CHICKS Summer Special

CHICKSMaking Memories...

...Giving Hope

July 2014

Inside this issue:

We take a look at the typical

summer activities at CHICKS and

the memories that you’ve

helped make possible

‘‘I hardly ever get away from the city and this week has shown me that people do care...’’

www.chicks.org.uk

CHICKS is lucky to have some of the country’s best beaches right on our doorstep. For many of the children it’s the first time they’ve ever been to the beach or even seen the sea.

Naturally, they’re very excited and spend hours playing together - some of the children build sandcastles, others explore the rock pools or collect shells, and afterwards the whole group come together for a giant game of rounders.

A day at the beachOne little boy recently spent the whole day just digging and building sandcastles with his friends and didn’t want to leave!

Another boy called Daniel went swimming in the sea for the very first time.

Our Respite Break Leaders described how happy he was and how his face lit up as he splashed and swam in the water. He told the group, ‘‘This is the best day ever!’’

Summer Fun at CHICKS

KayakingKayaking gives the children the chance to explore beautiful lakes and rivers which they don’t often see at home. But for some of the children, it’s also a personal challenge.

Anna was terrified of going in the water. But, with some encouragement from her new friends, she gave it a go. Within minutes she was paddling around the lake, smiling and laughing.

When she came out of the water, she was beaming and the CHICKS staff could see how proud she was of herself.

Every week at CHICKS is full of new experiences for the children. Not only do they leave with lots of new memories but they also go away having discovered a new skill or hobby and most importantly, knowing that they can achieve anything they put their mind to.

Building DensSometimes it’s the simplest activities which are the most fun.

Working as a team, the children use whatever materials they can find to build their own den either outside if it’s sunny or indoors in the living room.

They are free to be as creative and imaginative as they like and can spend hours making it as big and bold as they want.

When they’ve finished, all the teams give each other a tour of their den and stand back to admire their creations. You can often find children sitting inside them playing board games, telling stories or just relaxingwith a book.

The children are so proud that they sometimes can’t bring themselves to take the dens down.

Summer Fun at CHICKS

‘‘Meeting all new people that I now call my friends.’’

‘‘Seeing everyone happy, so that made me happy.’’

‘‘I made so many memories and they were all really good, but I think my best was making friends with all the lovely people here.’’

‘‘We had an adventure day and then all had a meal together – it’s like we’re a family.”

The children’s best memories of CHICKS

Campfires Located at the top of the hill, overlooking the stunning Cornish landscape and the pretty village of Tywardreath,is the CHICKS fire pit at our Coastal Retreat.

Here, everyone sits in a circle at the end of the day. With the sun setting in the distance, the group talk about their day, swap stories and sing songs.

And of course, no campfire is complete without toasting marshmallows!

The children are amazed by the view and one of the boys says that it looks ‘‘just like a postcard’’. He tells the groupthat it doesn’t look like this where he lives.

As the evening draws in, the CHICKS staff have one more surprise in storeas they bring up a giantflask of hot chocolate for everyone to enjoy.

Surrounded by new friends, the group relax, have fun and savour the last few hours of the day chatting and staring up at the night’s sky.

The perfect way to spend a balmy evening!

Food glorious food

*Please note that the stories and quotes are real but children’s names have been changed to protect their identity.

Traditional family values lie at the heart of CHICKS and meal times are especially important. It’s a time to eat well and enjoy each other’s company without any distractions.

For children who are used to eating in front of the television or not eating a proper home-cooked meal at all, dinner times at CHICKS are a real treat.

Every evening the whole group sit around the table to enjoy a delicious three course meal

prepared by our cooks, Peggy and Rob. Lots of the children comment on how yummy the food is and many of them pluck up the courage to try something new.

If the weather is particularly good, the CHICKS staff will fire up a barbeque.

Everyone sits outside on the picnic benches and enjoys the huge array of food in front of them. It’s the ideal way to experience summer dining.

I want to make more summer memories...Title……...... Name………..…..…….…..…..… Surname……...………....……………………….….….............Address…………………………………………………………………………………………..……….................. Postcode………………..…….. Telephone number………….………………..…..…………………..............… Signature…………………….. Date……………. Email address………………………...…...........……………

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I would like to make a regular donation of: £5 £10 £25 £50 or £______ Per week / month / quarter / year (please circle) Starting:…../...…/..…Bank name: ………………………………………….Bank address: ……………………………...............................................…....Postcode:……...………Sort code: …..-…..-….. Account number: ……....….......…Bank Instructions: To Barclays PLC, The Parade, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 6AR | Account name: CHICKS Account no: 30162272 Sort code: 20-50-40

We’d love to tell you how your donation has made a difference but if you’d prefer not to receive a thank you, tick here Gift Aid Declaration: If you’re a UK tax payer* your donation could be worth 25% more under the Gift Aid scheme. Just tick the box *I am a UK tax payer and I would like to treat all of my donations to CHICKS in the past, present and future until I notify otherwise, as Gift Aid donations. *To qualify for Gift Aid, what you pay in income tax or capital gains tax must equal the total amount that we, other charities and CASCS will reclaim in the tax year. Higher rate payers can claim the difference between basic and higher tax rate on their tax return. Please note: For us to be able to process your Gift Aid claim, we need to keep these details on file. In line with the Data Protection Act we need to ask your permission to be able to do this. We treat all personal information with respect and never sell or pass on data. If you do not wish your details to be kept on file, please tick here CHICKS would like to keep you updated with how your support changes lives. Please tick here if you do not want to be contacted

Please return this completed donation slip to: Freepost RLZA-ZHKL-BZKR CHICKS Moorland Retreat, Brentor, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 OLX

‘It’s amazing to think what a lasting impression a childhood holiday can make. I still vividly remember the summers I spent in Cornwall with my family - the days we spent on the beach whatever the weather, enjoying quality carefree time with my mum, dad and two sisters.

Every week at CHICKS we strive to recreate the traditional family style holidays many of us remember, whether enjoying a group picnic, building sand castles on the beach or playing games in the gardens. For many of the children, it is the only holiday they’ve ever known and with issues such as poverty, abuse or the challenge of being a young carer, it’s a rare chance for them to just relax and enjoy themselves.

Over the years we have witnessed a growing demand for our services and for several years we have been running close to full capacity. It has therefore been our aim to open a third retreat in 2015 which would allow us to reach out to more children across the UK. I am delighted to say we are making good progress towards this and I look forward to updating you more on this exciting development in our Autumn Magazine!

On behalf of the entire CHICKS team, thank you for your support which makes magical childhood memories possible and I hope you have a wonderful summer.’’

Elanor Hoskin, Chief Executive

The lasting effects of a childhood holiday...

CHICKS is a registered charity in England & Wales (1080953) and in Scotland (SCO40536)

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