On 29/06/2024 Children First Derby held their 50th Anniversary Ball at Pride Park Stadium in Derby. Here are the highlights of the ball that were generously put together by Impress Video from Derby.
Impress Video:
https://www.impressvideo.co.uk/utm_source=google&utm_medium=gmb&utm_campaign=derby
We are pleased to announce the successful completion of our second “Growing Families Minds” project.
It is encouraging to witness the positive impact this initiative has had on our families. With the generous support of UPS and their dedicated volunteers, we spent an entire day transforming the garden.
Our efforts included painting the fence, trimming the hedges, mowing the lawn, and repairing the front gate. The UPS volunteers kindly donated a trampoline, a football goal, and solar lights for the family much to the delight of the children, we were also able to purchase a table and chairs and an outdoor rug to compliment the patio area.
Despite the challenges posed by the heat, our team delivered outstanding results, and the family expressed their satisfaction with the transformation.
We invite you to view the attached before-and-after photos to appreciate the significant work accomplished.
Double your donation to Children First Derby in the Big Give’s Christmas Challenge 2024.
Children First Derby are taking part in The Christmas Challenge 2024 to raise £3,750 in just 1 week! These funds will be used for in our efforts to support vulnerable children, young people and families.
Donations to us will be generously matched by The Big Give during the campaign meaning your money will go twice as far.
**All pledges must be paid after the campaign is completed on 10/12/2024 and before the deadline of 17/01/2025.**
Louise Webb, our Fundraising Manager said:
“This year we’re looking to raise a total of £3,750, we need to raise a MINIMUM of £1000 in online donations for it to be match funded. We hope that by now many of you are aware of what we do and the positive impact we have within the community. All donations and the match funding go towards our work of supporting vulnerable children, young people and families.
How can you get involved?
The deadline for us to receive pledges is 5pm on 30th August. We would be grateful if you could complete the pledge form below in order to double your donation:
Click here: https://community.biggive.org/s/pledge?campaignId=a056900002TPW3aAAH
For further information, please contact: Louise Webb
Fundraisng Coordinator
T: 01332 341516
E: louise.webb@childrenfirstderby.co.uk
This morning, we hosted our Bondholder breakfast at our centre on Leopold Street in Derby. We would like to express our gratitude to Lindsey Hatfield and Sarah McAllister from Marketing Derby, and a representative from Nespresso for their contributions.
Guests were greeted with the scent of freshly brewed coffee, along with a selection of breakfast items created by our own team at Children First Derby.
We would like to extend my thanks to all who were in attendance, it is vital that we continue to raise awareness about our charity and the services that we provide in the local community. Partnerships with local organisations are essential to our success in aiding and empowering vulnerable children, young people and families. Together, we are working towards creating a brighter future for those we assist.
We were pleased to see some of our trustees – Amanda Strong, Fatimah, Fred Jacques, and Gina Repton – actively engaging with fellow attendees, networking, and building connections.
Our CEO, Irshad Baqui, also addressed the audience, providing an introduction to our charity and its mission, while Louise Webb engaged with attendees, Thank you to everyone who participated in making this event a success.
We are excited to announce that the ‘Growing Families Minds’ initiative has achieved its first completed garden project. This initiative was launched by Children First Derby in response to the growing concern of children spending excessive hours on electronic devices and engaging in sedentary indoor activities. The team recently transformed a service user’s garden into a safe, spacious, and inviting green space for children to enjoy.
Despite facing challenges, the team successfully completed the project on a sunny day, using professional equipment to trim overgrown hedges and create a 4-meter-wide play area. This initiative provided one of our supported families, with a child who has ASD, with a convenient and accessible outdoor space, especially as this family find it difficult to visit local parks or participate in group activities.
The before-and-after pictures showcase the remarkable transformation brought about by the team’s hard work. This project not only enhances the outdoor environment for children but also promotes physical activity and exposure to natural sunlight. We are thrilled to see the positive impact of this initiative on the families we serve.
Every year the Houses at Repton School (Repton Prep) each house chose a charity to support throughout the academic year. Congratulations to Wavell House for their fantastic work this year raising £4,500 for the chosen charity. Children First Derby… US!!!!!
It was a pleasure to be able to accept the cheque at the end of term. The money will be used to support vulnerable children and families in the local area.
We celebrated 50 years of Children First Derby by holding a special 50th Anniversary Ball on the evening of Saturday 29th June 2024 at Pride Park. The event raised a substantial amount of money to support our work helping vulnerable children, young people and families.
We were joined on the evening by some special guests who kindly graced us with their presence such as The Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire Elizabeth Fothergill CBE, The High Sheriff of Derbyshire Ian Morgan OBE, The Deputy Mayor of Derby Ajit Atwal, Sir Stephen Moss CBE, our Patron, Amanda Solloway Member of Parliament for Derby North and John Whitby Cabinet Lead Children’s Social Care, Learning and Skills Derby City Council.
The evening, whose Headline Sponsor was Smith Partnership, started with a bang! A dance battle between two teams from Trinity Dance Warriors (Ill Warriors), where dancers displayed incredible individual routines which absolutely left the audience in awe. Guests were then asked to choose between the teams, which was an impossible task!
Over 180 guests were welcomed by Irshad Baqui, Chief Executive and Louise Webb, Fundraising Coordinator. Guests were entertained throughout with up close magicians, Ian Barradell and Andy Hall, performing at each table.
Fred Jacques, Chair of the Trustee, took the opportunity to thank Claire Twells, from Smith Partnership and some key individuals who have contributed to the success of the charity, namely Milly Wigley MBE, our Founder; Pat Dixon, who has volunteered for over 47 years and still does. Fred presented each of them with a bouquet of flowers. Fred also acknowledged Sue and Colin Hand, founder members who were also present, and Derek Rowley and Monica Nelson for their invaluable contribution.
A special film was commissioned for the event, which was produced with the help of Impress Video. It gave an overview of the services that Children First Derby delivers and featured a number of beneficiaries both parents and young people who spoke about how the charity has positively impacted their lives. Guests were moved by what they saw and appreciated the work of the charity even more.
Here at Children First Derby we like to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who attended our 50th Anniversary Charity Ball❤️.
Everyone dressed to impress, participated in our raffles and games. It was amazing to see so many people having a great time all in one place. Without the love and support none of what we do would have been possible including the Ball!!!
Louise Webb was the mastermind behind the planning and running of the event. So we owe you a MASSIVE thank you for making it such a great event. We know it wasn’t easy!!!!
