Church Hall on Monday mornings for the past 4 years. Michelle, whose youngest child started school in September, has handed over the reins to Katie Griffiths & Martiza Calvo, although they will always welcome addtional volunteers to help out with setting up and packing away!
So, we are extremely pleased to say that NCTeenies, for pre-schoolers, is back on every Monday (9.45-11.30am). For this session a £2 donation is requested to cover the costs of the hire of the hall. If this is not paid, then the chances are we will have to close these activities as we cannot afford to operate these at a loss. If you are interested in helping out, then please do speak to Katie or Maritza at NCTeenies who will be very grateful to hear from you or contact [email protected].
★ NCT Star Awards ★
Nominations are now open for volunteers or practitioners to be recognised by the NCT Stars Awards 2016. These national awards celebrate and share volunteer and practitioner successes, recognising their fantastic work with parents and the many voluntary hours and commitment volunteers and practitioners bring to NCT. Anyone can nominate a volunteer or practitioner by clicking here. The deadline for nominations is Monday 29 February 2016.
Next NEARLY NEW SALE – Saturday 16th April
We have been fortunate to find a great group of local parents to help us to continue to run the ever popular Nearly New Sale. Our last sale on Saturday 17th October was a great success and the next sale will take place at Egham Leisure Centre on Saturday 16th April. For details on how you can help out at the sale (we are always desperate for people to help set up and pack away the sale on the Friday evening and on the sale day), and on registering as a seller, then please email [email protected].
Speed Bumps Night for expectant parents
We hosted a fun yet informative evening for expectant parents recently which was really well supported, not only by 12 parents-to-be but also by local partners, including The Breastfeeding Café at the Clarendon Children’s Centre. We were able to provide those who came with a bag full of useful leaflets and hopefully provided on the night some useful ‘insider’ information on what there is to do locally once their babies arrive.
The expectant parents all chatted easily amongst themselves (and hopefully made some new friends) and feedback about the event was really positive. Local NCT Practitioners, including our own Postnatal Leader and a local Breastfeeding Counsellor/Baby Massage instructor attended to promote the NCT’s own courses. For a list of up-to-date courses please click here to see all those on offer, including Early Days and Introducing Solids sessions. We hope to replicate the Speed Bumps night again in the near future.
Celebrating 60 Years of the NCT
The National Childbirth Trust will be celebrating its 60th anniversary during 2016. We hope to take part in the celebrations through the hosting of our very own Diamond Jubilee Tea Party, inviting past, present and future users of our Branch’s local support services, activities and Nearly New Sales. We will have more details in the future about what form this will take so watch this space!
The Future of the Staines, Ashford & Egham Branch
I have decided, after over 2 years as Branch Coordinator, it is time to step aside and allow someone new to take over and help drive the branch forward into 2016 and beyond. I most definitely will stay on as part of the Committee and really look forward to help to settle in whoever takes over as Branch Coordinator. I was massively daunted when I was asked to be Branch Coordinator, but I have really enjoyed my time in this role, so much so I hope in the future to take on a regional coordination role, helping to bring together other Branch Coordinators in the local area.
We have a number of vacancies, which you can see in more detail on the opposite page, however, the vacant roles of Branch Coordinator, Treasurer
and Membership Secretary are considered so central that a Branch cannot function without these being filled. If these or any of the other roles outlined below interest you, then please do get in touch.
The Branch and its Committee are a really friendly, fun and supportive bunch of local parents. It is a great way to make new friends, keep skills fresh and do something a bit out of the ordinary. I know I would have lived to regret not making that first daunting move towards becoming more involved with the branch. You need not be an NCT Member either and so if there are Dads, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles who are interested in getting involved we’d love to hear from them too! We appreciate we all have busy lives so your commitment does not have to be huge, just a few hours a month would be a massive help.
Most of our work can be done on email, so in front of the TV, on the tablet or out and about with your smart phone. The draw on your time is entirely up to you. There is support from within the branch, from the NCT’s online resources, and from NCT training (which is great to put on your CV!). Why not ask a friend or even your antenatal group to share a role with you? Or if the current vacancies (below) aren't your thing; that's ok, we'd love to meet with you anyway and discuss how you may like to get involved so please do get in touch.
"I know I would have lived to regret not making that first daunting move towards becoming more involved with the branch"