Tag Archives: charity

It’s in the bag

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Did you know that over 31,000 children in England are taken into foster care every year?

Or that nearly 300 of them live in Nottingham – that’s one child entering foster care in Nottingham alone every 32 hours?

As a foster carer who accepts emergency placements, Nicola Barber understands only too well how arriving in an unfamiliar environment, often with few if any possessions, can affect a child’s pride, self esteem, dignity and confidence.

And it’s that understanding which inspired her to find a way to make a difference to some of the city’s most vulnerable…

Primary teacher, parent and taekwondo instructor Nicola joins the Girls Around Town in the studio this weekend to explain how, with the help of family and friends, she set out to do just that through the charity My Bag.

To help foster children have a more positive experience, My Bag provides a holdall filled with a variety of items they can call their own for as long as they wish to and take with them should they move.

“We want children in foster care to feel like children and we believe this is an important first step in doing so,” says Nicola. “Hopefully it will give them some self esteem and confidence and go some way towards helping them feel like they belong.”

Tune in or listen online between 10am and 12 noon on Sunday to find out just how the system works and what goes into each My Bag holdall.

And how you could help Nicola and her fellow trustees continue to make a difference for these children at a difficult time in their lives…

Winter warmers

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Autumn’s here – winter’s just round the corner – time to start thinking about cosy coats, warm woollies and snuggly scarves!

If you’re looking for some stylish new additions to your wardrobe, why not do it over lunch and help raise funds for a good cause at the same time?

On Monday 12 November, you’ll have an opportunity to do just that when Shirt Sleeves in Newark hosts its autumn/winter fashion show…

All proceeds from the event will be going to Faith in Families, an East Midlands based charity which has been helping families on their adoption journey for 70 years. Find out more about its work as you see all the latest collections modelled while enjoying a delicious two-course lunch with coffee.

Starting at 11am, the event takes place at The Ram and tickets are on sale now, priced £28 each – advance booking is essential so pop into the store on Middlegate or call 01636 605880 to get yours now.

Run for Reach this Christmas

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Is it too soon to be talking about Christmas? Well, the Girls Around Town certainly don’t think so – they’ve already started their shopping!

And on next week’s show they’ll be sharing news of an event taking place in the run up to the festive season when June and Rachel are joined in the studio just after 10am by Sarah Cobb, the fundraising officer for local charity Reach…

Their first Santa Run will be held at Sconce & Devon Park in Newark on Sunday 9 December, starting at 11am, and if you’re quick off the mark there’s still time to take advantage of the Early Bird Price to join in the fun.

Jog, walk or run round the two mile course and help to raise much-needed funds for Reach. Everyone taking part will receive a mince pie, a medal and a free Santa suit – what’s more, if you accessorise your outfit you could be in with a chance of winning a prize in one of the three categories, for the best fancy dress adult, best fancy dress child or best fancy dress dog!

Register before 11pm on Thursday 27 September and you’ll pay the Early Bird Price of £10 for adults and £5 for children aged 15 and under (standard entry fees from Friday 28 September are £12 and £6.50). In addition, all you’re asked to do is raise a minimum of £10 per person in sponsorship to help Reach raise as much as possible from this family-friendly event.

Full details and registration forms can be found online here – and remember to tune in or listen online between 10am and 12 noon on Sunday for more information about the event and about the work Reach does to support over 200 adults with learning disabilities in Nottinghamshire.