News
14 June 2010The nation’s biggest celebration of family life sweeps across the country once again
by Adam Nethersole
Boys became superheroes, world records were set, caves explored and scientific slime was studied - all in the name of family. This year's National Family Week, which took place in the Summer half-term holiday organised by Family Week Ltd, part of Henley Media Group, saw thousands of events take place across the country from the weird and wacky to the plain wonderful in a huge celebration of family life.
A bid to promote the benefits of an active lifestyle saw the UK's families set a Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Three-Legged Race with thousands joining the fun. From the legendary home of English rugby, Twickenham, to the mighty City of Manchester stadium, hundreds of events enticed families out of their homes and into the fresh air and summer sun to take part in a massive selection of sports with everything from Frisbee to football with more than 2000 racers putting the UK's families in the history books.
At East Park for Hull City Council's Family Week Sports Day - a participating event in the Guinness World Record - Rt Hon John Prescott said, "It's a fantastic sports day and it's all about feeling healthy and happy. It's wonderful to see the park so busy with families and I've been here since 11am taking part in the rowing, playing football and meeting some of the young cubs. It really is a great family day."
Families everywhere enjoyed quality family time together; even the inmates of local prison HMP Hull, where the new family resource centre saw picnics, sports and games galore for the residents and their families. The Army Families Federation held a Tea Party for families of those in service where they could give a "shout out' to their soldiers wherever they were in the world live on the BFBS airwaves.
Community services across the country held events for local families. At Daventry Police Station parents and children learned how to catch a criminal and then went "backstage' for a rare glimpse of a fully operational station. In Staffordshire families got their fingerprints made into bookmarks as mementos of their day out, met sniffer dogs and tested police cars. Twitter played host to an "online event', the FIS Fest, and Family Information Services nationwide used the network to discuss themes affecting communities like childcare issues and family benefits, making parenting information open to all and inviting families to post questions.
In Manchester, a project awarded £35,000 by the Big Lottery Fund as part of National Family Week 2009 officially launched to transform the run-down alleyways in Whalley Range into greener and safer areas for locals. Going green was a major theme throughout the week and under fives at North Craven Children's Centre joined conservation workshops and planted sunflowers while kids were treated to Chuck the Eco Duck's latest adventure, "Chuck and the Swifts', on Fun Kids Radio to highlight the dramatic decline of swifts in the UK as part of a day dedicated to children's stories for Family Week Story Time.
Many schools might have been closed during the half-term holidays but at Mayflower Primary School, Dovercourt the gates were left open and mad scientists invited local families in for a Mad Science Light and Sound event on the Friday where there were indoor firework displays and crazy chemical reactions. Science also prevailed in Penrith where youngsters made everything from candyfloss to slime and tried their hand at some eccentric experiments in static electricity thanks to education group Mad Science North West.
National Family Week saw national cinema chain, Vue, work with Paramount Pictures to screen a public preview of yet-to-be-released Shrek Forever After in 3D at every Vue cinema in the country a month before it hit cinemas on 2 July. Pizza Hut showered families with special offers, and Hasbro added fun and games while Tesco Mobile gave families a helping hand supplying everything from sunscreen to bats and balls at events across the nation.
Mr Alistair Masterton from Glasgow was the Week's big winner when he drove away in a brand new car from Chrysler worth over £17,000, not to mention scoring a MSC family cruise around Europe and a small fortune to spend on Tesco Electrical products.
This year the UK's biggest annual celebration of family life proved to be just that and didn't disappoint. A packed schedule of fantastic free family events, gigantic giveaways, competitions, discounts on the nation's best attractions and top days out, plus the hilarious search for the UK's most talented pet online at www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk, gave families every excuse to spend some quality family time together as The Week continued to raise awareness of the importance of taking time for family and promote positive family life.