That’s 529 happier Mums who will receive an acknowledgement from their children on this special day – one which may not have been made possible if it wasn’t for this invaluable campaign.

This year we felt privileged to hear back from one of the Mums who had received a gift pack and wanted to express her gratitude in telling us what it meant to her. She had recently left an abusive relationship and had been pleasantly surprised when in the immediate days which followed, her local Children’s Centre had put her name forward for receiving a pack.

“I was quite tearful to receive such an amazing gift. As my daughter is only 3, I had come to the conclusion any Mother’s Day gifts I received would be ones I paid for. This just changed it all! Knowing there are people empathising with your struggles and offering kindness and support is just so uplifting and heart warming.”

The realisation for her that there are people out there offering support – helping to pick her up and encouraging her to stay strong with such moments of kindness, meant everything when she was at an all-time low. She also commented on the quality of the branded toiletries included and couldn’t wait to use them to help her relax after the hardest week.

We also had one Mum’s appreciation passed on via one of our referral partners, East Surrey Domestic Abuse Service (ESDA):

“Please pass on my thanks, it was such a joy opening the bag and seeing all the things. There were mini size creams of a brand I love which I can’t afford to buy. It was all absolutely lovely and I really appreciated it.”

We know that this is a campaign which resonates with so many of you. Whether that’s because you realise that being a Mum can be the hardest job in the world, and you understand that if everything else was stacked against you, how much harder it would be to keep your head above water.

Whether it’s because you’ve been at rock bottom and know what it’s like to be picked up by the kindness of others.

Or whether it’s because you feel strongly that no Mum should be forgotten – regardless of whether or not they have a partner or family support network to arrange such recognition.

Whatever the reason – please know that once again a difference has been made in our little corner of the world and that’s thanks to everyone involved. In particular, we’d like to say a special thank you to the following:

• Our lovely volunteers who so lovingly put the packs together and included a handwritten Mother’s Day card with their words of encouragement.
• Our referral partners for looking after the Mums on their caseloads so well, and coordinating the ordering and collection of gifts.
• Everyone who purchased items from our Amazon wish list or who dropped gifts off at the office.
• Becky Pearce Designs for donating 20% of the sales from two of her most popular necklaces, and for being our online Mother’s Day card shop.
• Doodlemoo for designing this year’s Stripey Stork Mother’s Day card. And to our local card sellers – Gerrards, The Reigate Pop-up Shop, Imagineville, TSB in the Belfry Shopping Centre, Redhill and The Peekaboo Café near Dorking.
• The Peanut App for including us in their #SantaIsAWoman campaign – we were able to save the more luxurious items to be included in our Mother’s Day packs which have been very well received.
• IHS Markit and esure for their gift donations and giving us the opportunity to sell cards during their lunch break.
• Tropics Skincare for donating products from their beautiful range for this campaign and all your round.
• The Hygiene Bank who arranged for us to collect a bumper collection of toiletries that were perfect as gifts.
• Outwood WI who organised a collection of items at one of their meetings and delivered it to us.
• The Natural Baby Shower for donating 1% of their sales this Mother’s Day to Stripey Stork, and for selling our charity cards in their Bagshot store.
• The Guilty Mummy for helping us to spread the word.

That just leaves one more thing to say – Happy Mother’s Day to all of the fantastic Mums out there! We hope you have a special day to remember, you deserve it!

The post Mum2Mum2019 makes a record difference appeared first on Stripey Stork.

So, what does this have to do with International Women’s Day we hear you ask?

Well it’s the journey it made, and the women that made it possible – we believe they should be celebrated.

The donor

This brand new Mountain Buggy was sent to us by Natural Baby Shower. Double buggies are usually in short supply at Stripey Stork so it’s always exciting when we receive one. Lauren and the team at NBS made this happen as part of the partnership with us that they recently announced. They wanted this ex-display item to be re-homed where it would make a real difference and they trusted Stripey Stork to make that happen.

The company was founded by Victoria Hampson in 2007 – an inspiring women and Mum with a passion for parenting, the environment and a desire to make baby shopping simpler. We share so many of the same values and couldn’t be more pleased that we’re going to be working with NBS.

The referral source

At Stripey Stork we work with such caring community partners and Sallie from the Cobham & Banstead Community Midwife Team is no exception. She was keen to help a family on her caseload – the Mum has a seven month old baby and a toddler and, since the birth of the second child, had been using an old stroller which was unsuitable and unsafe for transporting a toddler. This was sadly her only option as buying one, even second hand, was out of the question.

Sallie explained that before the team knew about Stripey Stork, the Community Midwives at Epsom had gathered together suitable equipment, clothing, toys, food and toiletries for the family. Incredible women exceeding the expectations of their role and coming together to support other women.

The recipient

The Mum in question had a particularly difficult upbringing involving drugs and prescription medicine. After losing her own mother at a young age, she suffered from ongoing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. With very little family support, both emotionally and financially, it’s been a tough time. But, she is managing to turn her life around with the support of others and is solely focussed on the health and wellbeing of her children. Her persistence and determination are to be applauded.

Making A Difference

So, when we were able to contact Sallie this week to pass on the good news that we had a double buggy for Mum, she knew this was going to be life-changing for them. She quickly came to collect it as she knew Mum would be keen to start using it.

Sallie reported back the next day and told us that this ‘freedom machine’ had already allowed Mum to attend her Community Mental Health Support Group getting the children there safely. One of the many journeys she’ll be able to make using the buggy as she continues her progress and raises her children. And it obviously means such a lot to her – one of the support team there saw her padlocking it outside the centre to make sure her precious new buggy was left secure.

Our team take such care to match the items we receive to the referrals on our list, and in this scenario once again, we got it just right. With space being such a premium in the family flat, it can be folded down and comfortably tucked behind the sofa. It’s also manageable for her to carry down one flight of stairs with two kids in tow.

Mum summed it up: “This buggy is awesome!”

For us it’s another referral marked as ‘completed’ and once again made possible by a group of amazing women. From the donors to the Stripey Stork donation and referrals team. From the referral source to the grateful recipient. We all share the same belief – that children deserve the same start – and by working together we have once again made a difference.

On International Women’s Day we salute them and all of #TeamStork.

The post Amazing women making a difference appeared first on Stripey Stork.

Many of the Mums that we help won’t receive a gift on 31st March. Mums without partners, friends or family to recognise the difficult but amazing job they’re doing. Mums who go without all year round to provide for their children. We want to let them know that they are doing a fantastic job and we are thinking of them – local families helping local families.

Mum to Mum.

Last year we provided 227 gifts for Mums (accompanied by a handwritten card designed for Stripey Stork) and this year we’re aiming for 300.

How you can help

Buy one of our exclusive Mother’s Day cards – This year we have teamed up with Emily, the local illustrator behind Doodlemoo, who has designed our very own Mother’s Day card. We just love her colourful and funky design, perfect for the special Mum in your life. They are now on sale to the general public, with sales proceeds being used to support this campaign. We’ll also be including one with every Mother’s Day gift given to the Mums which we support.

The card is on sale for £2.50, with the option to pay an additional £2.50 (recommended donation) to include an insert (see blue postcard in below photo) which states that “a gift has been donated on your behalf to a Mum in need”. Your Mum/Mum-in-Law or Grandma will appreciate that you were thinking of others, as well as them.

As well as being available to buy from our HQ, they can now be purchased from the following locations:

• Gerrards in Reigate.
• The Reigate Pop-up Shop, where you can browse more of Doodlemoo’s products, as well as those from other local talented artists. Please note, card only (with no insert) is for sale at this location.
• TSB in the Belfry Shopping Centre, Redhill.
• The Peekaboo Play Cafe in Holmwood, near Dorking.
• Imagineville on Quarryside Business Park in Merstham.
• The Natural Baby Shower in Bagshot.
• Online at Becky Pearce Designs for those who can’t get to the shops or don’t live locally – with an extra £1 being charged to cover P&P.

We’d like to thank the above businesses for supporting our campaign, please do pop in and show your support and gratitude.

We’d love to see the cards standing proud on your mantelpiece so please share on social media using the hashtag #Mum2Mum2019 (and tagging @StripeyStork).

Buy a necklace from Becky Pearce Designs – Local jeweller Becky Pearce Designs is offering two of her beautifully handcrafted necklaces for sale this Mother’s Day, with 20% of sales going towards our campaign:

1. Teeny Silver Heart Pendant £25
2. Birthstone Charm Necklace £42

She’s also conveniently created a Mother’s Day package, where you can add one of our Mother’s Day cards to your shopping cart.

Donate online – Show another Mum you care by donating to our campaign fund via Localgiving. For just £5 we will arrange a mini pamper pack to be sent to each Mum referred to us. We also benefit from bulk purchase discounts to ensure your donation goes even further. You can make your donation here at any time until Mother’s Day (Sunday 31st March). And not forgetting that all important 25% gift aid if you’re a UK tax payer.

Donate a gift set* – Pick up a toiletry gift set whilst out shopping. Or, if you have any unwanted items at home that you can donate – a toiletry gift set received at Christmas perhaps that you haven’t yet opened, or gift bags in good condition – then we can rehome them too. Please note, we are not accepting make-up donations, as this type of item is dependent on personal preference and we do not have direct contact with the Mums we support.

Why not organise a collection amongst friends, colleagues or a community group you are a part of? Details of times you can drop items at our offices in Redhill can be found here. Don’t forget to share your donations on social media using the hashtag #Mum2Mum2019 (and tag @StripeyStork). We love to see people getting involved and it also encourages others to do the same.

Buy a gift from our Amazon Wish list – We’ve added some popular gift sets to this dedicated wish list, making it super easy for you to help as items are delivered straight to our office. A popular choice for those who want to buy a tangible gift but are too busy to drop the gift to us or don’t live/work in the local area. We’ll keep topping up the list as items are bought and we spot any good offers, so one to keep checking.

The gift that keeps on giving

Subject to availability, any gift packs leftover after Mother’s Day will be distributed in the weeks following. If we are lucky enough to have even more left after this period, then we will be including them with our ‘care packages’ sent throughout the year to local families in need – as a gift to Mum if it’s felt that it will be a well-received boost at this difficult time. Likewise, any funds leftover will also be used to support our general work throughout the year.

Thank you for your support.

The post Mum2Mum 2019 appeared first on Stripey Stork.

Here are some of the shocking facts and statistics revealed:

• There are now 109 UK baby banks, and counting. Nearly all of which have been setup since the first austerity budget in 2010, that’s a tenfold increase in the last 8 years. See this up to date map of UK baby banks.
• Referrals have increased by over 500% in the last 5 years.
• So far this year alone: over 35,000 families have been referred to baby banks; one in every hundred families with young children have turned to baby banks; 300,000 items have been distributed, with a value of between £1.8 and £3 million.
• The majority of referrals come from publicly-funded agencies – which are identifying the need, but are unable to meet it.
• The most sought-after items are for the most basic needs – nappies and clothes.

Stripey Stork was established in 2013,  A group of determined mum’s in the East Surrey area wanted to pass on their preloved baby items to families who really needed them.

On speaking with the health professionals working with such families on the front line, it was confirmed that there was indeed a real and increasing need for such support. The health professionals, such as social services and children’s centres didn’t have the manpower or storage to manage such an operation, so Stripey Stork was born.

Little did we know how much our service would grow. In our first year of operation we were able to respond to 356 requests for help. Fast forward to this year and we are on track to respond to 2018 requests, that’s £500k worth of items given out free of charge in one year alone.

Since opening in 2013 we have responded to over 5600 requests, that’s over £1.9m worth of items put back into our community and saved from landfill.

We have found ourselves in a good position to pass on our best practices and experience to other UK baby banks looking to set up. In fact, Little Village in London, one of the featured baby banks in the programme, were one of the organisations we had the pleasure of mentoring in the early days.

But, why are we seeing this ‘baby bank boom’ and why is the demand for our services increasing at such an exponential rate?

The sector has boomed since austerity. This is down to a wide range of circumstances, but each of which is affected by poverty. The introduction of Universal Credit and the issues it brings, at the same time benefits are being frozen, and living costs and unemployment is increasing. It is therefore no surprise that more and more families are struggling and living on the breadline. By the time rent, bills and food has been paid, there is little or nothing left for the essentials needed to provide for their children. So, people are forced to be reliant on charities like ours.

Here in ‘affluent’ Surrey, 10% (22640) of children live in poverty, of which two thirds of these are from working households. In 17 local neighbourhoods of Surrey, 30% or over of children aged 0-16 live in poverty (source: www.cfsurrey.org.uk).

Many of the families referred to Stripey Stork are in this position because of a change of circumstance, a run of bad luck or a situation which they have had to escape. One thing’s for sure, they would prefer not to be in this position and are doing everything they can to get back on their feet. They don’t want to have to rely on organisations such as ours to provide the essentials needed for their baby, they just need a helping hand. In fact, they often feel devastated and ashamed when they realise they have to use a baby bank, but what they quickly learn is that people want to help and it is this kindness which gives them hope.

Meet Keith who was featured on the programme, one of Little Village’s recipients. A self-employed father of two who had a car accident months before his 3rd child was born. His injuries left him out of work for a while, where their savings depleted and by Christmas they had nothing. They were referred to their local baby bank via the hospital and are eternally grateful to have been given everything they needed for their new baby, from a cot to nappies and sterilizers. Little Village continues to support them with the essentials needed for their children, one of which is autistic. Keith is now trying to rebuild the financial security he’s lost, but the work is limited since his accident and his salary is low. Shockingly he tries to budget his food shopping to £10 a week. He is obviously a proud man and this has been an adjustment he’s found difficult, as he emotionally told Dispatches – “I’ve always helped support charities in my life, but now having to take, receive stuff from charities is hard”. In the meantime, Keith and his wife have been volunteering at Little Village, this is a way for them to giveback and help those who find themselves in similar desperation.

Then there’s Bianca, a working mum of two boys living in London. With a baby on the way in two months (at the time of filming), Bianca will have to leave her full-time job as a special needs teacher. She’s already on a wage which leaves her with next to nothing at the end of the month after paying her private rent and bills. Stressed about how she is going to provide for number three, her midwife gave her a flyer for Little Village. They provided a lifeline, but Bianca is still frustrated – “I’m a working parent, and I work hard, but I can’t even afford the basics for my baby… it makes me angry because I shouldn’t have to struggle”. Little Village revealed that one in five families who rely on them are working families, often from low wage jobs such as working in nurseries and hospitals – people which keep the city going but can’t afford to live in it.

As Sophia Parker from Little Village concluded – “We believe that the welfare state should be a safety net… Yes we’re helping people immediately, but are we just allowing these wider issues around inequality to keep going”. She refers to the baby banks not being a long term solution and a ‘sticking plaster’ by covering over the issue and in effect letting this happen.

There is clearly a wider issue of inequality here and one that we can only hope is addressed sooner rather than later. Optimistic that programmes like this which shine a light on child poverty will help bring the problem further up the agenda. But for now, we do what we do best and answer this immediate call, with the hope that one day change will come.

You can read the full Born on the Breadline Report here.

If you’ve been shocked and moved by these recent findings, there are many ways you can help:

• Donate to our Christmas campaign Santa Stork, where we are hoping to give 1500 new and wished-for gifts to local children in need this Christmas.
• Donate preloved items in need from our monthly wishlist (this list changes monthly so see Latest News for updates).
• Donate your time and volunteer, there are always items to check, sort and package up into bundles for the families we support. Contact volunteer@stripeystork.org.uk for more information.
• Make a one-off or monthly monetary contribution to our Local Giving fund – this enables us to buy the new items necessary to complement our preloved bundles, such as nappies, wipes, pants/socks, and new mattresses for Moses baskets and cots.
• Other ways to help.

Thank you for reading and for your continued support.

The post Born on the breadline appeared first on Stripey Stork.

With half term upon us and Christmas spirits running high with the recent launch of Santa Stork, we thought now would be the perfect time for those Christmas craft activities. We encourage all of our ‘storklets’ to get involved in making decorations for what promises to be the best Stripey Stork Christmas tree yet, something for us all to be proud of and which truly represents what Stripey Stork is about. So, we are thinking lots of orange and turquoise (forget the standard red and green Christmas colours), our mascot Stripey, recycling, children and babies. What comes to mind when you think of Stripey Stork and how can this be represented in a Christmas tree decoration? If you have an answer to this, then get crafting!

The Christmas Tree Festival is being held at the Reigate Community Centre (High Street) on:

• Friday 7th December (from 12-6pm)
• Saturday 8th December (10am-6pm)
• Sunday 9th December (12-4pm)

We’d love to see as many of you there as possible, enjoying Stripey’s tree and all of the other fantastic trees on display. We are also one of the chosen charities being collected for this year, so do come and show your support. In order for us to have our tree Christmas-ready and for it to be enjoyed in its full glory at our offices, we ask that you drop your decorations off at our HQ by Friday 23 November. Here’s some inspiration to get you started.

Stripey goes Pixel

Thank you to Dylan (age 9) for inspiring us with this fantastic Quixels version of Stripey. So, it got us thinking, this would look great turned into a Christmas decoration.

We made versions using Hama beads (iron well on both sides to make sure that the legs stick together), plastic canvas and cross stitch.

What other materials can you make Stripey from? Here’s a pattern you may want to use.

A Star Reader

We love books here at Stripey Stork, in fact we try to include a bundle of age appropriate books for every child we help as we recognise how important they are for development. If you have books at home which are too well-loved to pass onto a new family, then why not make them into decorations and give them a different purpose?

Using an old annual, we made some origami lucky stars. Simply cut the pages into strips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, stick them together with tape to get a long strip about 22 inches (55cm) long.

This tutorial shows you how to fold it into a 3D star shape. Adults may need to help here as it’s a little fiddly, but well worth the effort.

Once you’ve made your star, use a needle and thread to add a hanging loop through one of the star points. Beads can be added to the hanging loop to add some extra sparkle.

Here’s a tutorial for making different shaped baubles from book pages, where you can choose squares (like we have here on the right), circles or stars. And here’s another tutorial for making a different type of star. Who’d have thought you could do so much with just some old books?

Felt the Halls

Felt decorations can be nice and easy to make. For a traditional Christmas icon (snowman, holly, present etc.) all you need is the outline of the shape, you’ll be able to find lots of templates online – clip art is always a good source. Stick to simple, unfussy, designs.

If you want to make something more bespoke, you may need to design your own. For example, we wanted to make a baby vest decoration (orange and turquoise of course) to represent all of the bags of clothes we give out at Stripey Stork. Did you know that last year we gifted 633 clothes bags to local families in need? Using a piece of paper, fold it in half if the shape is symmetrical, draw the outline and cut it out. Then cut out two layers of felt using the shape as a stencil.

Decorate the front with embellishments, buttons, beads, ribbons and/or bells (we particularly like bells as they jingle). Pin the front of the decoration to the back. At this stage add a ribbon loop to hang on the tree later. Sew the front of the decoration to the back using either a double strand of sewing or embroidery thread. Just before you get to the end of the stitching, add a little stuffing. Then voila, finish off and it’s all ready to hang on the tree.

A Toy’s Story

Did you know that last year alone we donated 376 toys and book bags? And that’s not even including Santa Stork! At Stripey Stork we make sure every preloved puzzle that we pass on is complete, otherwise imagine the disappointment for a child when they get to the end of the puzzle only to realise that there’s a piece missing! These incomplete puzzles make great Christmas decorations.

Simply paint the puzzle pieces a colour of your choice (no pressure, but orange, blue and yellow are our firm favourites here), glue together in a snowflake shape and add a ribbon. We recommend adding some Christmas sparkle with embellishments or glitter. A little tip – we found it much easier to paint the cardboard back of the puzzle pieces, not the shiny front.

Have a think about other toys you could use? We thought some old, battered toy cars painted orange would look great.

Fabulous Fabric Decorations

At Stripey Stork we get so many great donations, but occasionally some of the clothes don’t pass our quality checks. We always like to say that if it’s not good enough to pass onto a friend, then it’s not good enough to pass onto any of the families which we support. We want our recipients to feel like they are receiving a gift and not a hand out.

So, if you have any baby clothes which are at the end of their life, then give them another life. Like we have here, by making mini fabric Christmas trees using this tutorial.

Other ideas for using fabric scraps can be found here and here.

If you are short of fabric, then you can always swing by our office (after half term of course), and we’ll be happy to help you out.

Let the Crafting begin…

We hope you’ve enjoyed our designs. If you have any ideas of your own then please share them in the comments below. One of our volunteers (Sam West) has already been busy as you can see.

Now, all you need is a day chilling at home and it’ll be the perfect excuse to set to work. We can’t wait to see all your creations on our Stripey Stork tree, we know you’ll do us proud, you always do! And don’t stop at our tree – make some keepsake decorations for your own tree too, and let us know how you get on.

Speaking of keeping the kids entertained, here’s our Stripey Stork colouring sheet too for them to enjoy this half term.

The post Stripey Stork’s Christmas tree – we need your help appeared first on Stripey Stork.

First off, a word of warning… I’m an accountant… A numbers person… I have a maths degree NOT an English one. I spend my life in spreadsheets (I think you get it). Writing or blogging isn’t my thing (so anyone expecting any form of quality or prose from this blog should definitely look elsewhere). But sometimes, just sometimes, you are so inspired by something that you want to climb to the top of a mountain and shout it out loud. So that’s my story, that’s how I ended up here… inspired and looking for a place to shout it out.

The perfect solution

The chosen charity was a local charity called Stripey Stork, who “support children and parents experiencing hardship” (more of that to come). I’m a local mum who’s donated baby equipment, clothes, toys etc. to Stripey Stork in the past. I wanted to use our charity day to support the local community so this seemed like the perfect solution. Little did I realise the impact it would have on me and those around me.

Yesterday, our small UK Business Finance team used our first ‘charity day’. Granted, it took us a while to get here and it wasn’t an easy journey. Work is hard! Life is hard! You all know. Our diaries were a nightmare to co-ordinate, some of the charities we reached out to were also busy and didn’t get back to us, holidays got in the way… but we were feeling pretty determined (dog minded some might say) that our persistence paid off and the day finally came when we were off to ‘volunteer our time’ whatever that may be.

Your heart strings are pulled

Our first task was to sort through donated clothes. Checking for spoiled items (if you wouldn’t put your own children in them, then put them in the recycling bin), and sorting them into age and gender. It sounds like a simple task but once you hear why you are doing it and how this might help a local child, your heart strings are pulled and you handle each item with the love and care that you would want your own children to be handled with.

The founder of the charity (Nicola) explained to us that they support local domestic abuse victims, who will often flee their homes in the middle of the night with nothing, or at best, a small bag. They explained that the next 24hrs are crucial. A lot of women will return home as the realisation sinks in that they have nothing. Imagine the heartache that mum must face when realising that she can’t provide for her child unless she returns to the environment she was trying to flee. That’s where Stripey Stork step in. They provide packages with 7 days’ worth of clothes, along with some toys and whatever else the family may need. The chances of a family returning to their homes are reduced.

He knew she wouldn’t be able to afford it

Next up, preparing some school bags filled with some essentials! Another simple task I hear you say… but the heart strings just kept on being pulled. Nicola told us a story about a local young boy playing truant. Turns out, he was embarrassed because he didn’t have the necessary school equipment. He didn’t want to ask his mum because he knew she wouldn’t be able to afford it. Another local family of three young children were truanting from school on a regular basis, turns out that they only had one pair of school shoes between them and were taking it in turns to attend school. Why? In this day and age?! These are all local children; we’re not talking about some far off distant land. Stripey Stork gave us a rather worrying statistic. They reached out to a local school, offering to provide filled book bags for anyone in need. And do you know what – they got 110 requests back. From one school!

And so the day went on. Simple enough tasks with heart-breaking stories and shocking statistics behind them. We gave it our all and do you know what, when we left every single one of us felt incredibly inspired, motivated to do more and emphatically rewarded. We had given up our time but we had gotten so much more back in return.

The butterfly effect was happening

And it didn’t stop there. Collecting my own children from school that evening had so much more meaning. The realisation that I have so much to be grateful for. And when they asked me how my day had been, for once, they listened intently. They wanted to know more, to know how they could help. The butterfly effect was happening.

So that’s why I’m here. To shout it out loud. To keep passing it on. Hopefully a few of you will be inspired enough to use your charity day. Give back in some way and see what you get back in return. Like I said at the start, don’t expect it to be easy, it may seem like hard work but I guarantee you it will be worth it.

To find out more about volunteering your personal time or corporate volunteering, click the respective links, we’d love to have you on board #TeamStork. 

The post The gift that keeps on giving appeared first on Stripey Stork.

So, in conjunction with it being Penguin Random House’s 5th birthday since their merger, and in celebration of Stripey Stork going 5 years strong, we thought we’d write some tips on summer reading with your kids and tell you a little bit about each of these books. Then, we thought we’d throw in a competition for good measure, since Penguin also managed to get hold of an autographed book of ‘The Racehorse Who Disappeared’ by Clare Balding. A prized possession for any young fan. You can enter the competition below.

Summer reading tips

Just because school’s out, doesn’t mean to say that learning and reading should stop. To prevent what’s referred to as ‘summer slide’, try keep up the momentum. Or, if you have a child starting school in September, get ahead. It will make the transition easier for everyone. Here’s our handy tips to encourage your little bookworm.

1. Love your library

Everyone loves a trip to the library. They certainly aren’t the places they used to be when I was a child. Where you could hear a pin drop and the scary librarian would give you one of those looks if you dropped that pin! With the introduction of children’s activities like rhyme time, libraries have worked hard to encourage children to think of libraries as fun places from an early age.

And, of course, there’s the library’s Summer Reading Challenge. This happens every year, where children are encouraged to read six books of their choice and then collect rewards for doing so. This year it runs from 14 July until 15 September and is aimed at ages 4-11. The theme this time is Mischief Makers, which is inspired by the much-loved children’s comic Beano.

2. What sparks their interest?

It makes sense that if you have an interest in something then you try harder at it, want to learn more and go back to it time and time again. It may sound obvious but discover what excites them and look for age appropriate books about the subject. And we guarantee, there’ll be a book out there!

3. Mix it up!

This one could be tied in with the Summer Reading Challenge. Introduce different themes throughout the holidays, a theme per week. Involve them in choosing the topic, it could be fiction, fact, comics, magic, the list is endless, but again, play to their interests and you’ll get more enthusiasm.

4. Holiday – it’s all in the planning

Do you have a holiday coming up this summer? Look for guidebooks, brochures and leaflets about where you’ll be going, they won’t be able to resist. We were lucky enough to take a trip to Disney and my kids could not get enough of looking through the guidebooks and discussing our plans as a family. And, don’t forget to pack them a book for the journey and whilst you are there. It’s the perfect opportunity for them to lose themselves in a good book.

5. Spend time together reading

Put some special time aside every day to read with your child, taking on different characters from the book yourself and discussing what’s happening in the story and the pictures, how you think the characters feel, what you think will happen next? Pick a time that works best for you and your child, this may not always be the end of the day, it could be outside enjoying the fresh air after your summer picnic.

Summer reading recommendations

Here‘s an introduction to Penguin’s top picks.

All About the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Age: 2+

Price: £7.74 (Board Book)

Description: The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a beloved classic and this stunning chunky caterpillar-shaped book is the perfect first introduction to this timeless story. As they turn the pages, young children will learn all the words from the world of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, from ‘egg’ to ‘strawberry’, ‘lollipop’, and, finally, ‘beautiful butterfly’! I still know this book off by heart. Find out more…

Baby Animals: Baby Sparkle by DK

Age: 2-4

Price: £3.99 (Board Book)

Description: Suitable for children’s early learning, introducing simple rhymes and funny animal noises, this title engages young babies with sing-song rhymes and more. Find out more…

Pass It On by Sophy Henn

Age: 2-5

Price: £6.99 (Paperback)

Description: A joyful and uplifting picture book about finding happiness in the smallest of things, from picture book star Sophy Henn – World Book Day illustrator and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Find out more…

Happy and the Dinosaurs have a Happy Birthday by Ian Whybrow

Age: 3-5

Price: £5.99 (Paperback)

Description: Harry and his dinosaurs love birthday parties, so Harry’s disappointed when big sister, Sam, says she’s going to one – alone. Not only is it Mr Oakley’s birthday, but Harry finds out that it’s the dinosaurs’ one hundred millionth birthday too! Harry decides to throw a surprise birthday party and soon even Sam helps to make the party treats. Mum invites Mr Oakley over and he is very surprised when he arrives; in fact, everyone agrees that it’s the best birthday party ever! Find out more…

The Fox and the Star by Coralie Bickford-Smith

Age: A tale which relates to all ages

Price: £6.99 (Paperback)

Description: This is the moving story of a fox, a star and an eternal friendship, written and beautifully illustrated by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith – chosen as Waterstones Book of the Year and selected in Time Out’s 100 Best Children’s Books. Find out more…

George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl

Age: 5-7

Price: £4.99 (Paperback)

Description: George Kranky’s Grandma is a miserable grouch. George really hates that horrid old witchy woman. One Saturday morning, George is in charge of giving Grandma her medicine. So-ho! Ah-ha! Ho-hum! George knows exactly what to do. A magic medicine it will be. One that will either cure her completely . . . or blow off the top of her head. Find out more…

The Racehorse who Disappeared by Clare Balding

Age: 7-9

Price: £3.49 (Paperback)

Description: Life is slowly getting back to normal for Charlie after her reluctant racehorse, Noble Warrior, won the Derby and saved her family from financial ruin. But drama soon returns to Folly Farm when thieves break into the farmyard in the dead of night and kidnap Noble Warrior! With the police baffled and no trace of the prizewinning thoroughbred to be found, Charlie launches her own investigation… Find out more…

If you like the sound of this book, don’t forget to enter our competition below for your chance to win a signed copy.

A School Like Mine (Children Just Like Me) by DK

Age: 7-9

Price: £11.34 (Hardback)

Description: An amazing children’s book exploring schools around the world through the eyes of pupils. A modern take on DK’s classic children’s book reveals the lives of children as they learn at school in their own words. See school activities, classrooms, and playtime in photographs that will appeal to all children curious to learn about the lives of other schoolchildren on every continent. With classic DK design and text, using children’s own words, children will take a journey around the world to discover A School Just Like Mine. Find out more…

Doctor Who: A History of Humankind: The Doctor’s Official Guide by BBC

Age: 7-12

Price: £9.99 (Hardback)

Description: Over billions of years of time travel, the Doctor has run into his fair share of important people – and he’s formed opinions on most of them too. Now the Twelfth Doctor has got hold of a history textbook from Coal Hill School, and he’s decided to improve it with notes of his own. From Nefertiti to Robin Hood, this essential Doctor’s guide gives us his unique take on Earth’s most famous historical figures. Through annotations, scribblings and his trademark snarky humour, the Doctor has plenty to say about the pudding-brained humans he’s met on his travels. It’s history . . . but perhaps not quite as you know it! Find out more…

Hilo: The Great Big Boom by Judd Winick

Age: 8-12

Price: £7.74 (Paperback)

Description: When we last saw our INTREPID TRIO, Gina had been sucked into a mysterious portal to who-knows-where. But friends don’t let friends disappear into NOWHERE! It’s up to D.J. and Hilo to follow her! Will there be danger? YES! Will there be amazing surprises? OF COURSE! Will Gina end up being the one to save them? DEFINITELY! With the help of Polly, the magical warrior cat, the friends will have to battle bad guys and face disgusting food, an angry mom, terrible knock-knock jokes, powerful magic, and more! Will they survive and make it back to Earth before the portal closes again? Find out more…

Do you have any children’s reading suggestions, we’d love to hear them, let us know in the comments below.

Entering the competition

To win a signed copy of Clare Balding’s ‘The Racehorse who Disappeared’, all you have to do is answer the following question:

Up to what age of kids clothes do Stripey Stork rehome?

And we give you a clue, so you can’t go wrong. Enter using the Rafflecopter entry form below. Only one entry per person and UK residents only please. The competition opens on Tuesday 17 July and closes at 12am (midnight) on Wednesday 25 July 2018. The winner will be chosen at random, notified and announced shortly afterwards. Prize can be collected from our Redhill office (RH1 2LJ) or posted to a UK address. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you

We’d like to thank Penguin Random House for their generosity in donating this lovely bundle of books and the competition prize. If anyone has any good condition or new books which they’d like to donate to our cause then please email donate@stripeystork.org.uk. We include books with every donation request and give brand new books with every Christmas present for our Santa Stork appeal.

Thank you #TeamStork.

The post Stripey’s summer reading list and competition appeared first on Stripey Stork.

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Rachel’s Top Tips

You can also download the printer friendly version here: Top Tips Smartphone Photo Guide

1. Make sure your lens is clean

If your phone is anything like mine, it’s usually in the hands of my children, and quite probably sticky! So before you load up your camera app, give the lens a wipe, this will help keep your images looking as sharp as they can.

2. Get their attention with a sticker

When my boys were small, I struggled to take pictures of them looking at my phone. So I put a silly sticker on the back of it to encourage them to look at me. It captured their attention in the direction of my phone for just long enough to take the picture!

3. Think about what you want to capture, and what you don’t

You want a lovely picture of your little one in their new outfit, but you probably don’t want to remember the mess that might be lurking in the background! Look through the viewfinder and check if there is anything in the frame that you don’t want to show, and either move it or get closer to your child so that these things aren’t in the frame causing a distraction.

4. Choose where to focus

Most smartphones allow you to select a focus point for your picture. For example, if you were taking a picture of your child at the park, you want to make sure your child and in particular, their eyes, are in focus. When you have composed your shot, tap the screen in the area you want to focus on before you take the picture.

5. Think about the light

I know that there are certain places in our house that are great for taking photos, and usually they are when the children are facing windows. If your images are coming out dark, instead of using the flash, try turning on the overhead lights, as children often react in wacky ways to a flash. And if you have lights in the background, these can confuse your smartphone and give you a dark image, so try moving slightly and then focusing on your child’s face so that the smartphone can do it’s magic.

6. Get down or climb up

When I’m on a family shoot, you’ll often find me lying on the ground. That’s because I want to get down to a child’s level, and to capture the world from their perspective. A higher perspective looking down on your child can capture them from your point of view, so experiment with both, and see which you prefer.

7. Keep the phone as still as possible

This is often easier said than done, but especially in low light, any movement can result in blurred images. If this happens, see if you can lean against something, perhaps a door frame or a table. And if you are getting blurry pictures because your little one won’t keep still, try giving them a toy to hold, or asking them a question, they may just stay still for long enough for you!

8. Look after your memory

Isn’t it annoying when you go to take a picture and your phone says out of memory? That could be because your phone is full of pictures that you don’t realise you have kept and you don’t actually want to keep. I’m guilty of this myself, my phone has 11,629 images on it right now, and I’m guessing at least half of them are not worth keeping! So try to remember to delete photos on your camera roll that you don’t want, every week or so, and check that they are actually deleted and not sitting in a deleted items folder still taking up space! Images taken with features such as live view are a lot bigger than normal images, and video clips bigger still, so I’d recommend checking back, and for videos, trim them to just the good bits. If you are really struggling for space and have a computer, you can always move your saved pictures from your phone onto your hard drive.

9. Check your backup

The second reason I mention memory is to check you’re backing up your phone. I checked a month or so ago and despite having automatic cloud backup, it hadn’t been running for a few months for some reason. Thank goodness I noticed! You can back up your phone to a computer if that’s easier, but just set a reminder to yourself to do so once a week or month.

10. Print out your favourites

You probably have some favourite pictures of your kids on your phone, so why not print them out to enjoy everyday? There are lots of different companies online that print everything from magnets to postcards, so pick a few of your favourite phone pictures and stick them up on your fridge for everyone to enjoy. They’ll be sure to make you smile. And this will remind you how quickly the children are growing, and encourage you to take more! Perhaps even similar poses or places, and once you print new ones, put the old ones away in a memory box. Your children will love looking back through them in years to come.

So that’s it! Go forth and take photographs!

A huge thank you to Rachel for writing these tips, you can see more of Rachel’s award winning work here.

The post Top tips for taking better photos of your kids with a smartphone appeared first on Stripey Stork.