Starbucks Stratford The Broadway

Barnardo’s supports the UK’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, but we can’t do it alone. We need the support of generous, passionate and dedicated supporters like you! Join our team of amazing fundraisers today and get involved with something that can change the lives of children all over the country. Each year thousands of people from around the country take part in our exciting fundraising activities. By using their enthusiasm, ingenuity and creativity they raise vital funds for our work with vulnerable and disadvantaged children. 2016 is a very special year for Barnardo’s. It will be 150 years since Thomas Barnardo arrived in London, a few months later an outbreak of cholera swept through the East End killing more than 3,000 people and leaving families destitute. Thousands of children slept on the streets and many others were forced to beg... and so the work of our founder began. Barnardo's fundraising volunteers make an important contribution to the work we do with vulnerable children. ‘You don’t raise money, you raise hope’. One young service user Volunteers can organise their own event or help at one of ours. Either way, you are bound to have a fun time and feel good about making a worthwhile contribution to Barnardo’s work. Search our website for volunteering opportunities for something to suit you. Barnardo’s runs a host of fundraising events throughout the year that you may wish to attend as a guest or volunteer. Find out more details of regional and national events by visiting our website.

We are trying to make a much noise about the Starbucks Red Cup Cheer in order to get funding for Richard House Children's Hospice

Within the area of Wanstead and Snaresbrook there is a significant deficit in playground provision meaning that our playground gets used heavily, reducing the lifespan of the equipment as it gets worn out faster. The playground is located within a mile of five primary schools and a number of private nurseries and pre-schools, serving over 6,000 children. Much of the equipment dates back to the 1980’s and is showing signs of age, both in their condition and design. The playground has been patched together and the layout is poor. There are no pieces that are suitable for children with additional needs, toddlers or children over seven. The flooring is in desperate need of attention as the heavy traffic means that several areas become mud baths for a significant part of the year. In the current economic climate, The London Borough of Redbridge, like many other councils, has no budget to replace items in the playground. Several pieces of equipment in the playground are approaching the point of failure, at which time they will be removed without replacement by the local council. We have successfully raised over £67k of our £100k target, since January 2015 through events, grants and crowd funding in which over 200 individuals and businesses financial contributed to our project, indicating the level of local support. We have the support of Vision RCL, who manage the playground on behalf of Redbridge and they have agreed to maintain any new pieces, but are unable to replace broken ones. With new items lasting more than twenty years, we are not only looking after our children’s health and fitness, but potentially that of their children as well. We feel that this project is incredibly important to our community, not only as parents, but because of the number of children that use this playground. Redbridge has the second highest population of children in London and this is set to increase by 17% in the next five years. Children in the borough have higher than average levels of obesity (11% of reception year children). The percentage of schoolchildren participating in at least 2 hours of sport per week is also worse than average and we feel that by giving them the resources to be active in younger life, this will continue to adulthood. This playground is the heart of our community for many families. It is situated on a busy High Street, next to a busy church and results in lots of trade for local shops and cafes. The playground is always busy – even in the middle of winter, because there are very few alternative outdoor activities in the area. People travel from neighbouring areas because it is such a welcoming playground thus bringing business to the local shops. The new pieces will make the playground safer for a wider range of age groups and abilities, meaning that parents can visit with toddlers, children over seven or with children with more complex issues. At the moment, the nearest accessible playspace is a thirty minute car journey away.