To mark World Children’s Day 2019, two of our community partners at Nugent Shopping Park in Orpington, Greater London, look at how charities, schools and businesses working in partnership can collaborate to transform children’s lives.
Making memories together
Michelle of Chartwell Cancer Trust: “We’re a local charity that supports adults and children with cancer and leukaemia across six boroughs in London and Kent. When I met Tina of Nugent at a networking event, we quickly saw the potential to work together to support local children and families going through a very difficult time.
This led to the shops and restaurants at Nugent hosting a private VIP event for members of our childhood cancer support groups. When a child’s sick it affects the whole family – brothers, sisters, mums, dads, everyone. We run monthly meet ups to give these families the chance to make memories together, spend time with others going through similar situations and feel ‘normal’.
For the Nugent day, so many people from the centre team and in the shops gave their time for free. Children played with animals in Pets at Home, made slime at Hobbycraft, listened to stories in Waterstones and got a behind the scenes tour of Metro Bank. Debenhams gave goody bags to the mums and M&S, Mothercare, Next and Clarks all opened early to give us private access. Then Nando’s hosted everyone (and there were about 50 of us) for a delicious lunch, which we hadn’t expected at all.
After that we visited the conservation area behind Nugent and the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ where Tina invited the children to touch a leaf and share an interesting bit of knowledge. It was quite emotional when one little girl, who hadn’t spoken for some time, shared her fact. Nugent couldn’t have made our day more special. The park has a different feel to other shopping centres around here. There’s such a sense of community.”
A big world that we want our children to explore
Anne, Deputy Head of Leesons Primary School: “We are passionate about giving our children opportunities to develop educationally and socially. In this age where budgets are tight, relationships with local charities and businesses are more important than ever. There’s a big world that we want our children to explore and experience to fuel their high aspirations. The Nugent team is very keen to support us in creating opportunities for our children.
Leesons has completed a renovation expansion project and for a period of this time our kitchen was out of action. Tina at Nugent liaised with Nando’s to provide 300 hot festive lunches and with Pret to supply tasty puddings. Hot meals are particularly important at this time of year and we were grateful for the generous help of our local businesses.
The Nugent team and retailers have also hosted Young Readers Programme events for our children for a couple of years, with shops and restaurants organising activities to encourage a love of reading. Pupils were provided with free books to choose and keep, allowing them to enjoy new authors.
Recently, Junior Cray Forum organised a community litter pick, assisted by Nugent and other agencies. The idea was born because children living in the Crays were fed up seeing litter everywhere and wanted to make the area a better place to live. The support from parents, community members and children was overwhelming and this initiative will continue.
Nugent has also hosted a group of our pupils on a community conservation project in a beautiful green space behind the shopping park. This is a fabulous spot open to everyone to enjoy and we are proud our children were involved in maintaining its beauty. Nugent has really enabled us to do things that we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to do.”
Changing a child’s life
Michelle: “Not everyone knows that children’s cancer treatments tend to last a lot longer than they do for adults, so they’re often off school for extended periods, missing lessons and friends. This disruption and isolation can be traumatic. Nugent is helping us promote something new to address this – small robots that sit on a child’s desk and become their eyes, ears and voice in school, helping them stay connected. So far, our amazing partners across the area have raised funds for 14 of these AV1 No Isolation robots, each one changing a child’s life. We’ve got so many children that would benefit from them.”
Putting them onto a new path
Anne: “I’d encourage every business to think about what they can offer young people and communities around them. Budgets are limited for many schools and charities and local support can make a big difference. When children have a new experience, it can transform their lives, putting them onto a new path, generating ideas and learning. By opening up opportunities, the impact that partners like Nugent can have is brilliant. It’s all about collaboration.”
Bringing people together around a common goal
Tina, Centre Manager at Nugent: “I’ve always lived in and around the Bromley Borough and have seen how some local children grow up facing challenges. At British Land’s places we’re encouraged to make a positive difference in our area, bringing people together around a common goal. Our community partners and retailers at Nugent are amazing in how they invest their time and energy for the benefit of local young people. From shops opening early and hosting activities, to Nando’s cooking hundreds of meals for schoolchildren, and residents’ groups providing interesting local facts for us to share with children at the Tree of Knowledge, the community spirit is brilliant.
Often, we start with a small idea and the energy we get from Nugent’s stores and local partners makes it grow. It’s the simple things that are most powerful, like when the little girl touched the Tree of Knowledge and spoke for the first time in a long while; thinking of this and her parents’ happiness still makes me feel emotional. We’re always looking to do more and I’m excited about how, working with the local children’s forum, we can help show young people that, with energy and drive, they can achieve anything they set their mind to.”