A Caring Christmas Help your child to shine like a star this Christmas


As Christmas approaches it’s inevitable that most parents, carers or guardians will be called on to rustle up a last-minute costume and help their child to learn their lines as school concert season starts to ramp up. Preparing for school plays can be challenging for any parent, carer or guardian, but they can also prove a problem for children who aren’t very confi dent at reading or speaking. Whether your child has the lead role as Father Christmas, supporting stint as shepherd number three or taking part in a chorus, Fellow of the Royal College of Speech and Language T erapists Alison Williams shares her advice to help your child shine like a star in their performance. Alison says, “Children should be exposed to as many words as possible in everyday experiences to help them develop their language and promote their communication. T ere are lots of diff erent ways that parents, carers or guardians can support them, but the simplest way is to keep creating opportunities to listen and talk together. Learning lines for school plays can be fun for both of you. “Spending a little bit of time each day helping them to practice their part through play can make a big diff erence to their performance, confi dence and their development


too. When you practice it’s always a good idea to turn off the telly, smart phones and other mobile devices to help your child listen and learn the words.” And most important of all - make sure they know how proud you are of them for working so hard. For further information about the ‘Education Begins at Home’ campaign and the online resources available for parents, carers and guardians please visit www. facebook.com/beginsathome (facebook.com/dechraucartref) and follow us on Twitter @edubeginsathome (@dechraucartref)


Marie Curie Launches World’s First Memory-Powered Christmas Tree


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Can you spare 2/3 hours a week to


help provide emotional and practical support to a family in need?


Home-Start Cardiff is a family support charity providing weekly support to families who are struggling with the everyday challenges of parenting and family life.


We offer an 8 week accredited training course, out of pocket expenses and regular support and supervision.


Terminal illness charity Marie Curie has unveiled a seven metre-high Christmas tree which has lights that are directly powered by the UK’s special memories. T e lights on the tree shine brighter the more people post their memories on Twitter and Instagram using #LightUpXmas. T e tree serves as a reminder of the work the charity does in caring for people with a terminal illness and helping them spend Christmas with their loved ones. Marie Curie will provide care and support to more than 2,700 people living with a terminal illness this Christmas, helping them to continue to make special memories of their own.


NOW OPEN IN CARDIFF


NEW SELF HELP GROUP FOR PEOPLE WITH


Cardiff Want to fi nd out more?


Interested in volunteering with us?


sometimes…


Everyone needs a bit of help


For further information, please call 029 20360876 or email: info@homestartcardiff.org.uk www.homestartcardiffeast.org.uk


Volunteer training starts in January 2018


Home-Start Cardiff, Rainbow House, 1 Newport Road, St Mellons, Cardiff CF3 0BL


Charity Number: 1125591 Company Number: 05930626 14 - Friday 8th December 2017 – Cardiff & South Wales Advertiser


OCD & PHOBIAS: Are you spending hours washing,


cleaning or checking? Do you panic in confi ned spaces? Are you afraid of spiders? Are you petrifi ed of being sick? TOP UK is a small charity helping people like you to get better. For information


CALL TRILBY BRECKMAN on 01225 571740 OR EMAIL INFO@TOPUK.ORG


Sisters, Rachel Powell, 32, Sally Keenan, 40 and Lisa T omas, 37 shared their memories of their mum and dad Helen and Terry Radford, who were both cared for at the Marie Curie - Cardiff and the Vale Hospice.


New research to support the launch reveals the UK’s Christmas Bucket List of the things they would do if they were celebrating their last Christmas this year. Having a massive party, fl ying somewhere exotic for Christmas on the beach and visiting Lapland to see Father Christmas all featured in the top ten. In Wales, the majority of respondents (62%) said that, for them, Christmas is about spending quality time with friends and family and so if they were facing their last Christmas they would spend it the same way they always do, but simply treasure it even more. When asked to name their favourite Christmas memories, respondents treasured their priceless family traditions and Christmas nostalgia above all else. T e excitement of waking up on Christmas morning,


Christmas dinner cooked ‘the family way’ and decorating the Christmas tree together with friends and family are Wales’s most treasured festive memories. Respondents also loved the feeling of a well-chosen giſt well received, and tucking into aſt er-dinner snacks despite declaring yourself ‘stuff ed’. Almost


three in ten of


the Welsh respondents (28%) say the best part of Christmas is spending time with friends and family, while more than half (53%) can’t imagine spending


Christmas


any other way than with friends/family. T e memory-powered tree is situated on London’s Southbank, under the London Eye, and will remain there until 17th December for people to visit and to tweet using #LightUpXmas to make the lights shine brighter this Christmas.


www.cardiffandsouthwalesadvertiser.com


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