12,000 copies of the magazine are distributed throughout Suffolk. To request copies please contact the Editor.
Printed By: Buxton Press
Next Issue: Jan/Feb 2025
Welcome
12,000 copies of the magazine are distributed throughout Suffolk. To request copies please contact the editor.
Welcome to our new summer issue.
Welcome to our new Winter issue.
It doesn't seem possible that this is our last issue of the year. It has also been 10 years this November that I took over as Editor of Families Suffolk Magazine. It has been an absolute honor and privilege putting these magazines together doe the last decade and I have made some great friends along the way. So, I just wanted to say Thank You to everyone who has supported me along the way.
It doesn't seem possible that the summer holidays are upon us already. To help you and your family prepare we have put together a brilliant What's On guide - full of great days out and ideas for places to visit this summer. I for one cannot wait to visit the new Quentin Blake Exhibition at Moyse's Hall Museum. It wouldn't be a Summer Edition without the wonderful content Suffolk Museums provide for us, and this year does not disappoint. Please head to pages 11 - 13 to see the fantastic range of activities, events and workshops museums in Suffolk are hosting during the summer holidays.
This issue offers you lots of ideas for great family days out over the next few weeks, including The Snowman & The Snowdog exhibition at The Hold and Jack & The Beanstalk pantomime at The Ipswich Regent.
Please also take a look at the new Summer Reading Quest that Suffolk Libraries are organising this year on pages 16-17.
I hope you have a great summer.
Best Wishes
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.
Stacey Phillips
Work flexible hours from home around your family
Families Suffolk is a premium free magazine for parents of children aged 0 to 12 in Suffolk and is now looking for a new owner!
Families Suffolk magazine is part of the brand-leading Families Magazine franchise group, which was established in 1990 and has 40 local titles around the UK.
If you are interested in: ∞ Running your own business, during hours that suit you
∞ learning the skills of print, publishing, copy writing, design, sales, social media and business management
Then call us today for more information: 07951 946736
Email: stacey@familiessuffolk.co.uk
Host a Christmas Jumper Day and help raise money to support families in Suffolk.
With Christmas just around the corner, your staff and pupils will soon be dusting off their Christmas jumpers ready to celebrate the season, and you could use this opportunity to help support a local charity.
Home-Start in Suffolk is the largest family support charity in Suffolk and has supported over 1,400 families over the past year through non-judgmental practical and emotional support.
How your support can really help:
• £25 funds a visit for a week
• £50 funds a telephone supporter for a month
• £100 funds a visit for a month
• £250 can recruit and train a new volunteer
It is simple and FREE to take part, choose a date, register to take part and we will send you everything you need to promote the event including posters and social media posts.
At Home-Start we understand that the Christmas and New Year period can be a particularly challenging time for some families, so the money you raise can help provide a life-line to local families in need.
25
October 2024 – 19 January 2025
Adults: £5 Children over 4: £4
Group ticket (2 adults and 2 children): £14
A delightful exhibition for all ages has opened at The Hold on Ipswich Waterfront. The Snowman™ and The Snowdog features over 40 original illustrations from the film, along with behind-the-scenes drawings and preparatory sketches.
These unique pieces, based on characters created by Raymond Briggs, offer a fascinating insight into the creative processes involved in bringing The Snowman™ back to life for a new generation of viewers.
SCREEN-USEDCOSTUMES&MEMORABILIAFROM BLOCKBUSTER WAR EPICSINCLUDING:
COME AND SEE AN UNLIKELY PAIR OF ANTI-HEROES JOIN FORCES! FOR MORE INFORMATION
https://www.aldeburghmuseum.org.uk/
Suffolk Museums believe that the festive period is about bringing people together and that’s why, this year, they will be putting on a fantastic spread of events for all the family to enjoy.
The word ‘family’ means different things to different people; however you define it, make sure you keep in good company by planning a visit to your local museum this winter. Find out more at suffolkmuseums.org.
The benefits of staying active during Autumn and Winter
Let’s be honest - we all love to hibernate a little, especially once the clocks go back and the evenings draw in. There is something so appealing about cosy nights in, tucking in to a lovely hearty winter’s dish.
And there’s nothing wrong with any of that!
But a great idea is to balance this with plenty of activity both indoors and out, despite the weather being chilly and the days being shorter - so let’s look at the benefits.
Regular activity can increase energy levels, making daily tasks feel less daunting and improving overall productivity. 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Regular activity helps prevent weight gain that often occurs during winter due to reduced outdoor activity and increased calorie consumption from winter-type meals.
Exercise boosts overall immune function, helping the body fend off colds and flu, which are more common in winter months.
Combating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Winter can lead to feelings of sadness and depression. Physical activity releases endorphins, improving mood and reducing anxiety.
Exercise is a proven stress reliever, helping to alleviate tension and promoting relaxation.
Participating in group activities or sports provides opportunities for social interaction, countering feelings of isolation that can occur in winter.
Family or friends can bond over shared activities, fostering a sense of belonging and community.
Staying active helps maintain a regular routine and physical habits, making it easier to transition back to outdoor activities as seasons change.
Winter can be a time to set and achieve new fitness goals, helping maintain motivation and a sense of purpose.
Regular physical activity can improve sleep patterns, combating issues like insomnia that can occur during the darker winter months.
Staying active in winter is vital not just for physical fitness but also for mental well-being and social connection, making it an important aspect of a balanced family lifestyle. So get in some lovely brisk walks, a run, a swim or the gym before you go home and tuck into that stew and dumplings!
Community Health Team in Children and Young People’s Services
Introducing Suffolk’s Healthy Living Service!
Suffolk’s Healthy Living Service is a service to support children and young people overcome the barriers to achieve a healthy weight.
The service supports families with children aged 0 – 19 who are overweight.
As part of the service, we can also support Infant Feeding from antenatal onwards.
How we can help
Support for children, young people, and their families to help remove the barriers to achieving a healthy weight and lifestyle
Scan the QR code to find out more or search:
Call us on: 01473 263700
Healthy Living Service
Suffolk County Council
We can help ease some of the worries around healthy eating and healthy living to support you to be able to raise a happy and healthy child.
The Healthy Living Service includes one-to-one family work, group work, workshops and health promotions, the service can also help find the right support for you in your community and digital support and resources.
Who is eligible
Children and young people aged 0-19 years who live in Suffolk with a BMI on the 91st centile to the 97.9th centile are eligible for support.
Your BMI is a measurement that uses height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. You can check your child’s BMI using the NHS BMI calculator. Visit www.nhs.uk/BMI
How to get in touch
For all enquiries, information and advice, you can contact us via email at: healthylivingservice@suffolk.gov.uk Telephone: 01473 263700
National Child Measurement Programme
In Suffolk the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is carried out by the Healthy Living Service. Before the programme starts each year, we will write to parents and carers of all children eligible for measurement to inform them of the programme. You can find further information by searching Suffolk County Council NCMP.
Fussy Eating Workshop:
If you are a parent or carer with a child aged between one to five years old and would like support with Fussy Eating for your child, we offer monthly daytime and evening virtual workshops. Please contact the Healthy Living Service team on: 01473 263700 or email: healthylivingservice@suffolk.gov.uk
Making Fitness Accessible
Making Fitness Accessible CiC is a not for profit organisation, creating opportunities for everyone to become active through inclusive and accessible physical activity projects, regardless of their age or abilities.
Founded by Matt Brinkley, a dedicated inclusive fitness coach, the organisation’s mission is to eliminate barriers to fitness and exercise participation, ensuring that all individuals can enjoy the benefits of physical activity, whether in the community or their Therapy Gyms. Their team and network of inclusive exercise instructors are dedicated to creating innovative projects and programmes that make fitness accessible to all, through one-to-one coaching, group classes, or community outreach.
The Fun-Fit Club
They understand the needs of their service users, actively recruiting, encouraging and supporting trainers with their own lived experience. One of the many projects is the Fun-Fit Club, which is Sport England funded. It is free to join and offers engaging, playful sessions designed for children of all abilities.
The Club focuses on creating a supportive environment where participants can enjoy exercise while making social connections. They are in partnership with a growing number of schools and home educators, delivering programmes to suit all ages and abilities, recognising involvement and achievement with certificates and personal progress charts within their own exercise and activity guide books.
Providing online one-to-one, group and ‘anytime accessible’ video live and on demand library fitness programs are continuing to support those with time or transport constraints.
This facility proved extremely valuable to many during the pandemic particularly. They have also developed their own illustrated character, ‘Limitless Leo’, who is the first in a series of cartoon style, young people, designed to inspire and portray those needing extra support.
Sensory Gym
In addition to the Fun-Fit Club, Making Fitness Accessible CiC projects also include a Sensory Gym, designed to cater for individuals with sensory processing challenges. This private space, offers a variety of equipment and activities that help improve sensory integration, encouraging exploration and physical engagement in a safe setting.
Making Fitness Accessible CiC can often provide funded sessions for the Sensory Gym and Therapy Gyms through their own supporters and may be able to provide access to contacts for those without funding if required. The Therapy Gyms in Holton St Mary and Sudbury, complement these offerings by providing specialised support for individuals with specific physical or developmental needs. These spaces allow for tailored fitness programs that promote strength, mobility, and overall well-being.
Through these initiatives, Matt Brinkley and his team strive to make fitness enjoyable and fun with achievable activities and benefits for everyone, empowering individuals to lead healthier, more active lives.
For more information about the facilities and activities visit: www.makingfitnessaccessible.com, or instagram: @makingfitnessaccessible.
make fitness accessible to everyone Our initiatives provide specialised gyms and sensory spaces designed to support individuals of all abilities, ensuring that everyone has opportunities to improve their health and well-being. Call 01206 692524 today...
LGetting married?
So now might also be a good time to plan for your divorce?
Family
why savvy couples are now more likely to consult her as part of their other
et’s be clear. Planning to fail is not romantic but there is a growing realism in our society where we cover ourselves for unexpected future outcomes. We are required to have car insurance; we don’t plan to have an accident. We don’t like to consider our own deaths but recognise that making a will is the best way of ensuring our final wishes are carried out.
A prenuptial (prenup) or premarital agreement is one made by couples before entering into marriage or a civil partnership, setting out how assets should be split in the event of a break-up. They are not automatically enforceable in the UK but since 2010 and a case in the Supreme Court involving a German heiress, courts will take them into account provided both parties have taken independent legal advice and have entered into the contract in good faith.
Reading this you will be thinking that such a
Here are some of the scenarios which has led to couples considering a prenup :
• Parental help in buying a first home: property prices continue to soar and getting on the first step of the ladder increasingly requires a little help from the “bank of mum and dad”. The couple in question might still be viewing marriage through rose-tinted specs but you can be sure their parents are more pragmatic. If a chunk of money is to be provided to build the nest, the loving parent will want to make sure that the investment is ring-fenced and still owned by their child and not the “in-law” in the event of a split. Although a parent with such a view cannot force their child to have a prenup, they can always change their mind in terms of the generous loan or gift!
• Marrying later in life: less people are marrying young and so when you are talking about couples in the 30s, one or possibly both parties may have accrued significant assets such as a house or a business. There is recognition that these assets have been developed and acquired pre-marriage and a natural leaning towards wanting to protect what is considered an individual’s rather than the couples’ property. These “millennials” have grown up experiencing divorce between people close to them in a way significantly less common than those of their parents’ or grandparents’ generations. There is also a greater degree of financial parity with more women working and a significant proportion earning more than men. These couples tend to be more practical and choose to maintain a separate financial identity whilst protecting shared future family assets which can be reflected in a prenup.
• Second families: if you have already been through a divorce, your experience may make you more open to the idea of a prenup. This is particularly the case for those with children from previous relationships who will be motivated to consider securing their children’s interests as well as their own in the event of a divorce.
• Family businesses: it makes commercial sense to prevent assets being split in divorce, leaving business potentially vulnerable. If the shares in a business are a couple’s key asset, divorce could mean not just the end of a marriage but also the business.
If we can help you with you consider whether a prenup or indeed a postnup (made retrospectively after marriage) is for you, contact me at denise.head@bates-wells.co.uk.
Embark on an enchanting reading journey with your little one. COMING SOON!
Step into the Forest of Stories, where wonder and imagination grows with every story you share together.
Forest of Stories is Suffolk Libraries’ exciting new programme designed to inspire a love for books from the very start, nurturing your child’s reading journey from newborn to school age.
Email forestofstories@suffolklibraries.co.uk for more information and register your interest in our new early years reading programme today!
Do you believe the Prep Pupils are ambitious and how does this help them get to where they want to be?
Yes, young children can definitely exhibit ambition. They may be inspired by our older students, parents, teachers or other role models. When children have strong interests, they can become motivated or driven to do well in those areas. We support this by helping our children to set goals or personal targets; this could be in academics, sports or creative pursuits.
While ambition in young children may not always be fully formed, it can certainly be nurtured and developed over time. Ambitious children often show a strong desire to learn, explore new ideas and take on challenges.
How do we bolster the ambition of children who are naturally reticent of pushing themselves forward?
I think that this is something we do really well at St Joseph’s College. We support all our children by creating a safe environment and
MEET THE HEAD
Now settling into her tenure as Head of St Joseph’s College Prep School, Mrs Dianne Searle found time to take part in a brief Q&A on what ambition means to her.
encouraging them to take risks. We foster an atmosphere where mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth and learning. By recognising and celebrating effort and not just results, we motivate children to push themselves further.
You are both a new broom and a trusted pair of hands, how has this shaped the way you have approached the role of Headteacher?
As the new Head of Prep, I appreciate the trust that has been placed in me. I value the traditions and successes that our school has built over the years. I am taking time to understand what has worked well and ensure that we continue to nurture those strengths while being open to new ideas, identifying areas that could be improved, that need to change, or should be maintained.
Ambitious children often show a strong desire to learn, explore new ideas and take on challenges.
How much teaching do you manage to do alongside all your other duties? What is your favourite subject to teach?
Maths is definitely my favourite subject to teach. I am still teaching Maths to some of our Year 6 pupils, which is one of the highlights of my week.
This year the Senior students will be performing Aladdin. If the genie suddenly appeared in the Prep School and offered to make three of your ambitions come true, what would they be?
That’s an imaginative question! As a new Headteacher they would be to foster a thriving learning environment; empower staff by ensuring continuous opportunities for professional growth and collaboration; and to develop a strong community. On a personal level, it would definitely be to travel even more; there are so many interesting places in the world that I still want to get to.
