Issue 50:July August.qxd 19/06/2012 22:19 Page 1 F R E E OOxfordshirexfordshire Issue 50 July - August 2012 www.familiesox.co.uk Great holiday activities and What’s On in Oxfordshire! Issue 50:July August.qxd 19/06/2012 22:19 Page 2 news & views Oxfordshire’s best festival From August 23–27 head along to the Towersey Festival in Thame. With five dedicated venues packed with things to do, the Festival really does have something for everyone. There are over 20 individually programmed sessions a day with opportunities to learn a dance, join a band or join in some crafts. Under 6s can join in with singing games, take part in a mini gym, enjoy some reflexology and even take their teddy or dolly to Teddies’ Hospital. There’s also a lot going on for older children, while in the evening there are lots of family shows to enjoy, including a production of the children’s book The Way Back Home (turn to page 17 to win tickets). The activities range from hundreds of gigs (over 50 artists a day), street theatre on the Showground, lantern making, loads of Ceilidh Dancing, world class cuisine to the International Market, craft and street fairs. Towersey is a wonderful way to finish your summer holidays and a very different day out. Children’s tickets start from £19. www.towerseyfestival.com for more info. Childcare Vouchers to Pay for Summer Holiday Camps As childcare vouchers are tax free and Summer camps are fun and exciting; national insurance exempt, parents using children can experience activities they would childcare vouchers, taking the full amount not usually experience. Camps are a great and depending on their salary, can save up tool to use if you are a working parent and to £933 per parent, per year on the cost of need childcare or to simply encourage your their childcare. The Busy Bees nursery in child to engage in more social activities. BIcseter is one of many childcare providers The cost of sending children to camps is an in Oxfordshire that accept childcare important factor. Did you know you can use vouchers. Busy Bees are campaigning to your childcare vouchers, taken as a salary raise the weekly childcare voucher cap from sacrifice via your employer, to pay for the £55 to £75 per week to help parents save cost of most summer camps? Be savvy, if more on the cost of childcare. If you want you intend to send your child to a camp in to support the campaign, you can sign the the following year you can save up childcare Busy Bees e-petition on their web site. vouchers to pay for the costs. www.busybeesbenefits.com Headington Preparatory We have had an enormous School girls join in ‘The Big response to our Reader Dribble’ Survey. Thank you! All prize The whole of Headington Preparatory winners have been notified. School’s Lower II were lucky to take part in The Big Dribble at Oxford Brookes Sports Resolving The Working Centre in May. This is a GB Hockey flagship Mother’s Dilemma event involving a giant ball moving down Many of us find it hard to balance the the country. Oxford was one of the cities in needs of the family with our need to carry Summer reading challenge the UK to take part in this event. The girls on working and doing something we enjoy. Libraries across the UK are gearing up to all ‘dribbled’ a hockey ball around a 100m That was the dilemma Diana Page found introduce children to an imagination track to help GB herself in when she started her family 11 paradise that will keep them reading Hockey set a world years ago. “I knew that I wanted to be able throughout the school summer holidays. record for dribbling a to raise my children – but I also wanted to Story Lab, the 2012 Summer Reading ball 2012 km. They provide a good lifestyle and the right Challenge run by The Reading Agency, an also got the chance education options, whilst doing something I independent charity, aims to inspire to sign a giant enjoyed,” she says. children to read in their holidays. Children hockey ball and write can sign up at your local library from the a good luck message Diana is now working under the umbrella of end of June. There will be incentives and to the GB players. Forever, which she says is an amazing rewards, plus a certificate or medal if they The ball will be company, and earning a six figure income. complete the Challenge. “Pop down to presented to them at She’s able to attend all the various sports, your local library and find out more about the test event at the social and school events while developing a what's happening,” says Anne Sarrag, Olympic venue. The meaningful career. Summer Reading Challenge director, “and girls received a If you want to have your cake and eat it help your children discover a love of stories certificate to too, contact Diana, who is recruiting whilst they develop their reading skills over commemorate the working partners to work part-time from the summer holidays.” An interactive Story day. Despite the rain, home. You’ll get full hands-on training and Lab website www.story-lab.org.uk launches fun was had by all. support and follow a proven business this month, enabling children to talk about www.headington.org/prep 01865 759861 model. their favourite books, or follow the Summer www.yeshaveitall.com 01235 533362 Reading Challenge on Facebook. 2 JULY / AUGUST 2012 Issue 50:July August.qxd 19/06/2012 22:20 Page 3 FAMILIES JULY / AUGUST 2012 A fond farewell… and a warm welcome After eight fantastic years as editor of The reason I chose Ema as my successor is Families Oxfordshire, I am handing over the not only because she has all the credentials reins to a new editor. to be the editor of the magazine, but also In this issue: because of her commitment and wonderful Ema Murphy will be taking over the personality. I feel confident she will connect News & views 2-4 editorship of this much loved publication. with readers and advertisers alike and that She has many years experience in PR and Summer Holidays 6-9 the magazine will continue to be successful. journalism and has worked in local schools. Counselling your child 10-11 Perhaps more importantly, Ema is a local And so I leave Families Oxfordshire and you, Books 12 mum, which means she knows what’s loyal readers, in safe hands and thank you important to parents in Oxfordshire. all for the wonderful eight years. A big Career 13 thank you too to my own amazing family for Over fifty people responded when I their support, to all the contributors and in Education 14 advertised I wanted to hand over the particular the lovely ladies who distribute Parenting 15 magazine to a new editor. This wasn’t a WIN the magazine across Oxfordshire. surprise because I knew, from readers’ Back to School 16 Many of them have become dear friends. feedback and the response our advertisers What’s on 17-19 WIN Goodbye and farewell! get, how popular Families Oxfordshire is. Luca & Maya 20 Felice Vermeulen, Editor Wallingford is first choice for unique children’s drama school London based Perform Drama, Dance and PERFORM PLUS CLASSES in Wallingford will Outgoing Editor: Felice Vermeulen Contact: [email protected] Singing Workshops started a class in take place at 2.15 pm on Saturdays at January 2000 with 3 children. They now have Benson Youth Hall, Wallingford Next issue: 4000 children attending their workshops Oxford Road, Benson, Wallingford, OX10 6LX September / October 2012: Back to School across London and have chosen Wallngford All children are invited to a Free Trial Session. Copy deadline 10 AUG 2012 as their newest Perform Plus destination, To advertise in Families Oxfordshire contact opening in September 2012. www.perform.org.uk 0845 400 4000 Ema Murphy on: 01993 815966 or 07733 228 038 Perform is a new type of children’s drama email: [email protected] school. They use a unique mix of drama, dance and singing specially formulated to Circulation: We distribute free copies in hundreds of schools and nurseries throughout Oxfordshire. If your school, nursery bring out every child’s true potential. Classes or parent group would like copies of Families Oxfrdshire let are kept small to ensure lots of individual us know and we’ll sort things out. attention by their experienced Copyright: Families Oxfordshire July 2012 actor/teachers. They work exclusively with Disclaimer: Colour transparencies and any other original materials submitted for publication are sent at owner's own 8-12 year old children and their focus is risk and while every care is taken, neither Families nor its entirely on The 4 C’s. Confidence, agents accept liability for loss or damage. We take care in Communication, Co-ordination and preparing this magazine but publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor Concentration. They don’t send children to for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence. auditions or castings, but focus on helping Families Group: Families Oxfordshire is part of a group children develop their social skills whilst established in 1990 and headed by Families South West. having the best fun of the week. They are All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. also centrally run as opposed to being a Front cover franchised business.