Children and their families recently had the chance to meet Mickey Mouse and the cast of the Disney On Ice show, thanks to local housebuilder Bellway.
Bellway donated 40 tickets for Disney On Ice: Find Your Hero to The Chronicle, enabling 10 local families to attend, and provided another 40 tickets to the Sunshine Fund charity — supporting children and young people in the North East living with disabilities, additional needs, or chronic and terminal illnesses.
Children from the Sunshine Fund were also invited to an exclusive meet and greet with Mickey Mouse and members of the Disney On Ice team ahead of the performance at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle.
Gemma Dobbing, whose nine-year-old son Charlie was among the children to attend with the Sunshine Fund, said:
“He loved it. It’s been a great experience for children like Charlie to get involved, exposing them to new experiences.”
The Sunshine Fund provides specialist and adapted equipment to children and young people aged up to 19. Head of Charity David Wilson said:
“We were thrilled to have the opportunity to invite our children and families to see Disney On Ice and enjoy an unforgettable family experience together.
“At the heart of everything we do at the Sunshine Fund is the vision that we can all work together to remove barriers, create joyful memories, and make a real difference to local children’s lives.
“Our families had an amazing time so thank you to Disney On Ice for making this happen and Bellway for gifting tickets to our families.”
Among the children at the event was five-year-old Harrison Dowey, who said:
“I love Mickey Mouse in all the parts and then they do ice skating which is my favourite thing to do.”
Bellway North East Sales Director Emma Chesterton said:
“It made our donation so worthwhile to know that we were able to provide fun and a night to remember for families at Disney On Ice.
“Seeing how much the children loved meeting the characters was delightful.”
The show featured Disney songs and characters and world-class skating. The cast rehearse for more than 550 hours to perfect their performance and there are 200 costumes in the show. The Disney On Ice Find Your Hero show was in Newcastle from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 November, as part of a national autumn tour that ends in early 2026.
To find out more about the Sunshine Fund, visit https://www.thesunshinefund.org/ and for information about Bellway developments in the region, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/north-east.
