Families Suffolk Magazine: Sept/Oct 2022 - Print Edition

St Elizabeth Hospice is calling on all brave ‘soles’ to cross barefoot over red-hot embers to raise funds for the charity on Saturday 22 October, at Venue 16.

Gates open at 6pm, registration closes at 6:50pm with Firewalk training commencing at 7pm and there will be a range of drink and street food to enjoy with the event ending at 10pm.

Participation costs £25 and by signing up you will pledge to fundraise for the hospice to help improve life for people living with progressive and life-limiting illnesses in Suffolk.

Walkers should be aged over 11 years old. However we will consider slightly younger if they are mature. We ask if under 18 that they are mature enough to listen to and understand the training and will require a parent or guardian to sign a form.

St Elizabeth Hospice is looking for Shining Stars who can take on the challenge to accumulate funds to support patients and their families. Just like our hospice team, get your school or youth group to become Shining Stars and receive a selection box of activity plans. You could also get a visit from our hospice stars Woolly Pully and Owl-fie.

The Star Challenge is an enjoyable learning experience to inspire a younger generation to ‘give back’ to a local charity and understand how our hospice stars support their community.

St Elizabeth Hospice is an independent Suffolk charity, which every year delivers care to over 3,000 patients and their families throughout East Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Waveney, who are living with a progressive or life-limiting illness.

These services cost £12.9m to facilitate each year, with the charity raising 70% of funds via revenue streams and the generosity of the community through support of its retail shops and fundraising activities. www.stelizabethhospice.org.uk

12,000 copies of the magazine are distributed throughout Suffolk. To request copies please contact the Editor.

Welcome

Welcome to our new Autumn edition, I hope you have had a lovely summer and made lots of great family memories. September is such a big month, it’s almost as big as a new calendar year, the start of a new school year is momentous. I hope the start of the new academic year has gone smoothly and your family are getting back into a new routine.

It won’t be long until we are planning the October Half Term, so as ever to help you, we have a great ‘What’s On’ guide covering the next few months including lots of Halloween themed days out and a list of local places for Pumkin picking.

This issue also includes a Family Law feature that offers helpful advice to couples who live together but are not married. Don’t forget you can stay up to date with more helpful advice, support and information by following us on Facebook.

Power of Stories

The Power of Stories touring exhibition based on the original award-winning exhibition by Ipswich Museums culminates at Snape Maltings.

The expansive foyer that connects the reed beds outside with the concert hall will be inhabited by this exhibition that explores storytelling in the arts, making space for more people and communities to tell their stories. Inspired by the Marvel film Black Panther, the first blockbuster film with a black director, writer and cast, there will be contributions from the local community along with a look into the Britten and Pears archive based in Aldeburgh.

This fantastic exhibition, featuring costumes from the film Black Panther, is open daily 10am – 5pm (4pm on Sundays), and during evening concerts from October 2022 to January 2023.

This tour is in partnership with Marvel Studios, Aspire Black Suffolk and the Association of Suffolk Museums with the support of CIC, Colchester + Ipswich Museum Service, Arts Council England and Suffolk County Council.

For more information, visit: www.brittenpearsarts.org/ autumn-exhibition-the-power-of-stories

LIVING TOGETHER BUT NOT MARRIED?

HOW DO YOU PROTECT YOURSELF

Seek advice as soon as possible – This might not seem the most romantic option if you are about to start your life together but it will save considerable distress, upset and confusion later on if the relationship was to flounder. Similarly, it is best to seek advice when a relationship breaks up so that you can be clear as early as possible, what your options might be and resolve things with the least disruption and distress as possible, as soon as possible.

With cohabitation being the fastest growing family type, even more couples are falling for the ‘common law marriage myth’ and the mistaken belief that after a certain amount of time, the law treats cohabiting couples as if married.

A recent government committee report calls for, among other actions, a public awareness campaign to highlight the legal distinctions between getting married, forming a civil partnership and living as cohabiting partners. A change in the law to adapt to the social reality of modern relationships may be long overdue, but, if you are one of the UK’s 3.6 million cohabiting couples, be warned – it has not happened yet!

THE BASIC FACTS:

• There is no such thing as “common law husband and wife”.

• Cohabitees often have little or no legal protection at the end of a relationship regardless of its longevity.

• Although joint property can be shared, if the house is in one party’s sole name (on the title deeds or at the Land Registry), the prospects of seeking a share of this asset are significantly reduced if you are not married. There is no automatic right to a share in the property and this will have to be dealt with under the complicated laws of property and of trusts.

• There is no right to claim maintenance if you are the financially weaker party. The only statutory obligation is for the payment of child maintenance.

• There is no ability to share pensions.

• If one party dies during the relationship, the surviving partner may not have an automatic right to remain in their home and might have to take lengthy and expensive court proceedings just to be able to stay in their home. They may also lose out on tax advantages that exist for married couples in the event of the death of one of them.

A Cohabitation or Living Together Agreement –The best and easiest way to avoid any dispute in the future and to minimise difficulty at the end of a relationship is to set everything out in writing. This can include interests in property, who pays for what and what is to happen if the relationship does not last.

Make a Will – This can cover what you would like to happen in the event of your death and can also include provisions for the non property owning partner to be able to stay in their home should the other pass away. It could also include other capital and ongoing financial provision for the surviving partner and children. It might be helpful when considering the terms of a Will, to obtain financial advice to help with tax planning so as to minimise the amount of Inheritance Tax that may be payable.

Declaration of Trust – Perhaps you have bought a property jointly but contributed different amounts or have purchased in one name only but the other has paid some money towards it. Those interests can be set out in writing –speak to your solicitor about this. This can help in situations where either or both parties have contributed to the purchase costs or even renovation works.

Written agreement upon separation – This will ensure that the terms of any relationship breakdown is clear and unambiguous and sets out each party’s entitlements and obligations.

GET PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

We at Bates Wells and Braithwaite have a wealth of experience in advising cohabiting couples, both before and after their relationship has broken down and can help with all of those issues and options set out in this article.

Please contact us at: www.bates-wells.co.uk

Denise Head, family law specialist, highlights the most recent call to improve legal protections for

There are calls for the law to reflect modern relationships, but in the meantime beware the ‘common law marriage myth’.

unmarried couples and explores current options to protect yourself in the event of a break-up.

High levels of pollution can cause asthma in children, and it can stunt their lung growth, which can have an impact on their health for the rest of their life.

Even though children only spend 40% of their day at school, research has shown that as much as 60% of a child’s exposure to pollution can be from the school run and while at school.

Cleaning up the air around schools is therefore a top priority, and putting a stop to idling is a great way to start. Whether you’re a parent, child, teacher or local resident, you can help spread the no idling message.

We know that idling engines can be a bit of a grey area, so here’s a myth buster which will help you to separate the truth from the myths.

MYTH

I need to run the engine to keep the heater on.

If I’m parked on a yellow line, keeping my engine running means I won’t get a fine.

Doesn’t stopping and starting wear out the engine?

TRUTH

The heater should stay warm with just the ignition on for up to 30 minutes after parking.

Idling is against the traffic regulations so you could get a fine for idling and a parking ticket.

This is no longer a problem with modern engines, and by not idling you will use less fuel and reduce your fuel costs.

Idling can create high pollution spikes which can affect the people who live work and go to school on that street. a major environmental is estimated that around 40,000 been launched

But surely idling doesn’t contribute very much to air pollution in the grand scheme of things?

Supported By:

CHOKING ADVICE

Babies and young children learn about the world by putting things in their mouths. While you might pick up an object to get a closer look, your baby will probably want to chew it to find out more!

Remember - Babies and young children haven’t learnt how to chew, swallow and breathe in the right order yet. They sometimes get them mixed up, and this can cause choking. Some small objects, such as marbles, beads and button batteries, are just the right size to get stuck in a child's airway and cause choking. Even something as small as a grape can cause a toddler to choke. Reconstituted meat, like hot dogs and burgers, are some of the main dangers, along with hard sweets and nuts.

You can keep your home child friendly by:

• Making sure that small objects such as coins, buttons, small batteries, small parts from toys, are kept out of your child's reach.

• Always cutting up food to make it safer to eat. Foods like tomatoes, grapes and blackberries should be cut into quarters.

• Staying with your child while they eat, encouraging them to sit still and not to wriggle around, run around or lie down.

• Avoid giving peanuts to children under 6 - they can be dangerous if a child chokes on them.

• It’s dangerous to prop a baby up to feed. If they choke they won’t be able to push the bottle away. more information, www.healthysuffolk.org.uk/ChildFriendly

TOP TIPS For Choosing Classes, Activities & Clubs for Your Child

By Elisabeth Dolton

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the range and volume of activities, classes and clubs available for your child to join? Aside from the important issue of LOGISTICS, in other words, how are these activities going to fit into your schedule, how do you go about deciding what to choose?

Here are my top 10 tips:

1. Talk to your children, explain how many activities you think there is time for and find out what they are interested in pursuing.

2. Let them choose at least one class, activity or club themselves.

3. Help them choose activities that reflect who they are and what they want to learn and don’t impose your own preferences.

4. If you have a reluctant child, explain that it’s important and fun to try new things, but don’t insist.

5. Remember that moving from one activity to another is normal amongst children.

6. Always consider the benefits of an activity. For instance, there’s great value in discipline-based activities that create a quality product over a period of time and teach value skills such as leadership and team work eg. putting on a play.

7. Don’t assume that high cost equals high quality.

8. Ensure staff members are professionals with relevant skills and experience.

9. Consider the mix of activities. The benefits of exercise are huge, so try to include a sport.

10. If you are stuck between two similar activities, consider the usefulness, e.g. drumming lessons might be cool, but the piano might have wider applicability.

Good luck!

Would you like your child like to learn to play Cello?

Rachel Raval is an experienced Cello Teacher based in Ipswich and is now accepting applications for an Autumn start.

Rachel tells us what to expect from her Cello Tuition...

• Fun, child-centred approach, using the Suzuki philosophy of ‘Every Child Can’.

• Step-by-step learning, to build confidence.

• We aim to build a solid foundation of technique and beautiful tone right from the start.

• Success is measured by our smiles and joy in shared music-making.

• Individual lessons supported by regular group-work and performance opportunities.

• Learning within a positive, nurturing environment.

• Teacher-Parent-child teamwork; parent support and education.

• Access to the wider Suzuki community - national and international workshops.

• Creating confident, well-rounded, happy and resilient musicians.

• Fostering a life-long passion for music.

• Long-established teaching practice, producing excellent results.

Come and see how we work!

Bring your child to observe individual and group sessions, without obligation. For more information...

Call Rachel on: 07905 702049 or Email: rachel.raval@ntlworld.com

Character Creations Competition Winners Announced

Family support charity Home-Start in Suffolk announced the winners of their exciting Character Creations literacybased competition, championed by author and comedian James Campbell and author and founder of Featherbed Tales Caroline England.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

KEY STAGE 1 - Overall Winner was Daisy from Claydon Primary School.

KEY STAGE 2 - Overall Winner was Abbigail from Great Whelnetham Primary School.

Author James Campbell visited Abbigail at Great Whelnetham Primary School to present her with her prize, he commented: "It was an absolute privilege to be involved in this wonderful project. Getting children to write is so important. We are always banging on about how we need to encourage children to read more books. BUT - children also need to be writing. Not just the ones who want to be writers. We should all be doing it. Creating and telling stories is one of the things that makes humans into humans"

"The children all have such amazing imaginations and should be really proud of what they have created. Choosing a winner was difficult but Snappy Steve by Abbigail at Great Whelnetham Primary School was my favourite. I love what Abbigail created".

Author Caroline England, visited Daisy for a special assembly at Claydon Primary School to handover her winning prize. Caroline comments: “The Character Creations competition is a wonderful way to engage children with stories and let their imaginations run wild. And Wow! How wonderful to see so many beautiful and creative entries to this years competition. I especially loved Daisy's chameleon, so colourful, imaginatively and neatly coloured in. I am so delighted to have been able to introduce Chameleon into the Lizard's Tail storybook and for him to meet our other characters! Well done Daisy!”

To find out more about this years competition and Home-Start in Suffolk visit: www.homestartinsuffolk.org.

Author Caroline England with KS1 Winner Daisy

Author James Campbell with KS2 Winner Abbigail

Framlingham College Prep School taking education into the great outdoors

Framlingham College Prep School is set in 28 acres of beautiful rural Suffolk countryside, so it’s no surprise that promoting teaching and learning outside the traditional classroom sits at the forefront of their education agenda.

Described by Head Jonathan Egan as a ‘child’s utopia’, the school is nestled in the quiet surrounds of Brandeston village, with grounds that expand vast areas of idyllic open space, complete with breath-taking views (and more recently paddle boarding use) of the river Deben.

With such an inspiring setting for pupils to spend their days, it’s easy to see why the school wishes to capitalise on its use of outdoor space to enhance pupils’ academic learning. In 2016 the school developed its own specialised outdoor learning area, which has been continuously used to deliver weekly Forest School sessions and is home to a dedicated Low Ropes Course.

In 2021, Jo Drury, the school’s Forest School teacher, was appointed Head of Outdoor Education, tasked with expanding outdoor education provision across the whole school and enhancing the learning outcomes of all FCPS pupils. She commented: “Our desire at FCPS is to bolster the entire curriculum proposition by encouraging ‘classroom’ learning to be taken into the outdoor environment, no matter what subject or age of pupils being taught. For so many pupils, being in an open space may not feel as restrictive as a classroom and allows for movement and much needed time to be mindful. Playing and problem solving with natural resources allows children to experiment and find flow and inspires imaginations, which can be an exceptionally powerful tool to nurture a love of learning. All of our teaching staff are enthused and supportive of our outdoor education philosophy. We provide training to encourage and support our staff in embracing the outdoor setting for teaching delivery, witnessing great success, especially in areas such as English, Drama and Maths.”

Further plans to incorporate the use of outdoor space within the school’s co-curricular programme include the launch of a ‘mini DofE’ initiative, designed to provide life-skill development opportunities which will support pupils in their future endeavours for years to come.

With our ambitious learning culture, a focus on every individual and a breadth and blend of opportunities, we help our pupils discover and develop their talents to create their own life-story.

Our size, structure and ethos mean that our entire focus is on understanding, guiding and inspiring each child individually – so they can find their own voice, their confidence, self-belief and aspiration, discover their own talents, challenge themselves and reach their full potential.

We are academics, actors, musicians, expeditioners, sports people, innovators, scientists, decision makers, artists, fun lovers, nurturers and thought provokers. Often we are many things within one. But, we are all individual with our own story.

PREP SCHOOL OPEN MORNING Saturday 15 October 2022

Visit framlinghamcollege.co.uk/openmornings to book, or call our Admissions team on 01728 685331

Where every pupil creates their own story.