With Kids Edinburgh Open Day

On Friday 18th October, we had the With Kids Open Day at our Edinburgh office to meet the families in and around Edinburgh.

Thankfully the rain stayed off for most of the day, meaning we could get outside and have fun with lots of different activities!

Here's another HUGE thank you to everyone that helped to make the With Kids Open Day at our brand new Edinburgh Office a huge success.

We had such a great afternoon and look forward to seeing you all again really soon!

Here are some photos from our Open Day in Edinburgh...

To find out more about With Kids Edinburgh, please do not hesitate to contact us either on Facebook, Twitter or you can call us on - 0131 453 6937.

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How With Kids Can Help

At With Kids, we wanted to reinforce the vital importance of the work we do for families in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

With Kids is based in the East End of Glasgow and in South West Edinburgh which have some of the highest levels of poverty in Scotland and the UK.

Although the facts and figures may seem bleak, not all families will have the same issues. Living in or near an area of high poverty can affect you directly or indirectly through crime, lack of amenities, poor educational facilities etc.

As well as this, the sheer volume of families who may need help means that sometimes children and families might not get the support they need; a parent struggling with a child with a learning difficulty or emotional issue might not know where to turn, a parent who's a former addict may be afraid to ask for help in case social services intervene.

How We Can Help You

All families, regardless of background find that they have difficulties from time to time and too often parent's may not be aware of available support or the best action to take. With Kids aims to fill that gap and to provide flexible support that is suited to the needs of children and parents.

Breaking Down the Facts and Figures

In some postcode areas in the east end of Glasgow, 60% of children live in workless households, almost 50% of adults of working age are on incapacity benefit and life expectancy can be as low as 54. - Glasgow Herald.

Over 90,000 children in Scotland live in severe poverty - of these:

• 72% of children parents’ are not in work
• 66% of children are in families claiming income support, job seekers allowance and incapacity benefit,
• 45% of mother’s of children have no educational qualification,
• 1 in 2 children live in single parent families,
• 10% of children are from an ethnic minority, compared to 2.6% not in poverty,
• 41% of children live in families with a disabled adult, compared to 17% of children not in poverty. - Living Below the Radar:Measuring Severe Child Poverty in the UK - Save the Children

Poorer children are five times more likely to regularly miss school. - BBC News

To find out how we can help you, give us a call on 0141 550 5770 or you can contact us on Facebook and Twitter.

The actual cost of running With Kids is some £320,000 per year. That means we must raise around £27,000 each month just to keep the doors open. 

If you'd like to make a donation to With Kids you can do so HERE. 

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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.
To find out more about With Kids and to hear the latest from Samantha, remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter or you can visit our website.

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Benefit reforms – are they a main factor in the rise of parental depression?

At With Kids, we are passionate about working with parents from vulnerable families to improve their overall life, so when we heard about the introduction of the Universal Credit in October 2013, we couldn’t help feeling concerned.

A recent article in The Telegraph entitled ‘Benefit reforms: blatant discrimination against young parents’ highlights how this new system will not only have a detrimental financial impact, but also an emotional implication which is equally, if not more damaging.

According to the Government, the Universal Credit has been designed to “radically simplify the welfare system to make work pay and combat worklessness and poverty.” If nothing else, the new benefit reforms will have the opposing effect, especially for young, single mothers below the age of 25.

“Under Universal Credit, single parents under the age of 25 will no longer be entitled to receive the higher rate of personal allowance. Instead, they will receive the same rate as an under 25 without any children.” What is more alarming however is the Government’s lack of understanding that this will cut a much deeper wound than simply having to ease up on a few luxuries each month. The article points out how the briefing states “The Government has acknowledged that changes to personal allowances for under 25’s in Universal Credit will push 100,000 more people into poverty.”

As if that statistic isn’t shocking enough, the evident dismissal of the obvious mental health consequences is unforgivable. Not only will this increase levels of stress, it has the potential to completely unfasten young, single parents from society. With a negative reputation already carved out by the media, single parents under the age of 25 are already battling through a storm of unfair judgement where they are often perceived as only having children in order to claim benefits.

It is difficult to understand the Government’s thinking behind this, because with so much emphasis being placed upon getting people back to work and ensuring they are well educated, the Universal Credit system is a complete contradiction. Contrary to what is publicised in the media; young, single parents are no different from older, mature parents. They still want what is best for their child, and if that means returning to education to do a part time course, many are more than willing to do so.

An episode of ‘One Born Every Minute’ that was aired recently on Channel 4 documented a young, 18 year old single mother’s journey with her new baby. She explained how she was from a deprived background where her Dad was constantly in and out of prison, and how she left school at 16 with no educational qualifications. It was evident how she was determined to make a better life for her child and wanted to return to college. She saw her situation as an opportunity, not a burden.

Instead of making this easier, the introduction of the Universal Credit system will only limit this possibility by putting extra strain on young parents by causing unnecessary levels of stress. This will drive away motivation of wanting to return to education, and as a result they will feel deflated, disconnected and depressed.

What the Government fails to understand is that single parents have aspirations as well. They are tired of being negatively looked down upon, and those who actually want to make something of themselves and find a sense of belonging are being severely restricted.

With Kids understands the financial and emotional strain of raising a child independently, and working with vulnerable families in the East End of Glasgow has enlightened us to how important it is that parents are supported both financially and emotionally.

It is evident to us that the introduction of the Universal Credit system will only add to the already high levels of stress and anxiety experienced in young single parents. Arguably, it costs more to provide for a child if the parent is young because the experience is missing, and this is something that establishes itself in more mature parents.

With the introduction of benefit reforms, the work of With Kids is vitally important to ensure that vulnerable parents and families feel supported and positively encouraged. We work hard to reinforce the gap that has been created, and your support is very much appreciated.

You can keep up to date with what is happening at 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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Ladies Lunch Success!

With Kids would like to thanks everyone for attending their Ladies Lunch, held at 29 Glasgow on Sunday 27th January 2013.

Just over 100 ladies attended the lunch to support With Kids and helped to raise vital funds of around £10,000!



There are a few special thanks we would like to make in helping to make the event such a success!

A very special thank you to With Kids Ambassador, Kathleen McDermott, for hosting the lunch, and also to the entertainment - including the wonderful Edward Reid, semifinalist on Britain’s Got Talent and tribute band Could it Be Take That.

We would also like to say a special thanks to fatBuzz for organising the event!

Finally we are only able to help so many vulnerable children and families thanks to your continued support!

We'll be posting more photos of the lunch onto our Facebook page, so look out for yourself and make sure you get tagging!

If you would like to volunteer or fundraise for With Kids, please get in touch by calling us on - 0141 550 5770 or drop us an email.

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Win a Chocolate Rooster in time for Easter

With Kids Glasgow has had a kind donation of a Chocolate Rooster worth £75 from John Lewis in Glasgow.

The rooster weighs 3kg and is hand made by James Chocolates.

We need your help in naming the Rooster. The name that the judging panel thinks would best suit the Rooster will win it!

To enter the competition all you need to do is go to the With Kids Facebook page and add your comment.

The competition closes on Thursday 21st April at 12pm and the winner will be announced by 5pm that day. Just in time for easter weekend!

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East End Cinema Night

With Kids convert the basement of their headquarters at Annfield Place, every other Thursday to host a cinema night for families.

It is a great way for families to interact with other families, enjoy popcorn, sweets, hot dogs and juice and best of all it is free of charge. As we are all well aware, a cinema trip for the average family of four can be extremely expensive and also younger children often get restless and interrupt other viewers.

With Kids staff also provide a separate room as a break out area for the restless children, fully equipped with toys and games. The children can go back in to watch the film at any point.

Paul Saunders who owns Paul Saunders Media went along to one of the Cinema Nights and did an audio recording of the event which was mentioned on the BBC Radio Scotland's Movie cafe programme hosted by Janice Forsyth.

With Kids Cinema Night from Paul Saunders on Vimeo.

The cinema night's have proved a real success, that families are advised to book in advance by calling With Kids HQ.

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Hilton in the Community Foundation donated to the With kids Xmas appeal 2010

With kids would like to say a huge thank you to the Hilton in the Community Foundation.

We are really grateful for donating a further £1,000 to the With Kids Xmas 2010 Appeal.

A total of £8,000 has now been donated by the Hilton in the Community Foundation to With Kids.

Angela Beattie, Business Development Manager, at With Kids said "we are extremely grateful for this invaluable support".

For more information on ways that you can help With Kids, please click here.

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Queenspark Builders hard graft for With Kids

The first phase of the With Kids drop-in centre development has now been completed with our brand new kitchen being fully installed and operational. The team at Queenspark Builders in Glasgow fitted the kitchen in 3 days.

With Kids would like to thank the team at Queenspark Builders for all of their hard graft and we can now utilise the fully modern and equipped kitchen when families drop by.

We can now begin work on a cafe, workshop area and a specially designed therapy room. It's all been made possible with our recent funding from the Asda Foundation. We'll keep you up to date on the rest of our work.

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Ignis Asset Management Womans 10k run

With Kids Glasgow are looking for fundraiser's who would be interested in running at this event, so if you're looking for an excuse to shed those Xmas pounds then why not sign up for the Ignis Asset Management Women's 10K on Sunday 8th May?

You could get fit while raising some much needed funds for With Kids. We can support you with your fundraising and even advise you on a training plan.

If you'd like to get involved, contact us at With Kids and make a start on your fitness plan.

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With Kids Play Therapy: Case Study

With Kids, Glasgow regularly operates a Play Therapy class for children that attend the centre. Here is an example of why Play Therapy is so important and how it makes a difference to a child's life. This is just some of the work that we do.

Key Issues
Child A (aged 10) was referred by primary school due to concerns about emotional difficulties, especially anger and behavioural issues at school (including anti-social concerns and sexualised behaviour). Child A's family situation was cause for concern with a mother who admitted to prostituting from the family home when Child A was younger and with a history of drug abuse. Child C was now in the care of a family member who stated that the child struggled with separation, which was causing distress for all concerned

Intervention
Over 11 months, the play therapist noted that Child A was initially very silent, guarded and anxious and play was limited and physically contained. At first the child engaged mainly in art activities and was prolific in the amount of work produced. The play therapist felt that this was content rich and seemed cathartic for the child.

Themes in play related to fear violence, chaos, confusion, destruction and lack of safety. It also revealed that the child found transitions difficult. Over time play moved on to exploring sand and other sensory materials and playing with cars. It was noted that play was very repetitive and mirrored the play of a much younger child suggesting that the child had missed out on some early development play.

Outcomes
As time progressed Child A's play developed a much more spontaneous element becoming more vocal and expressive with frequent laughing and smiling and was increasingly more relaxed. The child began to develop reciprocal play with the therapist and began to cope better with transitions.

The play therapist was able to suggest that Child A would benefit from further opportunities to revisit activities associated with early development, such as sensory and tactile activities. It also recommended that continued support be provided to help Child A deal with transitions.

Staff at school reported that Child A seemed more settled and calm with increased confidence and was taking on more responsibility. Child A became more willing to engage and speak and behaviour became less challenging.

The family carer felt that Child A had made a 'huge improvement' and commented that they couldn't remember the last time Child A had had a 'temper tantrum'.

For further information and reading on Play Therapy please follow the links: http://www.bapt.info/ or http://www.playtherapy.org.uk/.

For more information on the work that With Kids do in the east end of Glasgow have a look at our Website, Blog, Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. You can also call us on 0141 550 5770.

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Spring has sprung, the grass is green, i wonder where the birdies been?

With Kids are stepping into spring with the Spring Fair on Saturday 5th March. With Kids are hoping to raise much needed funds for the charity. The event will be a fun-filled day with stalls selling new and (gently) used clothes and toys, games and competitions, face-painting and entertainment. We would be delighted if you could join us on the day with... your friends and family to pick up a bargain, have a great day and help us raise money for a fantastic cause.

We would also like to ask for a little help with donations for our bakery stall and also for some competition prizes. It may be that you love to bake or even have an unwanted Christmas gift that could go to a good home, if so then we would love to hear from you; please contact us on 0141 550 5770 or email Suzie with your suggestions or donations.

Thank you so much for your support of With Kids, we look forward to hearing from you and/or seeing you on the day.

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Asda Foundation helps transform derelict building

With Kids were delighted to recently accept a cheque for £13,855 from Asda Foundation. This fantastic grant will help us to transform what was a previously derelict building at 15 Annfield Place into a fully equipped Drop-In centre for children and families in the East End of Glasgow.

The Asda Foundation supports local causes nominated by Asda colleagues which helps to make a huge difference to the local community. The Asda Foundation was set up to give something back to the community and is UK wide.

This will make a tremendous difference to our work and we are hugely grateful to Asda Foundation.

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The "With Kids" Santa has lost his Sleigh - Can anyone help?

The "With Kids" Santa has lost his sleigh! We urgently need a 4x4 to deliver food, winter clothing and toys to vulnerable children and families in the East End of Glasgow. We need the vehicle for the run up to Christmas.

As you know, many families that we work with don't have enough money to pay for gas, electricity, adequate winter clothing and basic food items to keep their children warm and well fed over the festive period. For many it can be a choice between keeping warm or not buying food items.

Buying presents are even more of an issue for many families and we know of at least fifty families that will not receive a main Xmas present unless With Kids provides it. Our commitment is to help as many families as possible. We really can make a difference to vulnerable children and families at Christmas in particular. Especially when the weather is so cold.

If you can donate a vehicle, please contact http://network.withkids.org.uk

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