Samatha's Training Update...

Welcome to Samantha's blog, where you can find out how her training is coming along in the lead up to the Virgin Triathlon on Saturday 27th July! We've been following her closely to see how she's been getting on and below you can read the next step in her training journey...

Arghhh Clips!!!! Ok so in the crazy world of road biking, for the competitive amongst us, it becomes necessary to attach your shoes to the pedals in order to gain as much power as you can.

I have to say out of everything I have ever attached myself to (which more recently includes a windsurf sail using a hook) this is by far the strangest and most unnatural thing I've ever done! My feet are attached to the pedals! I'm attached to the bike! Attached!! Clipped in!!! Oddly these special pedals are called 'clipless pedals'?

So from now on every time I come to a stop, I have to twist my foot and pop it off the pedal so I can put my foot down on to the ground. Should I by chance forget this, or time it wrong, I will fall over attached to the bike... Attached!!! So nothing like this picture at all actually.

I researched online and decided to go with Look Keo CroMo max 2, my friend Anna works with Free Flow Bikes in Scotland and she looked after me! I also purchased quite a bit of Lycra and padded shorts. That involved a lot of research too...never thought I'd see the day where I'm googling Lycra and viewing people modelling bum padding, but life can take you in all sorts of directions and I'm secretly loving this new found passion. I'm even happy to admit to buying cream which you rub into the shorts before you put them on... It's to avoid chafing... I haven't had any issues with chafing incidentally, just FYI!!! Prevention is key!

So I planned my first 'clipless' cycle in Richmond park with my friend Sam (he has done more than a few triathlons)! It was my first outing in the clips, so I picked up the bike jumped on and had an absolute nightmare at a set of traffic lights with a double decker bus on a hill.

If you take anything from this please let it be that you try out clipping and unclipping in the safety of your home or against a wall before you ride off into the sunshine. However, I am still here to tell the tale and it now feels quite natural.

I'm no show off though and although I'm clipping in and out fairly well there are folks that keep themselves clipped in at traffic lights and bounce around to stay balanced... I think this has the potential to end in a disaster and it looks way more effort than its worth!!! I admit this takes skill so these people must have been practising it indoors for hours at a time and that's taking it all way too far... plus the clipping noise is cool!!! Just in case I do fall, I found this hilarious cartoon cycling tips website. There's a video on falling and also on how to blow your nose and spit the 'correct way'... Love it!

This weekend it was a friend's birthday, yes that meant no training. So yesterday it was back on the bike at 7am, it's day 2 and the weather has held up! Last night I did my first kinda 'brick session' running 5km straight after my cycle home. These are to get my legs used to the quick change in movement... painful! I completed it in 28mins on the treadmill at speeds 10.5kmph and 12.5kmph intervals. (Treadmills give you slower times than running outside by the way, it's an ongoing mystery?) Tomorrow morning I want to do a run straight after my cycle into work, maybe along the River Thames. I'll take pictures! x

To make a donation to Samantha and her good cause, please click on her JUST GIVE PAGE.
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And so it begins...

Last month we introduced you to one of our fantastic fundraisers, Samantha, who's taking part in the Virgin Triathlon on Saturday 27th July and all proceeds are being kindly donated to With Kids. As promised, here is an update on her progress. 

With only 12 weeks to go until her sprint triathlon begins, you can read how she's preparing for the big event below...

Hey peeps! I'm sorry for the lack of updates but now it's exactly 12 weeks until my sprint triathlon and training has properly started, so let the updates commence!

For those who are not triathlon experts (including me as this is my first one) a sprint triathlon includes a 750m outdoor swim, a 20km bike ride and then a 5km run. I was running quite a bit last year, although winter halted that and I used to swim in swimming pools when I was young but not sure thats going to help...

Cycling is quite a new discipline for me and as it's the longest part in the sprint, it's a good starting point. Work is pretty hectic so I'm trying to fit training around my busy schedule. My plan is a bit loose, I cycle lots, as quickly as I can and then go for immediate 3km runs when I get the chance. 

Down the line I'll need to find an outdoor swimming pool and hopefully get a time of under 130mins for the Virgin Active Sprint Triathlon. Maybe I shouldn't have typed out a time but I've got to have a goal otherwise what's to aim for?

I've been cycling around 36km every day, which is my daily work commute, and of course grabbing a shower each side! So its a routine of two cycles and two showers every day at the moment. I bought a second hand road bike; it's black and yellow as you can see (that's the girl in me)!

I want to get a good time in the sprint triathlon and my mountain bike wasn't going to get me there, it's too heavy and clunky. So I'm officially a road cyclist now, lycra'd up to the max. The bike is super light and I'm learning lots of stuff like my tires should be at 120... whatever that means, carbon is cool and I'm even managing to attach my chain back on when it pops off. Eh yes, need to get that checked but I'm so in love with my bike that I cant bring myself to part with it for the two days the shop would need to repair it. 

However don't be fooled by my 'jargon', I was a bit (very) shaky on it the first few times and going down hills is still not as enjoyable as I know it will be but its much smoother than the mountain bike and now I'm more stable, I'm really enjoying it.

To be honest, I am a little sad I have to practice swimming and running, but I will, of course! Well I'll have to because you can't cycle through water.

In order to get better, I thought I should note a few times so I can gauge improvements. My cycling is where I'm focussing on right now so as a starter for 10.... Once around Richmond park (11km), which is my weekend training spot, currently takes 24minutes. There is one large hill which would burn the hind legs off a Tyrannosaurus Rex but I'm hoping I'll get this down to 20minutes.

My 5km run at the moment is taking 28minutes, this is not me running immediately after a 20km bike ride and I don't have a clue what my swim time is... I'm confident?!

To make a donation to Samantha and her good cause, please click on her JUST GIVE PAGE.

Remember to keep up to date with what's going on at With Kids by following us on Facebook and Twitter. 

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Samantha's Sprint Triathlon for With Kids

We would like to introduce you to Samantha - who is taking part in the Virgin Triathlon on Saturday 27th July all in aid of With Kids. We feel extremely uplifted by her kind and selfless actions and will be updating you on her progress.

You can read her touching story below...

I was privileged as a child, I was lucky then I guess.

I was fed properly, I was educated, I played and most crucially I was loved. To know there is one vulnerable child living less than a mile from the successful corporate and shiny world of Glasgow city centre not receiving physical, emotional and social needs or getting enough love is more than hard to swallow. Imagining 90,000 children living in severe poverty in Scotland is impossible and tragic.

Working on the opening of citizenM Glasgow gave me the opportunity to work and be based in the city most weeks. Having lived in London for nearly 10 years it was a refreshing and positive experience to learn about the city and country I am from all over again and from a different perspective; as a visitor this time.

During a corporate dinner I was very lucky to meet a couple who talked passionately about their work with a local children’s charity, With Kids. I was taken aback and emotionally moved by the story they shared with me of the work they do. I got involved a bit by gathering some friends and helping to donate and wrap gifts for the Christmas Day Dinner which runs every year for the children and families living in and around the East End of Glasgow. This carefully organised Christmas Day that they would most definitely never have the chance to enjoy otherwise resonated with me as it seemed such a beautiful approach in what these children need at times, just to be kids just like other kids.

This year I wanted to support again, something that would challenge me physically and emotionally. I want to reinforce the belief the charity hold true to their work; that with the right input, training, facilities and most importantly love and support we can all achieve our full potential, and for a child this has to be truer. I do hope my efforts generate awareness; much needed finance and maybe crucially remind us all that we can’t determine our starting point but we can all run the race.

I will be keeping you all updated weekly on my training on a guest blog.

Any donation however small will go straight to help a child...

Thank you friends x

If you would like to make a donation to Samantha's cause you can do so by visiting her Just Giving page.

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A Touch Of Class Fundraising

We were absolutely delighted when we were contacted by a very talented lady, Sophie Kochanowska a few days ago, who told us that she will be holding a fundraising concert in April.

Sophie explained that she will be donating the profits of the event to With Kids which is fantastic, and has definitely put a smile on all of our faces!

Sophie is in her final undergraduate year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and will be performing solo in the fundraising concert which will take place on Saturday April 20th at 7pm in St. Mary's Cathedral on Great Western Road, Glasgow.

The first half of the programme will involve Sophie performing classical songs (soprano), followed by an interval, and then she will be joined by tenor, Christian Schneeberger, from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and mezzo-soprano, Dagmar.

The second half will consist of opera and light music arias and ensembles (including favourites such as the Barcarolle from Les contes d'Hoffman and Puccini's O mio babbino caro). After the concert, a complimentary glass of wine or a soft drink will be on offer in the Cathedral.

For tickets, send an email with your name and the number of tickets required to dsconcerts@gmail.com and a ticket will be reserved for you to be picked up and paid for on the day. Tickets are priced at £10 or £7 for concession.

This night promises to be a wonderful evening, and we are so impressed with Sophie's enthusiasm and would like to thank her very much for her support. This is an excellent and unique way of fundraising for a vital cause, and we hope that you are inspired by Sophie's efforts! We know that all of our supporters and followers are very creative people, so perhaps you could hold your own event just like Sophie?

We look forward to seeing you there, and the With Kids team might even learn a thing or two about Classical music!

You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more information about With Kids.

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JCI Glasgow Run The Edinburgh Marathon Relay For With Kids!

The Edinburgh Marathon Festival takes place on 25th/26th May 2013 and in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals of 'Ending Poverty and Hunger', and 'Imporiving Child Health', JCI Glasgow have entered a team in this year's Edinburgh Marathon Relay to raise funds for With Kids!

Our friends Neil, Tom, Lauren and Brendan from JCI Glasgow will be running the Edinburgh Marathon Relay on behalf of With Kids!

They will be running 8.4 miles, 5.4 miles, 7.6 miles and 4.6 miles respectively from Edinburgh City Centre to Gosford House in Longniddy then turning back for a Grandstand Finish at Musselburgh Race Course.

The team at With Kids would like to give them a big cheer and shout out on their behalf and we hope the weather improves in the next few weeks for the run!

If you would like to donate you can do so online by clicking HERE -

Or simply text 'JCIG76 £<enter amount>' to 70070. For example a £2 donation would be 'JCIG76 £2' (Text messages are free).

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Update with Heather

Hi everyone! I hope you've been having a great few weeks. I thought I would give you an update on what I've been getting up to recently! We've all been very busy at With Kids and it’s exciting to become more involved with the charity, especially when you are given free cupcakes on a Monday morning!

An important part of my role is to raise awareness of the work With Kids are doing online, so I've been enjoying updating Facebook with details of all our clubs and activities which are running this month.

I've also been making sure to engage with Facebook followers as well as reaching out to wider audiences by sharing a variety of posts, images and articles. If you haven't already, why not check out our Facebook page which contains all the information you need about our upcoming events, as well as finding interesting articles, videos and pictures to view!

The first edition of our monthly e-newsletter, ‘The Stream’, which will be sent out on Friday 15th March, has been keeping all of us busy in the office! Researching content, and designing templates are just some of the things that I've been involved in. We are all very excited about the launch of ‘The Stream’, and hope it will be a great way of networking and discussing the work that we do with others.

I’m sure many of you have heard in the news recently about the new universal benefit system that the government are planning to put into action later this year. I’ll be exploring what this means for single parents, and whether it will be a factor in contributing to the rise of parental depression, so be sure to look out for an article soon about this.

My role at With Kids has got off to a great start, and I’m looking forward to attending the St. Patrick’s Day Charity Ball on the 16th March in Glasgow which will raise vital funds for children’s charities throughout the area. All that’s left for me to do is find something to wear!

Be sure to keep up to date with all the fun from the ball as well as the work I’ll be getting up to through Facebook, Twitter and the With Kids Blog!

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My Journey Begins at With Kids, Glasgow

After recently moving to Glasgow from N.Ireland a few months ago, I knew I wanted to get involved in a local charity by volunteering! 

I came across the With Kids website one day, and was immediately struck by their positive, vibrant atmosphere. Being part of a charity who are always enthusiastic about their work was definitely something that I wanted to be involved in.

My interest and experience in social media and online marketing meant that I was excited about bringing these skills into the With Kids team. Collaborating with fatBuzz alongside the charity enables me to contribute my own ideas about how we can reach more people.  

I’ll be working on generating content for publishing online such as interesting articles, videos, information for blog posts, designing e-newsletter templates and banners as well as having fun, and enjoying the chocolate treats that often circulate the office!

Volunteering for With Kids is a great way to meet new people alongside developing skills and helping vulnerable children and families in the East End of Glasgow. I’ll be blogging about the exciting things I’ll be getting up to over the next while, and make sure to keep an eye out for a video coming up so you can meet me!

You can keep up-to-date with Heather and With Kids on Facebook and Twitter!

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Fundraising for With Kids

Have you been sticking to your New Year Resolutions? At With Kids, we have slipped up more than a few times now and had one too many biscuits!

Do you need a little help in getting back on the right track? By setting yourself a challenging goal like running a 10k you could get fit while fundraising to help others in need.

We would love you to get involved with fundraising for With Kids!

You might have your own ideas of how you would like to do this or if you would like to discuss various options then please contact us and we will support you in all of your endeavors.

If you have any fundraising ideas or if you would like to get involved - please contact Suzy on 0141 550 5770.

You can download our With Kids Sponsor Form and our Gift Aid Donation Form.

Pop over to Facebook and Twitter to let us know your fundraising ideas and to help inspire others!

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7K & The West Highland Way...

Colin Wade, Managing Director of Andrew Muirhead and Son Limited recently walked the West Highland Way on behalf of With Kids.

All the staff, their family and friends raised an astounding £7000 for With Kids!  This is a truly staggering amount which will go a long way to helping us carry on with our work here.

We rely solely on donations to carry on our work here. If you would like to help us by donating or if you are thinking of raising money for us when taking part in an event then we would love to hear from you. However much money you raise for With Kids, you'll be helping vulnerable children and families.

Contact us on 0141 550 5770 or email Suzy on s.blair@withkids.org.uk

Thank you so much to Colin for his Herculean effort and to everybody that supported him and donated.

To find out more about the work we do here at With Kids you can visit our website or you can keep up to date with us on our Facebook and Twitter page.

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AIC Operation's Director's transformation to charity Quiz Master

Friday 1st April 2011 saw Operation's Director of AIC Glasgow, Martin Roseweir, change roles to Quiz Master for the evening. Even though it was April Fools day, the joke was on the losing team who were tasked a forfeit. Martin picked up the microphone to quiz the staff in order to raise much needed funds for the East End Children's charity.

The staff packed into one of the function rooms that was kindly donated by O'Couture, Glasgow. On the night a total of £650 was raised for With Kids. But the fundraising effort doesn't stop there, the Charity Committee at AIC have committed themselves to raising over £5000 over the year for the charity, they are not only donating much needed money, but also "man hours". An example of this was when they helped to paint the therapy room at the With Kids HQ. The staff have also pledged to help with the garden renovation project that is happening soon and also kindly donated their time at Christmas by helping to wrap presents for the kids and donated £1000 from a dress down day.

Janine Burch, HR Manager at AIC said that the company was looking for a local charity to support and found With Kids. She said that "they are pleased to be helping a local charity that helps kids in Glasgow's East End and have the opportunity to give something back to the community". Janine also highlighted the fact that all staff have Disclosure Scotland checks and some staff also have Enhanced Disclosures, meaning that they can help directly with the children when it comes to joining in with events.

Operations Director, Martin Roseweir co-ordinated the quiz night by sitting up into the wee small hours comprising questions to ask the staff. A full ten rounds of question's had everyone's brains working overtime, as if it wasn't bad enough that they had done a full day's shift! But their efforts were rewarded with the winning team scooping £100 prize money.

Martin has his own special story to share as he was brought up in Priesthill in Glasgow which is a working class area. His father worked at Chrysler, the famous car plant in Renfrewshire that ended up closing and made all the workers redundant. Martin's parent's separated when he was 12 years old, so he knows exactly what challenge's children face in today's society. Martin is also a father and said "it is important to give something back to the kids of Glasgow as some kids are more privileged than others". Martin has worked his way up the ranks with AIC and is an inspiration and good role model for the children that With Kids help.

Another charity committee member who took part in the quiz was Neil Greene, who is a Team Leader in the Collections Department. Neil is organising a 10K run with 7 staff members already signed up for the challenge, and so far they have raised £350 and counting. Neil is also a father and hails from County Down, Ireland and said "Glasgow is my adopted home, and it's good to give something back to Glasgow kids". Neil is going to keep the team at With Kids up to date with this event so watch this space for another Blog post.

Craig Seggie who is a Team Leader in the Motor Department said that he came along on the night "to provide for people less fortunate than me".

The With Kids team are extremely grateful to have been selected as AIC's charity partner and would like to thank all the staff for all their hard work and dedication that they have shown towards the charity so far. This makes such a difference to the kids that we support and we look forward to all the events that are yet to come in 2011!

To see pictures of the night please check out the With Kids Facebook page.

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