Summer Programme

Summer can be a difficult time for families, especially because it puts a strain on the carers to keep the kids occupied and happy for a few weeks on end. It is also difficult to find an array of different activities to do with your kids that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg at the end of the summer. 

This is why we have selected a few activities that you can do with your kids for free or on the cheap, and they are on all summer so you won’t have to worry about when to go because it can be any time.

Toddler Time at Kelvingrove

Every Friday you can take the wee ones along for songs, stories and fun with a different theme inspired by the museum each week. These activities started in March and will be going all the way up until the 1st of January next year, so there is plenty of time to take the kids along to these.

These are mostly suited for under fives, you can find out more info here.

Hatching The Past

In the wake of the success of Jurassic World, a lot of kids will be interested in dinosaurs and you can enjoy a visit to a travelling dinosaur exhibit at the Kelvinbridge Museum that will entertain and educate your kids on the Land Before Time.

This day out isn't free but the tickets range from £2 to £5 for children to adults, find out more info here.

Toonspeak Tuesdays

These exhibits have been going on all year and won’t finish until the 15th of December so there are plenty of opportunities to head down to the Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre located in the north of Glasgow. 

This is another free event that, as the title says, happens every Tuesday and gives young people the opportunity to meet different artists, experience alternative workshops, and the chance for them to hang out in a safe, nurturing environment.

Aimed at 11 to 25 year olds, all of the sessions are drop-in so there is no need to sign up. Find out more info here.

WithKids Summer Programme

'At With Kids we help support families during the long summer with free summer activities in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Arts & crafts, drama, Forest/outdoor skills, a walk across the Forth Road bridge and day trips are just some of the activities that we run.

We also have an annual camping trip when our Glasgow and Edinburgh families get a chance to meet and spend time together. If you would like to know more about our Summer Programme then give us a call on 0141 550 5770 or 0131 453 6937 or email us at info@withkids.org.uk.

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With Kids - Ladies Lunch 2015

It isn't long until the third annual With Kids Ladies Lunch takes place in 29 Private Members Club on Sunday the 10th May 2015.

The Ladies Lunch promises to be an afternoon you and your guests will not forget and you will help raise funds for some of Glasgow and Edinburgh’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable children.

You will enter to a champagne reception where you will get a chance to mingle with other guests, followed by a delicious 2-course lunch, all the while having the opportunity to shop from a selection of pop up shops.

Joining us at 29 as our compère and our host will be Edward Reid, and Mr. Reid will also be performing for us!

For those of you who don’t know who Edward Reid is, he was a contestant on 2011’s Britain’s Got Talent and sang nursery rhymes and children’s television show themes, but with a twist as he sang them to the tunes of other popular songs. Well, might we add; really well.

As well as Edward, you will be treated to a performance by The Singer Swingers who are a three-piece Swing Tribute Act performing “Timeless Classics With A Modern Kick.

“An outstanding flair for wowing audiences with their unique take on favourites from The Rat Pack and other Swing legends, the three friends provide a true performance in every sense with pride in their vocal talents, pristine harmonies and arrangements.

“Their on-stage camaraderie resonates so strongly with the era they expertly cover, meaning viewers young and old can enjoy their show.”

We would love to see you there and there are still some tables available - a table for 10 is priced at £500 or individual tickets can be bought for £50.

If you are unable to attend perhaps, you could help in some other way? We are looking for auction and raffle prizes or maybe you would simply like to make a donation?

To book or for more information please contact Fiona at fiona@fatbuzz.com or by telephoning 0141 427 0727.

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Fundraising Ideas

Sometimes thinking of things to do to raise money for your favourite charities can be difficult - most people instantly land on the long distance runs or something heart-wrenchingly terrifying like jumping out of a plane!

Yet, there are many different ways that you can raise money for With Kids that you may not think of straight away, so we are here to give you a helping hand with ideas. 

Stoptober
Quite a recent phenomenon, Stoptober or “Sober October” is a month where you would abstain from cigarettes and/or alcohol, for two reasons. To try and give up smoking, and to promote a healthier lifestyle whilst raising funds for charity. Get your friends and family Sober October was introduced by Macmillan Cancer Support but there is nothing to say that you can’t partake in it and raise money for With Kids. We won’t tell if you don’t!

Movember
This is one for the guys, you've probably heard of this one; you might have even done it last year. Movember is a good way to raise money for charity (it helps that it is quite easy to do). All you have to do is shave on the 31st of October and then not shave that top lip for a month so that you acquire a glorious ‘stache as well as some donations from your friends and family.

Tango for With Kids
This is quite new to With Kids, you can take part in Tango Tipica's Absolute Beginners Tango Classes. The next series of Absolute Beginners Tango Classes in Glasgow starts with a free taster class on Friday 3 October at 6.15pm in the West End of Glasgow. All of the proceeds go to With Kids.

Henry the Teddy
Henry is a Canadian teddy bear that is being sent round the world to raise money for the charities of choice for two of the stars of Once Upon a Time; Robert Carlyle (With Kids) and Lana Parrilla (International Trauma Treatment Program). He is quite popular, so you might have to wait a while before he makes his way to stay with you, but that’s something to look forward to!

These are just a few examples of fundraising activities that you can do to collect donations, but then again, there always is the long distance runs or something heart-wrenchingly terrifying.

Collecting the money from all of these ideas is made so much easier with JustGiving. If you've never used JustGiving before, don’t worry, it is very simple and anyone can use it; you can also login with your Facebook which makes signing up to it painless.

If you would like any further information on fundraising please contact us by telephone 0141 550 5770 or by email info@withkids.org.uk to see how we can support you.

If you are going to raise funds for us then let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

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Our Camping Trip Was A Success

We recently had our annual camping trip with families from both our offices and this year we went to Bonaly Outdoor Centre in Edinburgh.

It was a bit of a grey day in Glasgow but we were welcomed by the sun at Bonaly, and the families set to putting up their tents or settling into the chalet. There was no rest for the excited families though because it was straight into our first activities of the trip!

There was geocaching, grass sledging, a blind assault course and arts and crafts. Our bold geocachers set off with GPS’s to find the various treasures that are hidden around Bonaly as the grass sledgers took to the slopes. The families on the blind assault course had their work cut out as they felt around with blindfolds on but they all had a fantastic time.

Soon it was time for a spot of dinner and in the words of someone who will remain nameless, “the chips left a lot to be desired”, but nonetheless we still enjoyed the meal.

After dinner it was time for relaxations with a film and also drawing, the ever-present loom bands, a bit of pampering with hand lotions and one mum doing beautiful henna tattoos on hands and arms.

Soon it was time for tea, toast and winding up for bedtime. By 9.30 everyone was settled in and everything was quiet. The staff were slightly astounded and wondered what they should do next? Well, eat crisps and then go to bed!

We rose and shone on Thursday morning, which is more than the sun did! Fortunately, the showers passed quickly and we had periods of sunshine too during another fun-filled, action packed day.

Although it was wet it didn’t stop the grass sledgers, they came flying down with little knowledge or use of the brakes! There were some spectacular runs down.

Down the hill, away from the child cannonballs, the climbing wall seemed a much more relaxed scene. The ropes that the climbers were on were self-releasing meaning that they held your weight as you came down. The kids were a little uneasy at first but once they got the hang of it they were flinging themselves off with gusto.

The afternoon had a whole raft of activities again, with the addition of cupcake decorating, giant games and a walk through the woods to find the fairies and Charlie the Gnome before making our own wands. Most of the staff got turned into frogs but fortunately they were mostly turned back in time for the barbecue.

After being stuffed full of delicious food we had a last chance to burn off a few calories with some drama games. A variety of games sent us to all four corners of the tent field before we all collapsed in a heap on the ground.

We finished off with Murder Wink – some staff were, quite frankly overegging the pudding as far as their ‘death scenes’ were concerned (you know who you are) before a quick stop at the tuck shop and a dash into the chalet from the rain.

All too soon it was time for bed again and then a quick clean up in the morning before boarding the bus home.

We’d like to say a huge thanks to all our families for making it such an amazing trip and thanks to Bonaly for having us.

We have uploaded an album here, and if you have any more photos from the camping trip then don't hesitate to share them with us, and we'll pop them up on Facebook or put them in this album!

To find out what else is happening at With Kids, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Stuck for Summer Things to Do?

Great! It’s summer and you don’t have to worry about getting your children ready for school on time...but you’re left with the hard decision of what to do to keep your kids busy and happy.

The exorbitant cost of days out or trips away, lack of safe places to play or available amenities can leave parents & carers viewing the long summer holiday with much less enthusiasm than the kids.

At With Kids, we have a five week programme set up that runs all the way up to August 6th which involves days out, activities and trips away which will keep the whole family occupied.

We are into our third week, and so far we’ve had a few days out to Pollok and Kelburne parks, as well as the Riverside Museum and the Science Centre. 

They were all really fun trips and we all had a great time, and we were lucky as the weather has been great recently - fantastic! 

Hopefully we’ll get more where that came from in the coming weeks, but hey, this is Scotland and no one knows what the weather is going to be in an hour, let alone a few weeks!

It’s not all fun and games though...well, actually it is, but we have been productive and making things too!

We’ve made awesome puppets, and our own little theatres where everybody performed their own plays. There were so many great stories. 

On Wednesday we made yummy smoothies and healthy fruit kebabs too, which made up for the hotdogs, pizza and popcorn we had whilst watching Brave last week.

And speaking of last week, the aliens landed with our Aliens & Monsters art group where we all made some wild and wacky creatures from space, as well as spaceships! 

If you would like to find out more about the summer programme then please don’t hesitate to ask us. You can get in contact by calling: 0141 550 5770 or you can email us at info@withkids.org.uk.

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The Golf Day Was A Hole Lot Of Fun

Our first golf day was a success, and not only because the weather was great!

The inaugural With Kids Golf Day, the Alan Rough Celebrity AM, took place at Mar Hall Golf Resort and Spa on Thursday 29th May.

We were joined by 72 keen golfers who took to the course and enjoyed a fun day of golf, sun and a great lunch when they came off of the 18th.

A special thanks must go to all who attended and to who gave generously in the raffle and the auction as, all in all, the day raised in excess of £4000.

We would like to thank the following teams for their participation on the day:

• Fatbuzz 
• The Forge Shopping Centre 
• Mark Hamill 
• Chattelle 
• WRI Associates 
• Primestaff 
• Excel Vending 
• Barclays 
• City Legacy 
• Mearns Castle Golf Academy 
• Kenny Hailstones. (With Kids Competition Winner) 

We were awarding prizes to the two teams with the highest scores as well as a couple of other competitions because, although it was a day of fun and relaxing golf, everyone loves a bit of healthy competition!

The first prize of a Trespass Golf Bag went to Alan rough’s team, with the second prize of a Gordon White print and golf balls went to members of Cathcart Golf Club, so well done to these two teams.

As we said earlier we held another two small competitions; the Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin, and Kerr Mann was the longest driver who won a Trespass holdall, Mark Hamill being nearest the pin won a Trespass holdall too.

So again, thanks to everyone who came along; it’s always nice to know that you are better than a golf pro as 13 people beat the pro on the 10th hole!

If you want to attend next year’s golf day, or any other With Kids events then keep up to date by giving us a ‘Like’ on Facebook or by following us on Twitter.

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The Hour Is Nearly Upon Us!

One of our supporters, Emilie Charlotte, is taking part in a skydive in aid of With Kids.

Here is an update on what is happening with her efforts:

"Hello Peeps!

The time has flown by since my last post about Tiffany & I doing the skydive for With Kids! It is due to happen this Saturday, 31st May. The weather is looking fair enough which is a bonus, as I can’t imagine anything worse than being cancelled & having to go back weeks later! A bit like the dentist, I like to get it out of the way!

I won’t bore you with the fitness regime that I had intended on taking on because I couldn’t be arsed with it in the end. Instead I’ve stuffed my face with salad for the last few weeks, which evens things out somewhat.

Keen to immerse myself in uncomfortable situations, I let Tiffs drag me along to a posh wine-tasting do the other week. We were all given a bit of paper so that we could describe the aroma & taste of each different wine. All my answers just said ‘tastes like wine’, that’s how cultured I am! At least I lasted longer there than at the art gallery do that daughter dragged me to…

For anyone who is still reading by this point, we will keep you all updated via Twitter & Facebook about what is happening on Saturday. We have to arrive for 8.30, earlier if we want the jumps filmed (hell yes, this isn’t going to happen again!) We might be waiting for the weather to clear & might not even jump till 9pm, which is a little daunting! Apart from that, all I know is that we get 20 minutes training just before we board the plane….

Tiffany & I would like to thank everyone who has already donated towards the appeal. We would dearly love to reach our target, so if you haven’t yet donated, then please do here: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/withkidsskydive?

Special thanks goes to Suzy Blair from With Kids who has been a great help to me with organising it all, Vanessa Marte who has tirelessly promoted the event via social media & lastly Robert Carlyle for retweeting our link & being our all round inspiration!

Much love, Emilie & Tiffany xx"

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