Family Days

Family Days are a wonderful opportunity for families affected by Facial Palsy to come together, relax and enjoy a day of fun in a supportive and understanding environment. Meeting others who share similar experiences can help reduce feelings of isolation, build confidence and create lasting friendships and memories.

This year, we’ll be spending the day at The Mill Adventure Base in Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire: an exciting outdoor activity centre packed with fun experiences for all ages. Children and adults alike will have the chance to try a variety of activities like climbing and kayaking as well as group games and crafts, while getting to know other families and Facial Palsy UK’s friendly and knowledgeable staff and volunteers.

Bookings for this year’s event are now closed but if you’d like to hear about more events in the future, please join our mailing list.

2025 Family Day – Blackwell Adventure, Bromsgrove

Generously funded by Sayvol – Water Treatment and Testing Services, The Hospital Saturday Fund and donations from the Big Give.

On Saturday 16th August, families from across the country gathered at Blackwell Adventure for the Mandy Brailsford Family Day 2025 hosted by Facial Palsy UK. The event brought together children and adults affected by facial palsy and their families, offering a rare opportunity to connect, share experiences, and enjoy a fun-filled day in a supportive environment.

The beautiful Blackwell Adventure site provided the perfect setting for a mix of activities. Families had the chance to take part in zip wiring, archery and team challenges, while younger children enjoyed games, crafts and songs.

One of the most valued aspects of the Family Day was the chance for people to meet others who truly understand the challenges of facial palsy. Many shared how much it meant to meet peers with similar experiences, helping them feel less isolated and more confident.

We are hugely grateful to the dedicated staff and volunteers as well as our amazing funders, the Hospital Saturday Fund and Sayvol, who made the day possible. Events like this remind us of the power of community and the importance of supporting one another on the journey with facial palsy.

To be notified of future events, please Join Our Community.

Previous Facial Palsy UK Family Days

How do Family Days help?

Some children with facial palsy may feel isolated because it’s unlikely they will have met another child affected by the condition. They may be the only child in their school with a different smile and this can at times feel quite lonely. Meeting another child who also has the condition can really improve self-esteem.

When you are the person with facial palsy, the only image you have of yourself is your mirror image or what you see in photographs or video. You don’t see what other people see, your animated face with your whole personality shining through. People will often say to someone with facial palsy that they don’t really notice it but it’s only when you meet another person with facial palsy that you begin to understand why this is actually true. Meeting others with the condition really helps to build confidence.

On meeting other children with facial palsy for the first time, a 9 year old girl said:

Thank you, this was the best day of my life.

Our family days are also an opportunity for parents to meet other parents and benefit from mutual support. They may wish to discuss different surgeries, school issues or simply make new friends who share experiences. We also include siblings because often when a child has a medical condition all the family are affected because there will be hospital visits and other pressures.

In recent years, we have been able to open up these events to include adults with facial palsy and their families too, as meeting others with the same condition and being part of a supportive community is just as beneficial for adults.

Mandy Brailsford

Since 2023, our Family Days have been renamed to Mandy Brailsford Family Days in memory of Mandy Brailsford, who sadly passed away in January 2023. Mandy was a founding volunteer, later became a trustee, and was serving as the Chair of trustees at the time of her passing. Born with facial palsy, she understood the feelings of isolation it could bring. Mandy recognised the immense value these Family Days provided, enabling children with facial palsy to meet others who looked like them and shared similar experiences.

You can read Mandy’s story here.