Newsletter: Home-Start North West , Rucstall Community Centre,

Holbein Close, , Hampshire, RG21 3QN. Tel: 01256 325793 Company No.: 5604443, Registered charity no. 1112233 Date: February 2020 Issue no: 14

C ommunity Newsletter…. ….

Let’s Cook Together! A “different” type of Volunteer Support

At the beginning of November we ran a “Lets Cook At times throughout the year we ask for Together” 5 week cour se at Melrose Community different types of Volunteer Support which could Centre in Popley. This course was aimed at be a plea for home-made cakes to be baked for demonstrating to parents how easy & cost effective a fundraising event, helping to “shake a bucket” it is to cook meals from scratch instead of buying at Tesco’s and just recently being asked to be ready -made meals and highlight the social benefits interviewed by “That’s Hampshire TV” about of sitting together to eat. Over the 5 weeks Mums your volunteer role. However, during the build baked cakes, made a lasagne, ending on the last up to Christmas when time is very precious day by cooking a whole Christmas Day Dinner in perhaps the more unusual request for help is

under 2 hours! being an elf! We were very appreciative to our “Christmas Elves”-Toni, Em, Jessie & Helene A very big thank you to our Volunteers who looked who wrapped up all the Group Christmas after the children whilst their Mums were busy Presents. We would love to hear from you if cooking with Dawn. At the end of each session you fancy being a Christmas Elf this year! everyone sat down together, to eat the food they had made.

Families & Volunteers enjoying an early Christmas Dinner!

Web: www.homestart-nwhampshire.org.uk/ schemeNEWS Issue 14 E.mail: [email protected] Phone: 01256 325793 Page 1

Volunteer Celebration Evening – Thursday 21st November 2019

A big Thank You to everyone who came out on a cold November evening to join in the above celebrations. Our Patron James Malmesbury very kindly presented the long service awards & New Volunteer Certificates. However, in true Hollywood Style our Volunteer of the Year, Mary Hull was unable to be present on the night to receive her award and a video was shown in her absence receiving the award.

Video clip of Mary Hull receiving Volunteer Joan Hurst was also unable the Volunteer of the Year Award & on the right pictured to attend the celebration evening. Joan with families from Wednesday Group. regularly supports within Wednesday Family Group & is pictured on the left being presented by Jools with her 10 year Volunteer service award. The Celebration evening kicked

off with singing from “Oh Mama”

Choir-pictured right followed by

a Chili Supper and ending with

the presentations. Below are

just a few photos from the

evening:-

A A~AVVVVV

Are you interested in a volunteer role with us? Our next Course is due to run Summer 2020-Come & join our team of Volunteers. We are looking for:- BECAUSE CHILDHOOD -Home Visiting volunteers

-Family Group helpers CAN’T WAIT! -Trustees -Fundraising Volunteers

Web: www.homestart-nwhampshire.org.uk/ schemeNEWS Issue 14 E.mail: [email protected] Phone: 01256 325793 Page 2

Christmas 2019 Christmas Outing to Finkley Down Farm

Multiple Birth Christmas Party A big thank you to our volunteers who supported their families at the Christmas Some of our Outing this year at Finkley. It was lovely to lovely see so many of our families including Volunteers Volunteers & Staff enjoying the Christmas enjoying the activities & farm with the children:- Christmas Party!

Having fun decorating

Gingerbread &

meeting Father Christmas

Christmas Elves made a surprise visit to both Multiple Birth & Family Group parties!

Family Group Christmas Party

Jingle & Mingle Father Christmas made a special appearance at the Family Group Party Thank you to everyone who came along to handing out Presents to sing Christmas Carols & eat Mince Pies at the Children & their our 2nd Jingle & Mingle on the 19th December Mums! 2019. The event took place during our Oaks & Acorns Café and it was lovely to see a mixture of generations joining in with the singing and of course afterwards enjoying tea & mince pies together. A special thank you to the Choir from Rucstall Primary School

who joined us for the carol singing and performed two amazing solos!

Oaks & Acorns Intergenerational Café runs every Thursday morning – even during

schools holidays between 10:30am-11:45am. Please feel free to drop in for tea/cake & a chat!

Web: www.homestart-nwhampshire.org.uk/ schemeNEWS Issue 14 E.mail: [email protected] Phone: 01256 325793 Page 3

Christmas Toy Donations Calling all Volunteers – We Need You!

At the beginning of November, we held our 3rd We are happy to announce that we will be running up

Christmas Present Event for invited families. to 5 Big Hopes Big Future (Schools Readiness)

Christmas can be a tough time for many people, Courses during the Summer Term on School sites in especially when there is financial hardship and Basingstoke. Some of the courses will run side by providing presents reduces financial stress and side and we will calling on our fabulous team of helps to create a magical Christmas. volunteers to help support these sessions. If you are interested in helping in one of these very rewarding This year thanks to generous donations from St. courses, please contact us for further details. Stephen’s Church, Church, Tesco , Youth Football Club & from the Giving Tree event hosted by Newbury Building Society and The Breeze Radio, we

provided presents to around 90 children We would like to thank them for their on-going support to enable us to continue running our

Christmas Present event. Fundraising Giving Tree -

Newbury Volunteer Toni Allen will be walking 130km in May for Building HSNWH. She is walking Camino Portuguese to Society, Santiago de Compostella in northern Spain. You can Basingstoke donate on her Just Giving Page:– Town Centre. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/toni-allen1

th Jill Tuck is running a double marathon on 20 June After 12 Years Jo Attridge resigns as Trustee! 2020 to raise money for HSNWH– To donate please go to her Just Giving page: - Jo has supported HSNWH as a https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jill-tuck-ultra home-visiting Volunteer and QA lead on the Trustee Board. We If like Jill & Toni you would like to raise money for are very excited that she will HSNWH, we are always looking at different ideas for continue supporting HSNWH as fundraising and would welcome any an Ambassador! suggestions/help. THANK YOU!

Save the Date:- Number Crunching

AGM - Friday 17th July 2020 @10:45am-12pm Active home Volunteer Celebration Afternoon– Thursday 12th November 2020-Times TBC 38 visiting/Group volunteers

Dates for your diary: - Children supported since 1st April th Volunteer Drop-in – Thursday 5 March 2020 2019-29th February between 12pm-1:30pm 340 2020

Fundraising Events:- Requests for support

received since 1st Ramble – Sunday 26th April 2020 – Tickets now th on Sale! 115 April 2019-29 February 2020

606

Web: www.homestart-nwhampshire.org.uk/ schemeNEWS Issue 14 E.mail: [email protected] Phone: 01256 325793 Page 4 011 126