Chch under-5s put best feet forward for Barnardos

Christchurch under-fives put best feet forward for Barnardos

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Photo Caption with the band (from left): Aiyanna Jooran, Emma Harkness, Tarn Hamilton King, Regan Ye, Jordon McNicoll and Callum Cameron march in the Barnardos Big Toddle, accompanied by members of the Canterbury Caledonian Royal Stewart Pipe Band.

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QEII 3 photo without the band.

Caption story (from left):

Geoffrey Kemp, Tarn Hamilton-King, Regan Ye, Jordon McNicoll and Callum Cameron put their best feet forward at the Barnardos Big Toddle in the Queen Elizabeth II Park stadium on Friday, 18 November.

The quartet, from QEII Preschool, joined about 60 other under-five year olds from around the city, to raise money for Barnardos family and community services as well as their own group in the fundraising toddle.

After a few warm up exercises led by Sport Canterbury staff, the children walked around the stadium accompanied by the drums and bagpipes of members of the Canterbury Caledonian Royal Stewart Pipe Band.

“The children were really impressed by both the scale of the stadium and the music,” said Shirley Hurrell, Barnardos Big Toddle National Coordinator and organiser of the QEII Big Toddle, “and it was great to see them enjoying getting active, while actively helping others.”

Of the money raised, at least 75 per cent will go to Barnardos with the remainder going to the individual Toddle group to be used as it wishes.

The money raised will help fund various services run by Barnardos to improve the outcomes for children in Christchurch and elsewhere in New Zealand. They include family support, which offers practical advice and support in times of stress; counselling for children affected by domestic violence and marital break-ups; the child contact service, which enables children to have safe and significant contact with non-custodial parents; and parent education.

About 140 groups with under-fives have either organised their own Toddle or joined Barnardos at one of four Big Toddles at venues around the country this month. This is the first year Barnardos New Zealand has run the Big Toddle, basing it on the Big Toddles run by Barnardos UK and Barnardos Ireland.

ENDS

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