one step at a time…
In the end, the pitch went ok… but for a wee while in the morning I must confess I nearly pulled out.
I have been humbled by the talent that was all around me today & slightly intimidated by all the talk about “return on investment” but then ClearlySo is a business event… as someone representing a charity it can feel like just because the return on investment is not in the form of cash that people will not be all that interested.
Wrong!
The pitch is a blur to me now but here’s basically the essence of what I said
I’m Gloria from Kids First Trust, a children’s charity established by Woolworths. The main thing we do is empower children. We do this by allowing 4 – 10yr olds to redesign their playgrounds and then win a grant to build them; because play is the work of children. Through the scheme the children develop skills & competencies that are vital to their development. We’ve been progressing through our own chaos since Woolworths collapse but we intend to take our national programme outside of just the school sytem and internationally eventually. I need your time, talent and your money to help make that happen. Please come and see me afterwards if you’re interested.
I don’t know what my time was but it wasn’t 45 seconds as I didn’t get stopped.
I do remember feeling slightly concerned that maybe it wasn’t the right marketplace for me to be making my pitch but in fact several people ranging from potential investors to partner organisations came up and spoke to me afterward.
Who knows where it will lead? Even if there is no funding from this, I have gained valuable experience today and a renewed determination.
We’ll get there.
Pitch Update – Progress through Chaos
Its the afternoon before the morning after.
Thanks to a number of helpful and lovely people I’ve been able to get my head around what I want to say. These things are so nerve-wracking at first. The KF team are so incredibly positive all of the time but the fact is that we are fighting for survival and its hard work.
The charity has achieved a lot since it was established and this year has been fantastic but we have plans for the future and its my responsibility to see those to fruition. I feel very responsible for ensuring that we continue what we do. Especially when I get school reports through, like the one from Wilden Lower School today that say things like:
We learnt a lot from the playground partnership work, not least just how much children can achieve given the opportunities to act independently once pointed in the right direction.
Children are more than capable of making good decisions if given the chance. They know what works for them and what doesn’t. Sometimes we, as adults, don’t give them enough credit. A scheme like Playground Partnerships throws conventionality out of the school window and places kids at the heart of the process. Why?
Because we believe in empowering them.
We include a lot more child led learning opportunities in our curriculum now….
See, it works. An entire school curriculum approach has been changed because of Playground Partnerships!
The awarding of the money is an important part of what the scheme is about but the first and foremost thing we at Kids First are interested in is child development. Its imperative to build in the opportunity for children to develop life skills that they will need in the future. By allowing them to take control and achieve, their confidence is also increased.
Every area of Every Child Matters was well met and clarified during the project as was recognised in our recent Ofsted Inspection, “Pupils took a leading role in designing, costing and putting into effect recent major playground improvements. This project made a good contribution to the development of skills relevant to their future.”
So tomorrow I am going to talk about all the above and where we are going. All in 45 seconds!
Thank you to (in no particular order)
- Lucy Buck
- Thomas Heiser
- Chris Smith
- Steve Heyes
- Josef Davies-Coates
- Trevor Dahl
- Richard Leyland
- Adelle Roberts
- Ben Rowswell
- Christine Charles
for advice, support, cups of tea and much needed encouragement.
There is no shame in an eleven minute mile
A soggy finish
It has been a whole month since my last post but the training for the 2010 Virgin London Marathon continues.
So, what’s changed? Not an awful lot if I am honest. I am still managing to get out three times a week and have even managed some hills which I had previously gone out of my way to avoid. I am not really getting any faster but I am still enjoying it. Now that the autumn has rolled in and the weather is ‘changeable’ the kids are bringing a different cough or cold home from school for me to catch every week. This is hampering speed but not my enthusiasm so surely that is half the battle.
Last Sunday I reached another milestone; my first organised 10k. I had trawled the internet and found that the Rainforest Foundation had one scheduled for 1st November. The date was right in terms of increasing my distance so I booked myself and Karl on to it and arranged for my Mum to have the kids, the intention being that they came along and watched.
For those of you with a keen interest in the weather you will remember that the 1st of November turned out to be London’s wettest day of the year so far. When I first woke up last Sunday morning it was still dry and a little bit sunny, things were looking hopeful and I just figured that the met office had got it wrong. However, by the time I had been bullied out of bed and down the stairs by Violet in need of her breakfast things in the sky had taken a turn for the worse. The clouds were thick, the trees were waving around like mad things and the rain was pelting down on the flat roof of our kitchen making those LOUD pitter patter sounds associated with many a British caravan holiday.
Suddenly, getting to and running around Finsbury Park seemed like a bit of an effort. I fed the kids, my mother and myself and then sent the small people up to jump on Karl and find out if he was up for this run or not. His reply, expertly delivered by Alfie, was “he’ll do it if you are doing it, are you doing it Mummy?”. The rain was louder now but my beans on toast had set me up for the day and being put on the spot like that made my mind up for me. “Tell Daddy, yes I am” I yelled up the stairs.
The weather being as rubbish as it was, it was decided that Alfie and Violet would remain at home with Granny so Karl and I set off up the road to catch the train to Victoria and then on to Finsbury Park. By the time we had reached Kent House Station my feet, arms and legs were all ready wet through but it was too late to turn back, the decision was final. On arriving at Finsbury Park 50 minutes later it seemed much wetter and windier than it had been ‘down sowf’ and although 2ooo runners had been expected it looked like we were 2 of about 12 that had turned up! By the time it was warm up time at 10.50am a few more had made an appearance and we all gamely stretched and jogged on the spot in our rain coats.
The hooter went off on time at 11.15 and I set off next to Karl but to be honest, it wasn’t fun. The rain was honking down heavier and heavier and although I had shed one layer I was still in my rain coat which soon became quite heavy. After about 2k it was clear that Karl is faster than me. This was annoying because he hadn’t run for ages but I am much happier at my own pace so let him trot off up the hill in front of me. I hadn’t realised quite how small or hilly Finsbury Park was and whilst size isn’t everything doing circuits of a hilly park on a very yucky day felt a bit frustrating.
By the time I saw Karl for the second time I had shed my rain coat and was just ahead of the halfway marker. I wasn’t best pleased at that time and seeing as the half way mark was the same as the start and finish of the race I did consider giving up. But being a Taurus, that is not an option so I finally got into my stride and by about 5 1/2 k I started to enjoy myself. I still didn’t enjoy the many hills that were now covered in slippy leaves but as the cliche goes, what goes up has to come down and the thought of the down bit kept me going. On the last 2k of the race we had to run up and down the same bit of road three times but at least it was familiar territory. I eventually finished, soggy right through in 1 hr and 5 mins. This is not as quick as I would have liked but considering the strength of the wind on the final (3) home straits and the constant rainfall I was pretty pleased that it wasn’t longer. Plus, the fastest woman was only 18 minutes quicker and Karl was only 7 minutes quicker so all in all a good mornings work and a nice distance to have under my belt. As it happens I was 416th out of 550 so must do better next time.
For the last couple of days I have been suffering from a nasty cough which doesn’t help the asthma so I hadn’t run since last Sunday. But, I must have the bug because I have missed it. So tonight I went off down the garage (in these dark nights the treadmill is my friend) and did a 5k with one stop for a quick cough. I feel good for pushing myself today and although I was nearer to doing 11 rather than 10 minute miles, with a mild chest infection, where is the shame in that? You can support me at http://www.justgiving.com/thehoods
45 Seconds to Progress through Chaos
On Monday 2nd November I received an email from Theresa Burton, a lady that I met some months ago informing me that her company had three complimentary tickets to this event. The first three people to reply to the email would receive a ticket and the opportunity to make a 45 second pitch for funding support.
Yes, folks that really is 45 SECONDS.
I have written my first draft and practiced it in front of a camera so that I can gather your valuable opinions. I have never pitched for 45 seconds before… I will use all your feedback to tweak the pitch to gain my entry to the Dragons Den that the conference has towards the end of the day and then I’ll do what I do.
The theme of the conference is: PROGRESS THROUGH CHAOS
I thought this seemed quite apt given our history with Woolworths, who incidentally would have celebrated their 100th year with a big Kids First bang had they been around on our high streets…
Thank you to Theresa Burton for the opportunity and Lucy Buck, Thomas Heiser, Josef Davies-Coates & Chris Smith for their support, advice and assistance.
Over to you…
In case you can’t hear the words they are:
Hi I’m Gloria from Kids First. Kids First Trust is a national charity established by Woolworths, passionate about the wellbeing and development of children.
Our programmes give practical assistance to help implement children’s ideas. For example, our Playground Partnerships Awards scheme has uspported 40,000 children to redesign their play spaces whilst developing life skills and competencies designed to help them grow up to be confident, positive leaders in the future.
We are proud to be progressing through the chaos following Woolworths demise. I invite you to be part of our journey to continue children’s lives for the better.
Going to bed with a dream, waking up with a purpose.
Seems as though I’ve just blinked and its now October! Its been a year since our first ever Gigs First, which we held whilst we were still Woolworths Kids First and since then soooo much has happened.
I think it’s useful from time to time to take stock and allow the journey to sink in. It’s been tough at times, our workloads have ramped up, fundraising has been hard.
We’ve had some fantastic news recently too in August we applied to The Media Trust for a chance to have one of their volunteer film-makers produce a short documentary about Kids First. We have now received a confirmation letter to say that we are definitely getting one made! Hopefully in early December we will be able to showcase our documentary 
I am just preparing my first ever Annual Report which I initially felt a little daunted by but now I feel so incredibly proud of everything we have done in the most difficult of circumstances.
Since February we have:
- Changed our name
- Moved house
- Designed our first ever website
- Been featured in the press
- Produced our 2nd Gigs First raising £750
- Persuaded our Trustees to run the Playground Partnerships scheme with our reserves
- Rewritten the material for Playground Partnerships
- Redesigned the website to take the PP resources wholly online
- Attended scores of pitching meetings
- Developed an ethical code to help guide us on our corporate partnerships
- Designed a Kids First partnerships brochure
- Skydived despite being terrified of heights
- Launched the Playground Partnerships Scheme nationally
- Started training for the London Marathon
- Welcomed Kath and Gos as Volunteers at Kids First
- Connected with lots of other like-minded charitable organisations
- Met with some of our 2008 Playground Partnerships winning schools
- Attended meetings at London Play and Lambeth Play Association
- Connected with Michael Norton, fundraising guru and been accepted as a “pioneer venture” for his new scheme
- Got more involved with The Hub Members Council and Charities Forum
- Produced the Red Carpet’s Little Rug
- Worked with GK Partners to produce a business plan
and more!
One thing that keeps me going above all else is the knowledge that every single day I get out of bed and get a step closer to realising the dream: to change children’s lives for the better.
Is it worth the blood, sweat, tears and terror (of falling out the sky)?
Yep!
The running continues (but somewhat in the background)
Hey there running fans! Apologies for everything going a bit quiet lately, but fear not, the running has continued although the blogging has taken a hit due to the appearance of next years events plan and its impending work-load.
It is now 4 weeks since my much celebrated 5k race in Hyde Park on the 6th September. This was my first ever organised run (with the exception of Sports Day at school) and as most of you will know I was exceptionally chuffed with my 32 minute race time. The Adidas Ladies 5k event was a bizarre experience. I have never really been one for the ’sisterhood’ but lining up with 17, 000 other ladies did add a certain warmth to my nervous belly. I got chatting to a few fellow runners, some newbies like me and some old hands but everyone had a common goal and that was simply getting to the end. It took a while for us to all get through the start line, in fact by the time my official race started the elite athletes had already finished but as I passed through at 11.20 it felt good and the stunning Hyde Park venue added to this spectacular event.
I knew that Karl and our children were at about the 3k mark which was perfect as seeing them was a real focus for the first half of the race. The second half was definitely harder but it all felt like such a buzz that I could hardly believe it when I spotted the 4k marker and then the final stretch. Those that know me will know that I am quite emotional and cry at things that normal people wouldn’t even notice. It therefore came as no surprise to me that I did shed a tear as I ran over the finish line. I called my mum at this point and because of the emotion in my voice she misheard me and thought I said I had won! This wasn’t the case but bless her for even thinking it. Anyway as I trotted back to meet the family after the finish, I fed my diet coke addiction and life felt good. So much so that I have entered a 10k in Finsbury Park on 1st November.
I am currently running between 3 and 4 miles three times a week. This isn’t really far enough but I am still a beginner and am taking it steady although I will start upping my game soon. I am a little disappointed that I haven’t lost any weight yet but I haven’t gained any either so that’s OK. In the meantime, my son Alfie has taken up cross country at school and I like to think that I have influenced this in some way.
He has asked if he can come out running with me at weekends. Of course he can, but not if he beats me back home, that would be a step too far…
The Journey So Far, Perception & Wisdom
It’s been an interesting few weeks at the Kids First Trust, I’ve gone from an outsider to a fully fledged member of the team.
Overseeing the Playground Partnerships scheme has also been a chance for me to gain an understanding of the ‘nitty gritty’ underlying any charitable project. Often when any charity launches a campaign, as members of the public what we see and hear are the TV adverts and radio spots. Stepping ‘behind the scenes’ and into the world of press releases, website editing and internet marketing, for me, has been fascinating and at times quite testing.
I must admit there were a few times where I thought ‘Jeeez Gos, your lonnnng way from the comforts of Law School now!’
So, down to business…how is the Playground Partnerships scheme going at the moment?
Well if you asked me 4 weeks ago, my own expectations would have been rather conservative. I mean sure, there will be some interest, why wouldn’t there be?
It’s now 3 weeks since we launched Playground Partnerships for 2009/2010. The interest and feedback we’ve received from schools has been strong with registrations easily surpassing 1,000 in number.
However, what has really struck me is some of the motivation behind schools decision to enter the scheme. I mean sure, they want a chance at winning £10,000 to improve their playgrounds right? What school wouldn’t? But in the emails I’ve exchanged with teachers, governors and even PTA members, the reasoning for joining up to the scheme goes MUCH deeper.
Last week a teacher from a small primary school in the midlands contacted me. She had already registered her school, and emailed me to thank Kids First for providing the children in her school the chance to design of a new play area. She also mentioned the difficulties the school had faced in the last few years, as well as how a new playground could become a source of inspiration for the children.
That took me a second to digest….a source of inspiration?
It’s often said that life and your experiences are shaped by your perception, and in that moment my perception of what Playground Partnerships is and can be, changed. I had always thought of the scheme as worthwhile, but I had never really considered the long term benefits.
So I guess my new found wisdom leads me to ask the following question to all Parents, Teachers, Headteachers, Teaching Assistants, Governors, PTA Members and all those connected with schools globally….
‘If you could provide your students/children with the chance to take the lead in the design of something which could inspire them, as well as motivate others, for generations, would you pass that chance up?’
Well I’m off for now, all this wisdom makes me feel like brand new man…I’m going to head over to that expensive clubhouse I call the gym.
And remember, however you came to read this blog post, spread the word, let your local school know about Playground Partnerships!
Peace.
The Red Carpet’s Little Rug
During our days as Woolworths Kids First we were known for our annual flagship fundraiser Red Carpet Bash. This event was THE event of the retail calendar and we would pull out all the stops to make sure it was a show stopper extraordinaire. If there is one thing we really know how to do at Kids First, its harnessing the talent of our friends and putting on a brilliant event for a brilliant cause.
Several times the event has been entered into event awards via the production company that helped us produce it. This year things are different and we are fighting for survival in a climate where everyone is fighting for the same thing. So its no surprise that quite early on we decided that Red Carpet Bash would retire.
However, it has been a phenomenal year in many ways too and so we are arranging a fundraiser to help us – among other things – celebrate our achievements to date and provide us with a special platform to outline our plans for the future.
The future right now looks bright. Let’s hope I am right! Ladies and Gents,
Come along and help us celebrate : events@kidsfirsttrust.org
Impossible is Nothing
Debbie proved that today running 5k distance in a jaw-dropping 32 minutes! This is a lady that suffers from asthma and only started her training journey a number of weeks ago. AWESOME.
We say it all the time but I can’t say it enough. Without dedicated individuals willing to go the extra mile (or two) we would not be able to continue. So a special thanks to Debbie and a plea to all those reading this; do your bit folks. No matter how big or how small we could really do with your help.
Today marks the start of a very important week in the life of Kids First Trust.
On Tuesday we launch Playground Partnerships. It is running this year at a reduced level but we are so, so proud that we are still able to impact children’s lives despite the hardships we are facing. We have worked extremely hard redesigning the way that the scheme runs and rewriting the materials in time. It’s been a huge effort and I for one cannot wait to see how things go when we release it to the schools.
At Kids First Trust we believe that impossible is nothing. We are leading by example. Now guys, its your turn. If you want to help but aren’t sure what you want to do or can do just give us a call or send us an email. We are a really friendly bunch, honest!
The number is 020 7841 8955 or info@kidsfirsttrust.org
Speak soon 
Running at tea time – good or bad?
I am now into week 5 of my ‘training’ and last week was particularly exciting. I made the bold move from hiding in the garage and running on the treadmill to pounding the streets of Beckenham. My first run out on the streets was quite strange. I managed to do the familiar 1 1/2 miles but I did it way too fast and nearly killed myself. I was feeling very concious about bumping into somebody I knew so just ran as fast as my tiny legs would take me. It was kind of fun though, running on the familiar streets that I live within has a certain charm and it was fulfilling to run past the Moguhl Indian restaurant without going in for dinner (it did smell great though)!
Whilst at work the other day I had a moment of madness and began searching for running events that I could take part in to focus my training and give myself little goals to reach. I found the Adidas Women’s 5k which is taking place in Hyde Park on 6th September so I boldly entered online and nominated Kids First as the charity that will recieve £15 from my entrance fee. Apparently 5k equals 3.1 miles and therefore will be 11% of the full marathon. A small step but you have got to start somewhere and anyway it will make a change from dragging the kiddies around watching their Dad run around London. The running shoe will truely be on the other foot. This leads me nicely onto my footwear. Now that I have got going I visited a running shop with the purpose of buying proper supportive shoes. This was an experience in itself, running in a skirt while the lady filmed me was not the most natural of things to be doing but nevertheless, it has been done. It appears that my ankles stay quite straight when I land on my feet and therefore I left the shop with some lovely (purple & white) training shoes that offer mild support and quite a bit less money in my pocket. It’s cool though because they go with my jogging bottoms
My latest run was on Monday night. I returned from taking Alfie and Violet out for the day in London. We went on an open top bus tour, Violet’s request, and must have crossed the River Thames about 12 times experiencing at least 8 different bridges. We also spent a couple of hours in St. James’s Park where we harrassed some pigeons and played in the very lovely playground tucked away in front of Buck House. This meant that on our return home I was seriously tired out – I don’t know how full time tourists do it. Nevertheless, I was in the mood for a light jog so took to the streets again. This time I didn’t peg it so much because I felt proud instead of embarrassed at my quest and even managed to run past the end of our road to add a little extra to my route. I didn’t feel so puffed out this time but Karl said I was still bright red when I came back in the house. The legs seem ok so far though, no significant aches to speak of so maybe the expensive footwear is doing it’s job. The only thing I did learn on this one was that if you are feeling a little bit peckish, don’t run at tea time. The cooking smells that filled the air were lovely and at times quite distracting. On the other hand maybe they helped spur me on down the final leg of Balgowan Road and into my own aromatic food smelling house.
