Welcome to the spring 2017 issue of our e-newsletter. Since our last newsletter there have been quite a few changes within the team that voluntarily runs the branch, and as well we have carried out a survey of you, our local users, to find out what's important to you and how we can best carry on supporting you. Read on to find out about the changes, what's coming up, and how you can help keep the Branch running! You'll also find birth stories, experiences of motherhood and much more.
Jenny Sansom, outgoing Branch Co-ordinator & Katie Griffiths, Newsletter Editor
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New Branch Coordinator – Rach Janes
The big news is that I am delighted to have passed on the role of Branch Coordinator to Rach Janes who some of you will know from NCTeenies (read more from Rach later on). She has been involved in the branch for the past year, initially as someone who helped out at our Friday Bumps and Babes Group, and who hosted a brilliant ‘Graduation Ceremony’ for all those toddlers moving up to NCTeenies. Since joining our Monday NCTeenies group she has helped Katie grow its weekly numbers and raised money for a fabulous addition, a bubble machine!, at singing time. Now she has decided to take the plunge and help steer the branch forward and oversee some new challenges, some of which are outlined below.
New Sling Library – 2nd & 4th Friday of the month - running at Bumps & Babes
Through your support at our Diamond Jubilee Tea Party last year and the generous donation from Nexen Petrolium of £500 to match fund our own Tea Party fundraising we have now set up our very own Sling Library. This has proved very popular and we are very grateful to our volunteers Synah & Krystyna who have spent their spare time sourcing some fantastic slings for hire by local parents. We now have 15 slings which are all available for a fortnight’s hire at £7 each. I recently hired a sling myself and was really impressed with how professional the Sling Library is being run. Synah and Krystyna will take you through how to wear the various slings, advise on what best suits your needs and be there to answer any questions you have (even if it’s about your own sling that you have purchased separately). With the added bonus of it being run out of Bumps and Babes, meaning you can enjoy a cuppa and a chat with other local mums.
Survey & the future of our Nearly New Sale
We recently asked you all for your thoughts and views on the branch and its various activities. With well over 40 responses we were really chuffed with your engagement and constructive feedback.
Nevertheless, as the article on page 9
sets out, we are mindful of the fact that only a handful of people said they could help us put on these activities. We have also been asking for more help with the organisation of the Nearly New Sale for well over a year now. Therefore we’ve taken the hard decision to scale back our Nearly New Sales to one per year until more help can be found.
We know there will be many who will be very disappointed about this, not least the many of us who have lofts full of unsold clothes and toys. We’ll happily reverse this decision as soon as we have enough helpers to create a fully functioning Nearly New Sale team.
We have yet to set the date of the next sale but we will ensure you all have plenty of notice.
Social Media
Did you know we have a few different Facebook pages now due to our various activities? We have our main page – which is the one stop shop for all things Staines, Ashford & Egham NCT. However, we also have a page for our Sling Library – and a new page for our NCTeenies Group, for specific updates and information about these activites.
It would help us massively if you could follow, like and share our activities when featuring on our pages as we know that social media promotion is really important to spreading the word about all that is going on within the branch.
Vacancies
We all know that family/me time is precious. However, we can all recall what it was like during those first few months transitioning into parenthood and how groups like Bumps and Babes and the fun activities run by the NCT can help you get through what can be a really tough time. We desperately need the next generation of volunteers to step forward and help local parents overcome their various challenges, make new friends and get back on their feet after the birth of their newest family member.
If you can help us in any way towards supporting other new parents then do get in touch. You need not be an NCT Member, nor even a new parent, we’d welcome local Grandparents and other volunteers too.
Icecream Parlour - Egham, Mums plus
one
Amber Therapies
Teddy tennis
Thorpe park
Stitches upon Thames
Ready steady go kids
Twinkletots Dance
Baby sensory - Weybridge
Two rivers car park
Johnson's Shoes
Coworth Flexlands school
Floor by design - Egham carpet shop
The Wheatsheaf Pub
Savill gardens
Tangerine & Green
Notcutts Garden centre
The Spice Lounge Restaurant
Egham Leisure Centre
LongAcres garden centre
Thornton’s chocolates
Hands on Art - Old Windsor
King’s Fish and chips -Staines
Our NCT Stars
We were really chuffed that Michelle Nicklette (who many of you know ran our NCTeenies group for 4 years and stepped down last year) and Jenny Sansom (outgoing Branch Coordinator) were recognised at our Regional NCT Star Awards. Below is a picture of Michelle with Claire Shadbolt of the NCT receiving her certificate. In our eyes all our local branch volunteers are stars, however, to be nominated and appreciated at a higher regional level is the icing on top of the cake. As a volunteer, you are part of a friendly group of local parents but also part of something bigger with the support of the NCT HQ, its resources and training opportunities. These videos feature some of the NCT’s Regional volunteers and captures what drives us to put on events for local families like you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XN1mM3BXJJc
https://youtu.be/zGFzugucM-A
Open House Coffee Mornings
We have hosted a number of Coffee Mornings at people’s homes or at The Village Centre (Englefield Green, shown in the photo), all of which have been really well supported. We are conscious that not everyone can make Bumps and Babes and NCTeenies and so we are hosting these meet-ups open to all local families to come along and enjoy a play-date in a relaxed environment. Details of the meet-ups tend to be posted on Facebook so do follow us to keep up-to-date with spur of the moment gatherings. If you are interested in hosting an event in your home or at more neutral venue like The Village Centre, then please do let us know. We can promote it for you and help families meet and make new local friends. One mum who attended one of our recent gatherings said “When I commuted into London, I used my house like a hotel and I didn’t have any local friends. Having a new baby is a bit of a culture shock and making new friends locally who are going through the same thing, whilst a bit daunting, has been a life saver”.
NCT Cheeky Monkey’s
Tea Party
On Saturday 6th June 2015, the Staines, Ashford & Egham Branch hosted a Cheeky Monkey’s Tea Party which raised an incredible £470.81 for the NCT. We are so grateful to all the local families who supported us and we were lucky with a dry but breezy summer’s day where local parents brought their little ones and enjoyed a picnic, a bouncy castle, arts and crafts activities and a ride on the steam train (see photo!).
Commercial Park, in Staines, where the party took place was really busy. Many parents also helped us through baking cakes to sell, donating gifts and buying tickets for our raffle. A massive thank you must go to Sam Fowler who coordinated the organisation of the day and also the Staines Society of Model Engineers who donated all of their takings for the day to the Branch. Fingers crossed, with enough volunteers, we can replicate this fantastic day during 2016!
NCTeenies
A sad farewell was said in July to Michelle Nicklette who has run NCTeenies at Staines Congregational quam velit ac ligula. Mauris quam dolor, cursus at porta et, luctus eget purus. Nunc tempor luctus interdum. Duis libero leo, consequat ut accumsan eu, viverra et erat. Nunc rhoncus tellus in ipsum molestie et gravida tortor dignis-sim. Donec nec lorem et tellus mollis lobortis. Integer sed dolor ut leo.
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The launch of our new sling library