Downs Link Challenge 26th May 2012

Downs Link Challenge 26th 


May 2012






Dust down your bike, polish up your walking boots and put the date in the diary - time to start getting ready for the 2012 Downs Link Challenge! We can't quite believe it either but the next event is only a few months away. Make sure you "Like" this page and invite all your friends - we want to welcome even more teams to the event this year to make it our best ever Downs Link Challenge.
Take a look and spread the word, we need all the support we can get. To date this event has raised over £36.500 in aid of the Chestnut Tree Hospice and we plan to keep going

 

Should parents have more freedom to smack naughty children?

Should parents have more freedom to smack naughty children?

Is smacking sometimes the only effective option?

Do you use smacking as a key part of your parenting? 

In the aftermath of the summer riots, MP David Lammy suggested that giving parents more freedom to smack their children would prevent a repeat of the widespread violence. 

Research has found that smacked children grow up to be happier and more successful later in life.

A recent poll showed that the majority of people agree that it is OK to smack your child.

If you’re a parent that believes a smack can be good for a child’s development we’d like to hear your thoughts as part of research for a Channel 4 documentary.

Please email - caroline.menzies@rdftelevision.com or call 0207 0134456 to find out more.

 

Top 10 prizes confirmed for the highest HEROES RUN fundraisers...

The full list of prizes is in! Greetings Superhero! We can now confirm the full list of prizes available to the top 10 Pass It On Africa fundraisers at both HEROES RUN London and Brighton. By setting up an online fundraising page you are doing a great thing by raising money to help build schools and support education in Africa. As an added bonus you could also win Camp Bestival tickets, signed Basement Jaxx goodies or a 6 month British Military Fitness membership plus loads more for your efforts! So far we have 26 fundraisers in London and 23 in Brighton so should you wish to support Pass It On Africa you would stand a good chance of being in the top 10 list.       Something for everyone! Raise £100 or more for Pass It On Africa and your name will be put forward to receive one of 20 post-race massages.  There will also be prizes awarded for best costumes and race winners.  If you'd like the chance to win one of our fantastic prizes, sign up for the HEROES RUN in either London or Brightonto guarantee a place if you haven't signed up already. Next - set up an online fundraising page. We like Virgin Money Giving, JustGiving is also popular. Decide how much you think you can raise, set your goal and tell the world. You can request a physical fundraising pack from James on 01273 819 000.   If training to run a 5k or 10k is a new challenge for you, share that with people. We find that people love to hear about other people's goals and commitments, whether that's training to run 5k or 52 marathons in 52 weeks. Share, share, share - via Facebook, Twitter, blogs, email, text and the good old-fashioned method, the sponsorship form. If your work place matches fundraising, let them know what you're up to! Good luck! Also make use of our Fantastic fundraising tools    Keep an eye on our prizes page as we'll keep adding great prizes for you, our fabulous fundraisers between now and race day! Finally, don't forget to train and sort out a heroic costume (see here for ideas) - we look forward to seeing you on Clapham Common on the 1st April or Brighton seafront on the 1st May!

Dancing for creative minds

by Sarah Dekker, Kidsdance

More people than ever before are watching and learning dance. Shows like Strictly Come Dancing, The X Factor and Gotta Dance have helped TV audiences see a range of different styles and possibilities and GCSE Dance has experienced a huge increase in popularity in recent years.

Yet stereotypes still persist - many parents happily send their little girls to ballet classes, but their sons to football, without even considering dance. It could be the pink uniforms that put them off, but there are lots of different kinds of dance out there and ballet or street dance are not the only options! Many children love the competitive aspect of sports, but not all are good at it and it may only take one negative experience for a child to decide they are useless at sport and spend the rest of their school days trying to opt out. For these children especially, dance is a useful alternative.

We all know that dance is a great way of keeping fit and that’s something the nation really needs to work at, but dance is also an excellent way to develop the mind. Spatial awareness, memory and teamwork are all essential parts of a dance class and the good news is that any weaknesses in these areas can be improved through dance! Starting early may seem ludicrous, but even children as young as eighteen months can benefit. Toddlers often love to copy movement and will readily respond physically to music. Aside from the dance moves, at a dance class they learn to listen and respond to instructions, to share with other children and take turns, to observe closely and copy - all skills they will need as they start school and go through life.

Sir Ken Robinson, writer and lecturer in arts in education believes that schools can stifle children’s natural creativity. "All children start their school careers with sparkling imaginations, fertile minds, and a willingness to take risks," he says. But he believes most of them never get to use their full range of abilities and interests, as the school system is so strongly focused on learning to pass exams.

Dance classes that allow for creativity are surprisingly hard to find. Many children love to make up their own dances and classes that let them explore their own style of moving help to develop their confidence and creative thinking abilities. Perhaps because of the school system, as parents we are often product led, pushing our children to achieve results in everything they do, whether it’s maths, swimming, karate or music. So taking time out for a child to explore a creative process without a particular end goal may seem counter productive.

Ballet is a beautiful art form and a highly effective way of toning the body. However, techniques like ballet or gymnastics are often self-selecting - the children who stick at them tend to be those whose bodies are naturally suited to the style and who are good at following instructions, consequently they do best in exams or assessments. Those who don’t ‘fit the mould’ tend to give up by the age of seven or eight and may even decide they are no good at dance, yet they have probably only experienced one style.

Styles like contemporary dance are anti-competitive, allowing kids to be kids, rather than mini adults before they are ready. The style is inclusive too - contemporary uses dance technique in a healthy way, not pushing bodies into unnatural positions and allows anyone to take part and gradually develop their ability. Contemporary is a relatively new dance style (only a hundred years old!) and is constantly evolving. Because of this, there are as yet no contemporary dance examinations and many teachers use a mix of contemporary styles, rather than one specific technique.

Contemporary dance evolved from ballet, when dancers like Isadora Duncan kicked their shoes off and started to bend the rules! The style was developed by many dancers over the last century, famously Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham who devised their own techniques, still used today and modern choreographers continue to push the boundaries, demanding ever more from the professional dancer’s body.

As contemporary technique has evolved, a creative methodology of teaching dance to children has also developed, in which there is no absolute ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, but instead infinite possibilities to explore the body’s natural movement through a creative approach to a theme or stimulus.

Most children who attend dance, music or drama classes probably won’t grow up to be professional performing artists, any more than the majority of the school football team will end up as celebrity footballers. Often children are more open-minded than their parents, who need to readjust their expectations in order for their children to try something less ‘traditional’. Surely the experience of being part of a team and learning to think creatively, without the pressure of yet more exams, whilst having fun, keeping fit and learning to workout healthily are outcomes most parents would wish for their children? The world is changing rapidly and our children need to be ready to cope with it! As Sir Ken Robinson says, "in times of economic crisis, we need to think more creatively than ever."

 

Kidsdance’s creative contemporary

dance classes now take place

in Brighton and Hove

For further details please call

Lucy Nelson, RAD RTS

07817 398 215 or

email lucynelson.dance@hotmail.co.uk

 www.kidsdancegroup.co.uk 

Meadowlands Festival- Family fun with a bit of Welly

Meadowlands Festival returns this summer from the 1^st – 3^rd June 2012 for the third year to East Sussex, for a weekend of cultural carnivalesque celebrations, jam-packed with great music, comedy, and family fun.

Set in the idyllic grounds of an Elizabethan manor house, in the beautiful village of Glynde, within three miles from Lewes and just 10 minutes outside of Brighton by train, Meadowlands Festival looks set to be the go-to family festival of the summer. 

Luxury Treatment

From glam camping in Hotel Bell Tents, with tea light chandeliers, Egyptian cotton bedding to luxury loos and showers, who said camping in a meadow can’t be fabulous!

The Line-up

This year’s event will see over 80 bands, four stages, six club nights, spoken word & comedy, a charity casino, woodland area and campfire, plus entertainment and workshops for the kids.

It’s Affordable

£85.00 for an adult’s weekend ticket, which includes camping

£45.00 for teens

£20.00 for children

Free for under 5’s

Enchanted Woodland

Be transported into a world of wooded enchantment, entertainment and campfire cheer. The only way to access the wood is through the genuine Hogwarts tunnel from the Harry Potter movies.

 

The Secret Swim

A time honoured tradition where festival goers are sworn to secrecy before being guided to a secret Victorian lido for a revitalizing dip.

Purepotions’ Baby Changing Stations

Purepotions, who produce ground-breaking 100% natural skin products, will be keeping babies and little ones feeling fresh and nappy rash free at this year’s festival, courtesy of their delightful baby changing stations.

Ecologically Sound

From solar trees to locally sourced food and sustainable waste management, Meadowlands have a strict eco policy, making the festival cleaner and safer for you and your family.

Holistic Area

De-stress in the Holistic area which features an array of treatments, workshops and stalls to help you wind down after a days’ partying or kick start your new day with an invigorating yoga workshop.

To find out more about this year’s Meadowlands Festival and to book your place, go to; www.meadowlandsfestival.com

Luxury Treatment

From glam camping in Hotel Bell Tents, with tea light chandeliers, Egyptian cotton bedding to luxury loos and showers, who said camping in a meadow can’t be fabulous!

Astrid Fisher who attended the 2011 Meadowlands Festival quoted: - “My friend’s friend was singing in a huge orchestra band and it was my first festival in years after having my kids.  I used to love festivals, yours was absolutely perfect for me as I came with my 5 year old son, camped with my friends and it wasn't too far to walk anywhere. The atmosphere and music were great, I especially loved the Transformers, hadn't danced like that for years!!! Also the flowers in the meadow itself were truly magical, I have very fond memories”

To find out more about this year’s Meadowlands Festival and to book your place, go to; www.meadowlandsfetsival.comhttp://www.meadowlandsfestival.com