Celebrating our new home!

To celebrate our SEND Local Offer's new home on the Children and Families Newcastle website, we have two ways for you to get your hands on a £10 amazon voucher. 

Find GiRTrood's Friends

GiRTrood is the SEND Local Offer mascot. 

She is a flying penguin who shows that children and young people can achieve great things. Both GiRTrood herself and her name were chosen by children and young people, so she truly belongs to them.

To be in with a chance of winning keep an eye out for GiRTrood's penguin friends. 10 of them are hiding in images on different pages of our SEND Local Offer. 

The alternative text on the image will tell you if one of GiRTrood's friends is included. 

To enter complete this form to let us know the title of the webpage where you found each penguin.  

A flying penguin in the centre surrounded by lots of smaller cartoon penguins.

Complete the form to enter. Closing date is Friday 19 June 2026. 

How will the winners be chosen?

Every entry that finds all 10 penguins will be put into a draw. When the competition closes on Friday 5 June 2026, up to 100 winners will picked at random. 

How will prizes be given to the winners?

Prizes will be emailed, so make sure you check your email address is correct! 

Using the same email address for more than 1 entry.

If you are supporting more than one young person to enter, you can use the same email address for up to 3 entries. 

Please add initials to the end of the emails. For example: 

If you need to use the same email for more than three entries please email LocalOffer@newcastle.go.uk to let us know. 

How people with visual impairments can take part

Each image with a penguin has alternative text which can be read out loud by the Recite Me toolbar. You can open the toolbar by clicking 'Listen and translate' at the top of the page.

You can visit using the Recite Me toolbar to learn more.

Making our SEND Local Offer more local 

We are looking for photos of local children, young people and families in Newcastle doing everyday things. 

This could include:

  • playing in local parks 
  • spending time at home or in the community 
  • walking, talking, learning or relaxing 
  • being together as a family

We want our website to show real life in our city. By sharing your photos, you help us make the SEND Local Offer reflect the families it is for. 

Checklist Before You Submit

  • Photo is clear and in focus 
  • Original image (not a screenshot or social media download) 
  • No personal or sensitive information visible
  • Permission given for everyone in the photo
  • You are happy for the photo to appear on a public website

Upload a photo and complete the consent form. If we use your photo, we'll send you a £10 amazon voucher to say thanks.  

Where will the photos be used?

The photos will used on the Children and Families Website. They might also be used on promotional materials for the SEND Local Offer, which is part of the Children and Families website. 

How will I get my thankyou voucher?

We will send it to you via email. So make sure you check your email address is correct! 

How many photos can I submit?

You can submit up to 3 photos per email address. If you'd like to submit more please get in touch: localoffer@newcastle.gov.uk 

Photo do's and don'ts

Do’s ✅

  • Do send the original photo if you can 
  • Do make sure the photo is clear and in focus 
  • Do use good light (daylight is best) 
  • Do make sure people and activities are easy to see 
  • Do keep the background simple and uncluttered 
  • Do leave a little space around people (head to toe if possible) 
  • Do take photos of everyday life, real moments and real places 
  • Do use landscape (wide) photos where possible

Don’ts ❌

  • Don’t send screenshots, WhatsApp images or social media downloads 
  • Don’t send blurry, grainy or pixelated photos 
  • Don’t use heavy filters, stickers or text on photos 
  • Don’t take photos with bright light behind people 
  • Don’t cut off heads, faces, hands or feet 
  • Don’t include school names on uniforms 
  • Don’t show name badges, paperwork or personal details 
  • Don’t include anything that shares a child’s exact location
SEND Local Offer homepage
Information from https://childrenandfamiliesnewcastle.org.uk/
Printed on June 14th 2026
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