Isn’t it strange how times have changed? This time last year (so my phone has reminded me) I was travelling to London with my daughter, spending the day at one of the big theatres in the West End, where she was performing in a dance show. This year, I would have been at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage, getting ready for my own show.
Instead, with the UK in lockdown, we are staying home, trying to keep our families and friends safe by not going out.
Here at Home-Start, we recognise the pressure that this puts on everyone: it’s hard sharing limited physical space with people, even the ones you love, and the emotional and psychological effects of the lockdown will be felt for a long time to come.
And so, we have launched our ‘Giving Tuesday’ campaign. Every Tuesday between 7th April and 1st December we’ll be offering a new activity for you to try. Some will be free to access – our gift to you! Others will be paid-for activities, which will form part of our fundraising activities. We’ll use our fundraising to keep Home-Start running so that we can offer support to local families who are finding life a struggle.
The campaign forms part of the UK-wide “Charity Unites Us” campaign, run by the global movement “Giving Tuesday,” which seeks to celebrate the work of charities all over the world. More information on this campaign can be found here: https://www.givingtuesday.org.uk/charityunitesus/.
We have tried to find a range of options that will suit people of all ages, and we really hope you enjoy getting involved (you can find links to each week’s activity below as they are published).
Please don’t forget to send us your photos, comments, etc. – we’d love to see your creations and how you are enjoying the activities! You can do this via the posts on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
The Best of our Giving Tuesdays ~ Can you believe it? It’s the last of our Giving Tuesdays and to celebrate we would love for you to get involved in our Living Advent Calendars…
Christmas Trails ~ We’ve gathered together a selection of local Christmas trails for you to enjoy, along with some other ‘indoor’ activities if you’d rather stay in the warm!
Pumpkins and Halloween ~ This year is a little different to other years and so we’ve come up with some ways you can still enjoy this wonderful holiday.
Digital board games and quizzes ~ Looking for something to do with the children on a cold and wet Autumn evening? Try going digital with traditional board games and quizzes.
Autumn in pictures ~ With the trees turning that lovely golden colour and nature getting ready to hunker down for winter, it’s a perfect time to get snapping!
Nutrition and a better you ~ Your diet has a big impact on your physical and mental health and one of our supporters, Sarah, shares her expertise on the importance of nutrition.
Easter recipes for the whole family ~ A selection of recipes and activities to download or print from around the world, all relating to springtime and Easter. Try one or try all – it’s up to you!
