We are proud to respond to a range of requests from local partners and this recent referral from a local hospital had an affect on all involved.

“As a regular volunteer with many years’ experience at Stripey Stork, it’s fair to say that I have been very moved by the work of the dedicated referral partners who support so many families in our community. Their involvement spans across helping alleviate the stress of poverty in families to re-building young lives shattered by domestic abuse. Their work is gritty and humbling.

The referral partner we met today describes her job as ‘an honour’. She is an extremely compassionate senior nurse who carries out the care of babies and children who have died in hospital. Amongst other extremely sensitive duties, her role is to carefully dress these precious babies and young children. She and her Team have to choose an outfit that fits the infant’s body well, ensuring that arms and legs are sufficiently covered. The outfit needs to be a neutral design in soft colours – stark white is too harsh. The outfit must also look immaculate and represent the style that the parent would have chosen themselves. A little hat for a newborn is often requested.

And finally, a soft blanket is used to wrap the body as parents want to know that their child will be warm. So when the little one is perfectly dressed and bundled, they can be gently handed to their parents for precious time together. Despite the rawness of the situation, we learn that every little detail matters enormously to grieving parents so the nurses make every effort to get it ‘just right.’

As carefully explained to us, the clothes used cannot always be purchased out of hospital funds. As we know, funding has to be stretched in countless directions which means that new clothing is not necessarily at the top of the list. Thanks to the incredibly generous donations of pre-loved clothes to Stripey Stork, we are confident that we will be able to supply a carefully chosen selection of little outfits and soft woollen blankets to the nurses who undertake such valuable work. In turn, we have the honour and privilege of helping them get the details ‘just right.’

Our gratitude and admiration goes to all those who support these families and our hearts go out to those who experience loss. Thank you #TeamStork for allowing us to support this most valuable work.”

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Now in its 21st year, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind and marked in over 100 countries all over the world. The aim is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books – reading books, listening to stories and getting immersed in a fascinating fictional world.  Many schools in our community encourage the children to take this one step further and to come to school dressed up as a character from a book they enjoy.

How do you prepare for World Book Day in your family? There are those of us who love planning outfits with our children and making things together, and there are certainly those of us who rely on a last minute Amazon Prime purchase to ensure their little ones are suitably dressed on the day! All are equally valid approaches and of course the kids love the outcome regardless.

In our work at Stripey Stork however we see another perspective. We hear about those families who dread any extra activities at school due to the additional burden it puts on family finances. We hear about those children who don’t even mention World Book Day to their parents as they know the resources just aren’t there to support it. And yes, we know a costume can be a simple as the pyjamas you wear to bed, but if the pyjamas you wear are two sizes too small with holes in the knees then you probably don’t want to wear them in front of your classmates.

At our Redhill office we have a selection of dress-up clothes in the toy area. Items occasionally donated to us by the local families who generously support our work. Suspecting that these might be useful we contacted a couple of local referral sources a few weeks ago and asked if they had a need for costumes with matching books.

We were shocked at the response.

Yes, we know that an average of 15% of children in East Surrey live in poverty, and yes we know that our team receive over 30 requests a week from families struggling to make ends meet, but a request for costumes for 51 children from one school – a school on our doorstep – stopped us in our tracks.

51 children who regularly don’t come in an outfit on World Book Day.

51 children where teachers try to find outfits from the school stockrooms.

51 children who just want to fit in.

And from a group of teachers who don’t want to take all these events out of the school calendar as they have seen how beneficial they are to learning and engagement, and who want so much for it to be an inclusive, fun event.

We received the request and set to work. Our team get great satisfaction from taking on challenges like this.  Our objective was to provide a bag with an outfit, an appropriate book and a bookmark for every child on the list.

With the support of our amazing volunteers I am proud to say we were able to meet every request. Lovely bags packed with much care and attention featuring many of the fun outfits our own children had worn in previous years.

A week later the Home School Link Worker collected the items and was overwhelmed. She explained that within the large school population there are 1% of the children in Surrey under child protection orders. A lovely school where these bags will mean so much.  The plan is that whilst the children will keep the books and bookmarks, the school will keep the outfits so they have a bank to draw on in future years.

So today (weather permitting) we hope the knights, the superheroes, the princesses and the Gruffalos all have fun. We hope that they all enjoy their books and that they feel part of the World Book Day celebrations.

I’m proud that our team could respond to this special request and do so without having an impact on the core service we offer all year round. As an organisation operating at the heart of the community we feel well placed to connect the community to help each other in a practical and meaningful way, but always with its children as a focus.

Thank you #TeamStork

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Stripey Stork were honoured to be a charity partner this year, and in true Team Stork style we wanted to make sure our involvement was enjoyable and rewarding for all involved. We set ourselves an ambitious fundraising target and also set the objective of raising our profile in the local area.

Our call for runners to join ‘Team Stork’ was met enthusiastically, and we brought together a fantastic group of 66 adults and kids who all wanted to show their support for the work we do. Amongst this group were trustees, volunteers, supporters but also a number of the referral partners who use our service. It was humbling to know that they appreciate and support the work we do to the extent that they were willing to pull on their trainers and get out and run for us! A special mention also to the team from Grant Thornton International, one of the corporate partners who support us across the year. They set themselves a team target and it was great to see them all together at the Park on Sunday.

We were allocated one of the car parks near the Park and could raise additional funds by taking donations. Thanks to the 190 drivers who parked there and the volunteers who manned it – it gave a very valuable boost to the fundraising total!
For those who wanted to celebrate their achievements then The Bell in Reigate was the place to go afterwards. A donated barrel of beer from Greene King was sold on our behalf and the amber lager from Crumbs Brewery was also available with proceeds coming to Stripey Stork – cheers! 

‘Turning Reigate orange and turquoise’

We set ourselves an objective of ‘being noticed’ and used our charity colours to full effect. The adult runners donned bright orange t-shirts and the kids had orange caps to go with their Run Reigate t-shirts. We had a bright orange stand in the Event Village, and our banners and flags were visible across the Park.

• Thank you to Gatwick Airport Community Trust for awarding us a grant that covered the cost of the banners, flags and promotional materials we needed for the event. We had a 20m long banner along the ‘avenue of trees’ in Priory Park which all the runners passed as they made their way to the finish line!
  All these items can now also be used at future events and continue to help us raise awareness of the work we do.
• We may be biased, but we think our logo and designs always stand out.  That is all thanks to the talented Shona Gow who once again did a great job with this project.
• Jenny and Sam put together some colourful and creative props which were perfect for the photo booth we set up at our stall.
• The ‘Stork Snaps’ taken at the photo booth were very popular and it was all made possible due to the support of our friends at Canon UK who not only provided the printer and photo paper but also the friendly cameraman Tim!
• We had great volunteer support from the students and staff at East Surrey College. They got out and about in the park handing out our balloons and leaflets, and encouraging people to visit us in the Event Village.

Our amazing #TeamStork runners

What an amazing bunch! From organising group training sessions before the event at Battlebridge Race Track to sharing ideas of how to make the costumes even more noticeable, this group could not have been more enthusiastic.

Half marathon runners – thank you Paul, Jo, Marie-Therese, Matty, Ellen, Mike, Matthew and Matt.

10k runners – thank you Sam, Marie, Bunmi, Sarah, Cristina, Paul, Francesca, Simon, Ali, Katie, Chris, Paula, Simon, Sophie, Sam, Jackie, Ed, Lois, Liz, Chris and Rob.

Kids race – thank you Cormac, Nell, Luke, William, Theo, Finlay, Jacob, Joshua, Sophie, Joe, Caitlyn, Jemima, Indigo, Quinn, Maisie, Poppy, Oliver, Anwen, Lucas, Bobbi, Lily, Callie, Codey, Scarlett, Holly, Isabella, Harry, Tilly, Oscar, George, Katie, Joseph, Lottie, Evan, Eva, Harry and Emilia.

We are so proud of you all. A nasty tumble at the start could not even deter runner Lois who carried on and completed the race after some first aid support – what a hero! The little Stork on her bum belt needed a clean up afterwards though! 

And a special mention for 7 year old Caitlyn who completed the race in a giant Stork costume!

We showed our appreciation for the runners with a thank you ‘goody bag’. Our thanks to Nelsons and InKind Direct for helping with the contents.
 

Mixing with running royalty

The event is supported by none other than double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes. She starts the races, takes part in the run and is also so enthusiastic about high-fiving and cheering everyone home. She came to meet our runners after their races and was so generous spending time chatting to everyone and posing for photos. How inspiring for our younger generation of runners!

Success for Team Stork!

And the overall result? Well so many of the runners and volunteers told us how much they’d enjoyed being part of the day which is exactly the feedback we were hoping for.

And we certainly got noticed! We lost track of the people who told us they’d seen our runners on the route, and we even had a few people visit the stall and say “I keep seeing your t-shirts and caps everywhere so have come to find out who you are”.  We couldn’t ask for a better result!

We’d also set an ambitious fundraising target of £10k and we’re delighted to say we achieved it! Yay for Team Stork!! There were so many amazing charities raising money on Sunday and we really appreciate everyone who chose to support us. The money is still coming in, and we’re delighted with the amount that everyone has raised.

These funds will allow us to continue the work we do helping vulnerable local families. We can hold more giving sessions at our office and start to extend the reach of the area we cover across Surrey.

In essence it means we can get more of your generous donations directly to those who need them most.

A huge thank you to Lisa who managed the Run Reigate project so capably and to Nicola, Liesel, Simon, Rob, Ed, Sam, Jill, Sara, Lucy, Margarida, Jenny and Frank who helped on the day.

The Run Reigate team were great to work with and they should be so proud of this special event that they have created. Special thanks to Dave, Karen, Iona and Nicola for being so supportive and helpful.

We had an amazing day and are already looking forward to Run Reigate 2018!

Three cheers for #TeamStork! 

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Now in it’s 4th year, Run Reigate is an award-winning local event offering a race for all ages and abilities through the beautiful Surrey countryside. Check out this video to be inspired!

Not only that, Run Reigate are committed to supporting local charities and have helped to raised thousands of pounds. The community spirit around this event is growing each year which makes it a perfect fit for Stripey Stork.

So, we are offering our lovely supporters, who we know have huge community spirit, along with their family, friends and colleagues, the chance to sign up to #TeamStork.

Join us for a fantastic day of fun, challenge, community spirit and the knowledge that your participation will help parents and children in the local area experiencing hardship.

You can choose the 10k race, the half marathon or the Kids Race – something for all the family!

• For the adult races we will pay your entry fee and provide a race t-shirt (and lots of support) in return for your commitment to raise a minimum of £150 in sponsorship.
• For the kids event, once you’ve signed up get in touch! We’ll provide a sporty Stripey Stork cap for the kids to wear in return for a commitment to raise £25 in sponsorship.
• And if you have already registered for the 10k or half marathon race, you can still join #TeamStork so please do still get in touch. If you commit to raise a minimum of £100 we’ll provide a you with a race t-shirt and lots of support and encouragement.

Sound like your sort of challenge? If so please contact events@stripeystork.org.uk

Happy running!

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We are asking you to pull on your stripey socks, shirt, top or tights and support our ‘Stripes4Stripey’ appeal on Thursday 22nd June. Get your kids involved (is there a stripey babygrow in your baby’s wardrobe?) or arrange for all of your colleagues to wear stripes. We’d love to see as many of our friends get involved as possible.

We want the clothing packs we pass on to be as complete as possible. They may be going to a little girl who has arrived at the local refuge in just the clothes she is standing in. Or they may be going to a young boy who has been rescued with his mum from human slavery.

More often than not we need to buy new pants, socks and vests for the clothing packs for older children.
Clean, new items for boys and girls aged 2-13 years. Your donations will allow us to build up a fund to buy these items and we’ll also have a purchasing power to make the money stretch further.

These essential items make such a difference.

Donate online here on Thursday 22nd June and donations of up to £25 will be doubled by Localgiving!*

Here is the full link:

https://localgiving.org/appeal/stripes4stripey/

Please remember to share photos of you wearing your stripes on the day on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #stripes4stripey

Thank you for your support.

Now where is that stripey shirt….?

*individual donations of up to £25 will be doubled with a maximum of £250 match funding available for each participating charity

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With that in mind we are sticking with the same simple format – show another Mum you care by donating just £5 to Stripey Stork so we can arrange a mini ‘pamper pack’.

The post Mum2Mum 2017 appeared first on Stripey Stork.

The referral sources we work with came and collected the presents they’d requested for the families they support. All the presents were brand new and, in almost all cases, were items that the family or children has specifically requested.

Goods valuing nearly £20,000 left the room in just one day, and they were sent with the very best wishes from everyone involved in supporting the campaign.

It was humbling to talk to the professionals about the difference the gifts would make; professionals who are supporting vulnerable local families all year around. We set up a little Christmas tree and across the day it was covered in messages of thanks from those we help.

We had assistance on the day from some of our regular volunteers and supporters, and lots of new ones too! It was great to see so many of our Stripey Stork friends, and we’re very grateful to those that took a day of annual leave or arranged childcare so that they could help out. A fantastic team effort on the day and there was a great atmosphere in the hall.

We also had help from the Elves who visited us from Caterham Children’s Centre!

The Mayor and Mayoress of Reigate and Banstead came to visit and spent time talking to all the volunteers.

None of this was possible without the support we received from so many:

• All of our supporters who donated online, shopped from our Amazon wish list, or went out and bought a present for specific children. You were all so incredibly generous – THANK YOU!
• The health professionals who spent time identifying those who needed extra support this Christmas, and then collecting and distributing the gifts.
• Raven Housing Trust who awarded us a grant from their Brighter Communities Fund. This allowed us to take on a temporary lease on our old offices so we had the spaced we needed to sort and store the gifts. The grant also allowed us to buy all the gift bags and wrapping paper we needed on the day
• Grant Thornton International who helped us develop a communications and marketing plan for the campaign, and who also produced the videos which we were able to use to promote Santa Stork:
  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4C_G_W8KGbf1Q2jW5ILHpuhIT1eXX6NP
  Their team also donated online, and they helped out on giving day.
• Through the LocalGiving #growyourtenner scheme we raised an additional £605 in matched donations which effectively meant new presents for an extra 60 children
• The team at Canon UK who bought gifts from their own Amazon wishlist, collected stocking fillers, printed our labels, Thank You certificates and Activity Packs AND came to help on giving day
• InKind Direct and Disney Store UK who gave us 64 lovely Mickey Mouse toys from their #DisneyStoreFamily scheme
• The Belfry Shopping Centre in Redhill who are supporting us via their Santa Grotto donations, but who also generously passed on gifts at Grotto Opening Day
• The Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, Cllr David Powell who made a donation from his Community Fund which covered most of the Santa Stork operational costs
• Those based at Barclays in Canary Wharf who bought gifts from the Amazon wishlist we set up just for their team
• The team at Celtic Contractors Ltd in Morden who were all matched with children and their requests, and provided a van full of gifts
• The families at Oakhyrst Grange school in Caterham who bought specific gifts for the children on our list
• Our local friends at Willis Towers Watson in Reigate who collected stocking fillers and gifts for mums and dads
• The parents at Holmesdale Community Infant School who collected stocking fillers
• The team from South East Early Help Hub who collected stocking filler items in their office and passed them on to be included in the gift bags; lovely to have this support from those we work with throughout the year
• The partners at Bailhache Linton LLP who donated money to Santa Stork 2016 in lieu of sending Christmas cards to their clients.
• Recruitment agency Create Select who made a donation towards Christmas presents
• The ladies of the Jigsaw Group at St Marys Church, Reigate who collected stocking fillers
• The staff at Bear & Bunny Nursery in Charlswood who bought lots of items from our Amazon wishlist
• Our friends at Halliwell Marks estate agents (in Reigate) and Walter & Mair estate agents (in Coulsdon) who were so accommodating in allowing people to drop off presents at their offices
• Belinda and the team at Deli on the Hill who acted as a drop off point for gifts but also contributed gift packs for mums and selection boxes for kids
• Rich (aka The Local Handyman) who both donated online and also bought lots of gifts from the Amazon wishlist
• The ladies from Pfizer who helped sort presents on their volunteer day
• The talented Shona Gow who produced the Santa Stork Activity Pack and Thank You Certificate available to all those who donated online or bought a gift.
• Karl Hyder – our local man with a van – who helped transport all the presents to the hall; we certainly needed a large van!
• The team at St Mary’s Church Hall in Reigate who allowed us to take over the reception area as well as the room we had booked
• And a VERY special thanks to Santa Stork team – Jenny, Lauren, Sarah, Megan, Angie and Margarida – who coordinated the whole campaign so well and made sure the giving day went smoothly.

Merry Christmas everyone xx

The post Santa Stork 2016 – our giving day appeared first on Stripey Stork.

The Santa Stork 2015  campaign was incredibly successful and, taking into account the last minute requests we received, with your support were able to provide brand new presents for 499 local children and 300 of their parents.

We’ve asked our referral sources to send us details of the children (and parents) they support who’d appreciate a special gift and we’ve also asked them to include any special preferences eg.  3 year old boy that likes Spiderman, a one year old girl that likes Peppa Pig.

We all know how lovely it is to receive a present that makes you smile and think ‘that’s just what I wanted’. We want these children to feel the same way when they wake up on Christmas Day.

Support our campaign

Donating online

You can help by making an online donation to Localgiving.com. The great news is that for the next few weeks Localgiving will match any donation you make up to £10 as part of their Grow Your Tenner scheme.

Yes, that’s right – they’ll DOUBLE your donation. So if you donate £10 and choose Gift Aid then your £10 becomes £22.50!

We will pair your donation with a present request and ensure that the children in question get something they wish for.

Choose and buy a gift

Of course we understand that some of you may prefer to go out and choose a gift for a child yourself.

Perhaps involve your own children in the act of giving by allowing them to select a gift for a child less fortunate then them.

If you want to do this then please email us at santa@stripeystork.org.uk after November 8th and we’ll give you details of a child and their preference. Any gifts you purchase can then be dropped off a number of locations:

• our offices – the ‘Nest’
• Halliwell Marks estate agents in Reigate
• Walter & Mair estate agents in Coulsdon
• Deli on the Hill in Redhill

Purchase from our Amazon wishlist

Last year the Amazon wishlist was popular so we have created one again this year. Our team of Santa Stork volunteers will be keeping this up to date with present ideas for the children on our list. You’ll see our reference code and a little bit of information about the child.

Best of all you can choose for the items to be sent directly to us so you can get involved in supporting Santa Stork wherever you live.

Timing

Donations or purchases can be made any time from now until December 2nd. We will then have a Santa Stork session on the 13th December when the health professionals can come and collect all the gifts with plenty of time to distribute them before the big day! Yay!

Buisness and individual support

Last year lots of local and national businesses got behind our campaign and provided presents and items to include in the gift bags. Please get in touch at santa@stripeystork.org.uk if you run a business, or have contacts with one, and would like to support our campaign.

Items we love to receive are books (especially sets from the Book People), chocolates, sweets, selection boxes (all edible items must be in date on Christmas Day 2016) as well as stationery (crayons, felt tip pens, colouring books) and toiletries (bubble bath, sponges, hair accessories).

And a little Thank You from us…

We are already hearing that many of you want to get your children involved in giving this Christmas and that is great. As a little thank you we will give you a fantastic Santa Stork Activity Pack. This will not only contain a Thank You certificate for your child but also lots of fun activities, recipes and games to keep your children busy in the run up to Christmas.

So that’s it! We are already receiving present wish lists – we now need your help to make these present wishes come true.

Local families and local businesses, with the help of Localgiving, giving local children a special Christmas.

Santa Stork 2016

The post Santa Stork 2016 appeared first on Stripey Stork.

May 18th 2016:

Redhill charity Stripey Stork has partnered with luxury design brand Proud Couture to create an exclusive image for a greeting card and print which will be sold to raise funds for the charity’s work.

The beautifully hand-drawn ‘Stylish Stork’ design has been created in the brand’s unique style and features a woman holding flowers, and a bag with the charity’s mascot stork.

Designer of the card, Rosie Proudfoot said: “Proud Couture is very proud to have designed this card for Stripey Stork. Our company seeks to empower and support other women through design and business and we admire what Stripey Stork are able to offer families through their fantastic charity and support network. We hope that with the sales and reach of this card many more people can benefit from what Stripey Stork has to offer.”

Founder of Stripey Stork, Nicola Dawes, said: “At Stripey Stork we’re huge fans of Reigate-based Proud Couture so are excited to be working in partnership to produce this beautiful card. Proud Couture has given us the opportunity to create a card in celebration of the women who volunteer with us, those who donate, and those who we are able to support in our community. We hope they will be enjoyed by those who receive them. ”

The cards, which can be used for any occasion – birthday, thank you or ‘thinking of you’ – are available to buy for £2.50 each (or a special offer of 5 for £10). A mounted print of the design is also available for £22 (unframed) £30 (framed).

Cards can be purchased from the charity’s new offices (Trafford Building, Quarryside Business Park, Thornton Side, Redhill, RH1 2LJ) and at upcoming events such as the Community Festival in Reigate’s Priory Park on July 2nd.

Requests for prints, or for mail order of cards, can be made by emailing treasurer@stripeystork.org.uk

The money raised from the sale of the cards will be used by Stripey Stork to help them support local families in need.

Proud Couture’s wider range of cards and prints can be bought at All About Eve and Taylor Jayne in Reigate, as well as luxury retailers, Harrods and Selfridges.

-Ends-

About Stripey Stork:

Stripey Stork is a volunteer-run charity (1161613) who collect pre-loved baby and children’s items – equipment, clothes, furniture, books and toys – and distributes them to disadvantaged families in East Surrey.

The charity was founded in 2013 by a group of local mums who wanted to see the items their children no longer needed re-used in the local community. Since then the group have responded to nearly 1500 requests for help.

Stripey Stork work alongside local health and community professionals (health visitors, social workers, children’s centres) who make requests on behalf of families in need. The items are collected by health professionals from the charity’s offices in Redhill and delivered as part of scheduled visits.

All donations go directly to local families who need support, and each item specifically to someone who needs it.

Please contact: pressoffice@stripeystork.org.uk for any further information.

The post Stylish Stork appeared first on Stripey Stork.

With that in mind we are sticking with the same simple format – show another Mum you care by donating just £5 to Stripey Stork so we can arrange a mini ‘pamper pack’. These will be included with our upcoming deliveries in the run up to Mother’s Day and (subject to numbers) in the weeks after.

Many of the Mums that we help won’t receive a gift on March 6th. So many of them go without to provide for their children and we want to let them know that we’re thinking of them – local families helping local families. Mum to Mum.

Last year one of our supporters Emma wrote about being a single Mum on Mother’s Day on her blog:

“As a single-mother-by-choice, Mother’s Day isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact what’s supposed to be a celebration of all that it is to be a mother, has often become a lonely reminder of what I’m missing – a person to share my daughter with, and to share both the joys and responsibilities of parenting.”

With your support we’ll make up some little packs including things like shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath and moisturiser and send them out with our best wishes. We can buy these items at reduced prices from places like In kind Direct so your donation will go further.

And never underestimate the difference your donation can make. Last year as Mother’s Day approached we received a request from a health visitor supporting a family where the mum had terminal cancer. Conscious that those undergoing treatment for cancer suffer sensitivities to some beauty products, we took advice and were able to provide a bespoke package of treats just for this mum. We heard later just how touched this Mum had been with the delivery.

So how about you skip your take-away coffee and croissant one day this week and sponsor one of these packs instead?

You can make your donation at any time until Mother’s Day (Sunday March 6th): https://localgiving.com/appeal/mum2mum2016

And, as an alternative, if you have items at home that you can donate – a beauty gift set received at Christmas that you haven’t yet opened, or pretty gift bags in good condition – then we can rehome them too.

Details of times you can drop these off at our offices in Redhill can be found here.

Thank you x

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