This summer, we are once again hosting our annual Summer Residential for children and families impacted by parental imprisonment. We need your support to make this happen. We are trying to raise £5000 to cover activity, staff, food, and travel costs for the Residential. Over 200 families from across England and Wales will attend this year, making it our largest Summer Residential yet!
To donate to our Crowdfunder, follow this link here. Every donation makes a massive difference to the children and families we support.
Most kids with a parent in prison never mention their parent’s arrest to others and never meet other kids in similar situations. Some of these kids and their families have been hounded by the media and their communities because of their parent’s crimes—crimes the kids are completely innocent of. They grow up feeling that they’ve done something wrong and feeling guilty for loving their mum or dad in prison.
At our August Summer Residential, these kids get the chance to meet other children and families just like them. Over the weekend, the children make friends, share their experiences, and most importantly, get to be kids and have fun. We run activities that build their self-confidence and self-esteem, raise their aspirations, and celebrate their skills and achievements. Children can talk about their experience of having a parent in prison without being judged, often for the first time.
In past years, activities at the residential have included a Teddy Bear Picnic, a slip & slide, a rock climbing wall, and professional face painting. This, in addition to the important work our staff do throughout the weekend to ensure the children and families are able to process their feelings and build their self-esteem.
The residential will take place in late August at the Hill End Outdoor Education Centre in Oxford, a beautiful 67-acre site with plenty of space for the children to play outdoors and connect with nature.