Our first Parents' Fayre hosted at The Tabernacle was aimed at providing invaluable support and information to parents with children aged 0 to 21 years old. We welcomed parents eager to gain insights into their child's education, wellbeing, and health.
Engaging talks were a focal point of the event. Sessions included discussions on the support, services, and activities available for families in RBKC, selecting and engaging with schools, understanding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and insights for expectant or new parents on local activities and support.
A special thank you to all the organisations that participated which covered different parenting stages. Maternity Champions offered advice on nurseries, support, and activities for 0 to 4-year-olds. For 5 to 11-year-olds, there were stalls focused on home schooling, private schooling, and extracurricular activities. Parents of 12 to 16-year-olds found information on choices of education, advocacy, local youth activities, and Early Help for families. Meanwhile, parents of 16+ year-olds explored options like 6th form, apprenticeships, university, employment, and more.
Our team of translators supported attendees by ensuring seamless communication and our wonderful Creche team did a great job providing a complimentary service for all children of attendees to ensure that parents' were able to stay as long as needed and gain information they were interested in. The Pop-Up Creche is a service provided by Westway Trust and are available for external bookings.
The free books for children at the stalls were particularly well-received, promoting a love for reading from an early age.
Attendees praised the event for its inclusivity, informative talks, and the practical advice available at the stalls. Many expressed gratitude for the opportunity to connect with local resources that catered to their specific parenting needs.
"The talks, especially Communities Empowerment Network, went well. It is very useful for mums of young black boys who have been excluded or are at risk of exclusion from school."
"A lot of good information for my child including school. It was good to have a crèche I trusted to look after my baby. The service was good."
We plan to build on the success of this event by continuing to offer support and resources for parents in the community. Further initiatives will be discussed to address ongoing challenges and queries raised during the event.
Chief Executive Officer of Westway Trust, Venu Dhupa, said:
With our strong and growing Adult Learning Programme, a diverse Supplementary Schools Programme and a much-needed nursery and crèche provision, this event reflected our Learning Team’s commitment to support local families. This event came about because of unmet need, and importantly compliments what is already happening in North Kensington.
Please let us know what you thought of our first Parents’ Fayre. We aim for continuous improvement in our activities and your feedback will help to make the next fayre even better!
For further information from our exhibitors, visit their websites:
Change4Life, The Children's Book Project, Christ's Hospital, Cost-of-Living Crisis Clinic, Community Empowerment Network, The Dalgarno Trust, Education Otherwise, Family Hub, Family Information Service, Harrow Club, RBKC Libraries, London Sports Trust, The Rugby Portobello Trust, Targeted Prevention Team, University of Westminster, Maternity Champions, Full of Life.