CHARITY WORK |
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Honeypot is a UK children’s charity that provides essential respite breaks plus a wider
programme of support services for vulnerable 5 -12 year old children in need. As one of our
partner charities, we ask you to please read on for more about Honeypot -
and show your support using the sponsorship link below!
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What’s Honeypot all about?
Honeypot helps nearly 1,000 children each year, of which 70% not only live in difficult
circumstances, but are also Young Carers. That means these kids, some as young as five years
old, are grappling with full time education while providing full-time care for a loved one at
home. Often the person they care for is their best friend, rather than a schoolmate, and they
suffer from symptoms of stress, exhaustion and even physical injury as a result of their caring
duties. Not only are these children on duty 24/7, 365 days a year, but they also struggle
financially, with many living in poverty. Pocket money to enjoy a visit to the cinema, or a
trip to the local swimming pool, is a rarity and a holiday is a distant dream. And that’s where
Honeypot comes in…
How does Honeypot help?
The Honeypot Programme gives these kids a chance to be kids again. By involving them in fun,
structured activities, this vital programme helps these children forge new friendships with
those who are in similar circumstances and who are from the same local area. Participating in
a happy, supportive play environment is a first for many, and this experience is instrumental
in making these children less socially isolated, while helping them to develop new skills
and build self-esteem so they can leave feeling happier, relaxed, and better able to cope
with their situation at home. Honeypot is unique in providing support right through
childhood, not just as a one-off, which can be a lifeline for many of these children.
Read Amy's Story
Hear Amy’s Story
Read Loredana's Story
How does the Honeypot Programme work?
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Children are first invited to Honeypot House, in the New Forest, for a one-week break and then
every year (up until the age of 12) they are invited back for a weekend break either to
Honeypot House, the local Out of Town Farm, or the Avon Tyrell Activity Centre (for 8 years+).
The Honeypot Playbus also visits children in their communities up to three times a year, and
the Honeypot Club ensures that kids stay in touch through birthday cards, Christmas gifts,
parties, and photographs of their stays. |
What is Virgin Active’s involvement?
Support from Virgin Active helps enormously; providing funds for up to 700 essential places for
Young Carers in the Honeypot programme, as well as funding towards producing a ‘Really Useful
Book’ for young carers nationwide, planned for 2008/9.
At Virgin Active, we’ve organised a huge range of fundraising activities across our clubs to
raise money for this important cause. From the high profile Flora London Marathon 2008 - where
five team members from Head Office are running in support of Honeypot - to smaller Fun Runs
and Salsa competitions, triathlons and car washes. Every event, no matter how big or small, is
instrumental in raising awareness for Honeypot and the valuable work they do, so to show your
support - make a donation today! You can donate money online to our Honeypot marathon runners
by visiting:
Sponsor our Virgin Active Honeypot runners now!
http://www.justgiving.co.uk/virginactive
For more information about the Honeypot Charity and the important work they do, go to www.honeypot.co.uk.
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