 On Sunday 23rd March our Publicity Mgr, Charlie is running the Reading Half Marathon in aid of Reading Family Aid. Please do sponsor her – the more £s pledged the easier the miles will be! Click here to see her page and to donate.
And if you would like to join her in running for us there are still places to be had – checkout the Reading Half Marathon website and do let us know!  On the evening of Saturday April 12th, the fantastic Small Strings Band will be performing at The Club at Mapledurham in aid of Reading Family Aid. Tickets are on sale now - only £10 – although there will be plenty of opportunities to contribute much more to our funds on the night with a raffle, a game of chance and much more! Remember to bring cash!  Small Strings say “Take a bunch of ukuleles, stir in a number of singers, a pound of bass, add a pinch of percussion, then simmer on low and you have The Small Strings. The band has taken a selection of classic singalong rock, pop and soul tunes and given them a unique ukulele twist.”.
It should be a fantastic evening! Doors open at 6pm and a food will be available to purchase until 8PM when the band will start their first set. The bar will be open all evening. Come and enjoy the music, sing along and dance the night away! If you would like to reserve a table for 6, 8 or 10 people then please let us know. Click here to buy tickets. Remember to bring plenty of cash with you!!  On Friday January 3rd a large group of excited families visited the Hexagon in Reading to watch - and participate in! - the Cinderella Panto. There was much fun and shouting singing along and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience. They went to a "relaxed performance" which meant they could be as noisy as they wanted and move around if needed. Claire from Fifi's Vision said "The pantomime had such a positive impact that I could instantly see, from when parents arrived and looked overwhelmed and tired to when they left beaming and laughing, upbeat and recharged."  Hazel from the Weller Centre said: "We took 13 local children (and 5 adults). 6 of whom had never been to a professional panto. Not sure they quite knew what to make of it to begin with but soon warmed to the shouting etc. It was the perfect performance to go to and think supported the needs of a lot of the children we took, who we may not have taken to a regular performance. – I also think the parents felt better that their children wouldn’t disrupt others. " One child said: " The best bit was when Mr Tumble sang the 12 days of Christmas wrong". " Thank you again for the tickets. They all had a wonderful time."  Claire from Fifi's Vision said: "Thank you again for the amazing opportunity. Many of our parents discussed the difficulties and challenges that Christmas can bring as routines at school and even home change, the lights, decorations and activities can be overwhelming especially when environments are busier as well. This can be very difficult to process as a parent carer when many others share through social media amazing stories and pictures of a "perfect" Christmas and for many the harsh reality is, feeling financial pressures as well as being isolated and alone and having a child in distress and unable to access days out and activities. With all this over stimulation children often become overwhelmed and struggle which can lead to meltdowns/shutdowns that leave both parent carer and child anxious and exhausted. The tickets to the pantomime meant the whole family could take a moment together and forget about all the hustle and bustle and just let their hair down. They all welcomed the opportunity for family respite altogether, laughing and dancing and everyone had said how grateful they were.  A couple of our families mentioned, without this kind gesture they wouldn't be able to access this experience as it is simply too expensive and with the pressure of Christmas and buying gifts along with day to day living costs this simply wouldn't be possible. Seeing the children's faces light up as they joined in but also seeing their parents clapping, singing, laughing and joining in booing the wicked stepmother really gave the magical spirit of Christmas. I feel privileged to know Fifi's Vision gives vital peer support and encouragement to families to attend new experiences but I am eternally grateful to Reading Family Aid for giving such wonderful opportunities. The pantomime had such a positive impact that I could instantly see, from when parents arrived and looked overwhelmed and tired to when they left beaming and laughing, upbeat and recharged. We cannot thank you enough for giving us such a fantastic end to 2024, Fifi's Vision CIC families made many happy memories together but most importantly had the opportunity to build meaningful friendships by supporting each other and making the most of so many lovely experiences because of Reading Family Aid throughout 2024. Thank You from the bottom of my heart." Families from Homestart Wokingham said:
 Another mum said "My son and I had a wonderful time. The relax performance was not too overwhelming for him. He enjoyed meeting actors particularly Mr Tumble!"
This is why we organise these outings. Thank you to St James Place Charitable Foundation for providing the funds for this outing. |
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