Our goal this coming year will be to reach at least 1000 more of the country’s most vulnerable children by giving their parents the competence, confidence and community they need to enable their children to thrive.

Last week, as I wrote Christmas cards whilst watching the Royal Variety show (which revisited so much of 2020), I noticed a strange thought forming in my head: as awful as it has genuinely been hearing of all the loss and indeed tragedy this year has brought (and a large part of me is still struggling to process all that has happened in our world), I found I am nonetheless grateful for what this year has meant for us at Kids Matter.

Christmas card in front of Christmas tree

Looking back, I have found so much to be thankful for, encouraged and strengthened by, proud of, learned from (with new words like ‘pivot’ and ‘ice age’) and laughed at and with. I’ve said “I think you’re on mute?” a million times, discovered the endless gift of GIFS, delivered talks to a small green light on my computer whilst in my socks, run a zoom Kids Matter group with parents in another part of the country, opened wonderful surprise treats prepared with thought and love, worn silly head gear, watched the screen fill up with images of all our Facilitators or Donors or Partners or team members and felt my heart swell again and again with well…JOY. Joy because I have been bowled over by the care, compassion, resilience and determination of my team and of the churches we partner with. A genuine light in the darkness.

Having said that, and having pulled the gold from out from under the ashes; as we step into the uncertainty of 2021 one thing we know for certain is that it will bring ongoing challenges for the most vulnerable of our country’s children as they struggle to catch up with their education and hold onto their own mental well-being even whilst the adults around them are struggling with theirs. Theirs is now even more of an uphill battle.

One thing we do know is: Supporting their parents to support them can and does help.

So, at Kids Matter, we will be doing all we can to draw mums, dads and carers out of isolation and into a community to learn key strategies to build stronger families for their children. Our goal this coming year will be to reach at least 1000 more of the country’s most vulnerable children by giving their parents the competence, confidence and community they need to enable their children to thrive.

We would love your support to help us do it! Visit our website or email us to see how you can get involved as a facilitator of one of our parenting programmes or as a Family Champion by supporting us monthly. We can’t do it without you!

Kids Matter is a programme that engages with families and young children before crisis point – it strengthens families by giving mums and dads the tools to be competent, confident parents or caregivers. To get involved, as a volunteer or by financially supporting our programme, please contact us at info@kidsmatter.org.uk

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