Autumn 2024
As we enter Autumn, we welcome new school terms and new beginnings. The children and families in our community remain under strain, and the cost of living crisis continues to affect our clients adversely. We hold hope with our clients for a positive change as we continue to work with them.
World Mental Health Day
Today is World Mental Health Day, marked annually to encourage more open dialogue about mental health issues, raise awareness, and think about what more we can do to promote mental wellbeing. At WLAC, we are dedicated to early intervention, working with clients before a crisis is reached, so reducing the intensity and duration of the work required, preventing more severe symptoms from developing and reducing the likelihood of further interventions being needed in future. Working in this way can also be of long term benefit to clients socially, emotionally, educationally and in employment.
Autumn events – please support us
We have three upcoming events, and I hope you will be able to join us for one or more of these.
Our Annual Quiz returns to the Great Hall at St Paul’s Girls’ school on Monday 21st October. Bring friends and family, a lovely picnic and prepare for a fiendish quiz to tickle the brain.
On Tuesday 12th November, Baroness Blower will be the guest speaker at our Annual Open Meeting. A former General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Baroness Blower will be discussing ‘Meeting the needs of children, parents, carers and schools: a balancing act’.
And lastly, our Postcards Anon exhibition returns to TV Centre on 19th – 22nd November. With hundreds of pieces of original postcard-sized artwork for sale, as well as a live and silent auction, the event promises to be exciting and beautiful. Please save these dates and come along.
Thank you from everyone at WLAC for your ongoing support.
Warm wishes,
Heather Boxer
Chief Executive
Mighty Me explained
Mighty Me is a confidence-building group, supporting children in school years 4-6 to recognise and appreciate their Mighty qualities, challenge negative self-talk, and increase self-confidence. Read more about how the group works here.
Annual Quiz, Monday 21st October
The Annual Quiz returns! Join us in the Great Hall at St Paul's Girls' School for an evening of fiendish fun for the brain. Bring friends and a picnic. Welcome glass of prosecco provided.
Click here for more information & to register.
Annual Meeting, 12th November
Riverside Studios, W6 9BN
Join us for our Annual Open Meeting at Riverside Studios. We will be joined by guest speaker Baroness Blower, a former General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers.
Read more, and find out how to register by clicking here.
Postcards Anon, 19th - 22nd November
We are thrilled that our Postcards Anon exhibition returns this November. Please save the dates, and come along to snap up an original postcard-sized piece of art. We are now collecting artwork. Registration details for the Private View coming soon.
If you are an artist, Click here to find out how to submit your artwork. Closing date 5th November.
The Big Give Christmas Challenge,
3rd - 10th December 2024
Fancy doubling your donation to WLAC? Donate between the 3rd - 10th December via The Big Give's Christmas Challenge Match Funding Campaign and your donation will be match funded up to our target of £40,000.
Click here for more details.
FUNDRAISING NEWS
Champions for Children success
Thank you to everyone who donated via this year's Champions for Children match funding campaign. You helped us to raise over £21,450. You can read more about the campaign, and why it is so vital for WLAC, here. Our thanks go to The Childhood Trust and our pledge givers, for providing our match funds.
Thank you
to pupils, parents and staff at Ravenscourt Park Preparatory School who chose WLAC as their charity partner for two academic years. During that time the school raised over £60,000 for WLAC - a truly AMAZING amount! You can read more about how RPPS raised such a fantastic sum here.
A fabulous day for a bike ride!
Well done to our wonderful cyclists in the Ride London race. Isobel and Stuart cycled through London and the picturesque Essex countryside, finishing on Tower Bridge in London, to raise over £3,000 for WLAC! Read more about the race here.
Short talks make big waves
Lightning Talks, our series of short talks on fascinating subjects by passionate local experts, returned in September. The evening took place at Kite Studios, and raised over £1,000 for WLAC. Read more about the event here.