know them and all their needs and triggers.

"The first time we came, Natalie made my son feel very at ease. She made sure everyone was very welcoming, that the space was adapted for his sensory needs. She was as accommodating as necessary to keep him settled and able to take part."

For Gladys and so many others, that understanding is what makes Saturday Buzz different from many other activities. The sessions offer a relaxed environment where young people can participate at their own pace without being pressured to do something that feels overwhelming.

Difficult to find elsewhere

She said Natalie and her team allow participants to move in and out of activities depending on how they feel, while making sure everyone has the opportunity to join in. The workshops also give Gladys's son something that can be difficult to find elsewhere: the opportunity to socialise in a safe setting with people who understand him.

Gladys said: "She encourages them to do things as best as they can and in their own way. She is very accommodating, and that makes a huge difference. In my son's case, he doesn't get many opportunities like that, as he doesn't have any proper friendships."

For young people who find communication and social situations challenging, those opportunities can be particularly important. Gladys said she has watched her son become comfortable enough to relax during breaks, surrounded by familiar peers and staff, as he would at home.

She added: "She makes the space work so well that my son feels safe enough and is very chilled out at break time, surrounded by familiar peers and staff, and enjoys relaxing while having a snack, as if he were in his own home."

Natalie's support extends beyond the activities themselves. Gladys praised the practical help she provides to make attending easier, from helping with parking to supporting her son when he wants to try new foods at a party. She said the staff understand that participation looks different for every young person and that even small adjustments can make a significant difference.

Gladys also believes the workshops help participants develop flexibility by introducing new experiences and activities within a familiar environment. She said this has become more challenging following changes to the venue used for Buzz sessions over the past year, making the team's experience and understanding even more important.

For her, losing Saturday Buzz would mean losing a service that has taken years to establish trust with her son. Gladys said: "It is increasingly difficult to find an appropriate activity in a safe place, with experienced staff for a young person with complex needs. Saturday Buzz ticks many boxes. There is no other activity like it in Leeds."

She has been particularly keen to recognise Natalie's dedication, describing her as the driving force behind the sessions and the reason they work so well. She describes Natalie's work as "outstanding."

Gladys said: "In my experience, for the last five years, her hard work, effort and most of all expertise, has constantly provided welcoming and inclusive sessions that continue to benefit my son to build confidence, friendships, independence, wellbeing and having somewhere he feels comfortable being himself, despite the changes in venue in the last year.

"I would hope that Saturday Buzz continues for many more years, organised and managed by Natalie. She is the life and soul of the Saturday Buzz and the reason it works so well. Saturday Buzz is a lifeline to many of the people who attend and their families, and it should be the benchmark for other disability groups in the local community."

‘The difference has been noticeable’

Another local mum, Rachel Cummings, is also worried about what the loss of Saturday Buzz could mean for her daughter, Milly, who is 16 and has a rare genetic condition, a learning disability and autism.

Milly Cummings has only been attending the sessions since July 2026, but Rachel said the benefits have already been noticeable. The workshops have given her daughter opportunities to socialise, try different creative activities and develop relationships in a welcoming environment.

Rachel said: "For Milly, Buzz is much more than a weekly activity. It provides a welcoming space, friendships, routine, confidence, independence, creative expression and other benefits, such as access to professionals in the performing arts space."

Since joining, Milly has particularly enjoyed meeting new people and finding new ways to express herself. Rachel said the change in her daughter's confidence and sociability has been clear, making the prospect of losing the sessions especially difficult to accept.

She said: "Since she began attending, the difference Buzz has made to Milly has been noticeable in her new levels of confidence and sociability. She has especially enjoyed being able to make new friends and develop new ways to express herself."

The workshops have also provided an important source of support for Rachel and the wider family. Milly's grandmother already helps significantly with caring responsibilities, and Saturday Buzz gives them both an opportunity to take a break while knowing Milly is receiving the care and support she needs.

Rachel said: "It gives us a break and respite from caring responsibilities, and opportunities to connect with other families. More importantly, with Saturday Buzz, we're assured that Milly is receiving an exceptional level of care and support whilst we take a break. Having this support helps us sustain our caring roles while also having time for our own needs and lives."

Rachel fears the timing of the proposed closure could be particularly damaging for her daughter, who has only recently begun to enjoy the friendships and opportunities available through the workshops.

She also worries about the impact on participants who have attended for several years and have built established routines and relationships around the sessions.

Rachel said: "Since Milly's only just started to enjoy the benefits of attending Saturday Buzz, I am worried that losing access will be detrimental to her. Many of the group-members have been attending for several years and losing access risks isolation, distress, loss of friendships or disruption to their routine."

The alternative, Rachel said, would be for families to try to find another suitable group, despite the limited number of activities able to provide comparable opportunities and support. She said losing the workshops would also mean losing the respite that allows families to balance caring responsibilities with their own needs.

For all of the families affected, the concern is not simply about losing a Saturday activity. It is about the loss of a trusted place where young people can build relationships, express themselves and enjoy a degree of independence, while their families receive support that is increasingly difficult to find elsewhere.

Families call for alternatives before the final session

Leeds Playhouse has confirmed that the wider Buzz programme will continue, despite the planned end of the Weekend Workshops in their current form.

The theatre said its work with people with learning disabilities and their families continues to receive support from the National Lottery Community Fund and other private funders. Weekly Buzz Creative Arts sessions, the Family Forum, Beautiful Octopus Club Nights, Interaction Days and Relaxed Performances are all set to continue.

However, families say the continuation of other activities does not remove the impact of losing the Saturday workshops, which provide a distinct opportunity for socialising, creative expression and respite. Emma said she recognises that arts organisations are facing financial pressures but wants every realistic option to be explored before the final session.

She is calling for greater clarity over the funding needed, meaningful involvement for families and an opportunity for participants themselves to explain what the workshops mean to them. She also hopes the theatre will consider whether a fundraising campaign, transitional funding or a paid-for arrangement could help keep the group going.

For families who have seen their children develop confidence, friendships and independence through the sessions, the hope is that the work built up over years will not simply disappear.

'We are managing significantly increased costs at a time when public funding has not kept pace'

Rachel Marriner, Head of Communications at Leeds Playhouse said: "Leeds Playhouse remains committed to working with people with learning disabilities, PMLD and autism, and their families, carers and supporters.

"Like many arts organisations and public services, we are managing significantly increased costs at a time when public funding has not kept pace. As part of wider work to ensure the Playhouse remains financially sustainable, we are therefore no longer able to fund the Buzz Weekend Workshops in their current form, with the final session currently scheduled for 28 November.

"The wider Buzz programme is not ending. Our work with people with learning disabilities and their families continues to receive full support from the National Lottery Community Fund, and other private funders, and activity including weekly Buzz Creative Arts sessions, our Family Forum, Beautiful Octopus Club Nights, Interaction Days and Relaxed Performances will continue.

"We know how important the Weekend Workshops are to those who attend and understand the disappointment this decision has caused. Following a suggestion from families, we are exploring whether a paid-for model or another viable approach could enable the group to continue in a different form.

"We are continuing to speak with the families affected and will keep them updated."