Doxford Farm glamping site to host weekend for families with children with additional needs

The campsite, near Alnwick, was opened in 2011 by Katryna Shell and her family.

They finally finished building their bespoke luxury pods that got delayed due to Covid and, now, Katryna is keen to hold a fun weekend for families to enjoy judgement free time with their children.

The Glamp Together weekend will take place from May 17-19, and is a rare opportunity for families with children with additional needs and special educational needs (SEN) to enjoy an inclusive and accepting retreat, without the need for any explanations.

Katryna explained that the idea came about after seeing her sister, who has an autistic son, struggle to go anywhere on holiday due to the lack of understanding about their situation.

She said: “I just really thought that if she felt comfortable in a place where she didn't have to explain herself and people understood and accepted their family for who they were, other people would enjoy that as well.

“When I put it out there, the amount of people that said that they were in the same boat was unbelievable. Most people are saying that there's nothing like this and especially up north. I had a couple of calls just from parents to say thank you, which was so humbling.”

The weekend has seen support from local businesses, with Lilidorei putting on a specific SEN ‘quiet session’ on the Saturday, and Clarty Commandos hosting a session on the Sunday morning.

There will also be food van on Friday night to make the first night less stressful and options for trips to visit Northumberland’s beautiful outdoors for activities that aren’t surrounded by huge crowds.

Katryna added: “I am so incredibly lucky to also have the support of two local businesses that also support my aim. It is hopefully going to be a fantastic weekend of uniting families to create memories forever.”

There are still spaces to fill with four pitches and one bell tent left. If you would like to book or enquire, email Katryna directly at [email protected].