HELP!
We need more fundraising! We need to contribute £25,000 to Big Lottery money and then raise a further £90,000 to cushion the service from closure should there be a gap in funding. We have so far raised £10,000 of the £25,000 and £5,000 towards our £90,000 target!

We need to raise a lot of money over the next three years. Please go to the fundraising page on this website to see what fundraising events are taking place, also we would be grateful for fundraising ideas we can try.

There is a standing order page where you can set up a standing order or make donations to Family Support.  The service Family Support offers is free but any donations will ensure it continues to exist and be a free service.

And for the really easy way to fundraise go to Easyfundraising on the web: http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/kentautistic for instructions click on this link. Do ALL YOUR ONLINE SHOPPING through this service and you raise money while you shop! Sit back and enjoy ...

Fundraising information:
Family Support was granted a five year lottery grant (our second year is now up).  The lottery funding stipulates that we raise £5,000 per year for the five years of the grant - a total of £25,000. There is a steering committee to oversee the fundraising efforts and the progress made, but we need more people to form a FUNDRAISING GROUP! Can you join? Email us now - see the Contacts page and get in touch.

In addition to the £25,000 figure stipulated by the National Lottery it has been agreed that we need to raise extra money to act as a buffer so that if we don’t obtain a grant straight away at the end of the five years that there will be money available for Family Support to continue. We do not want to be in the position we were in when our last grant ran out and Family Support was nearly forced to close.

The cost of keeping Family Support running for a year is £90,000.

Donations received – many thanks
The following donations have been made, which brings our total up significantly, thanks very much indeed:

• A firm called Brookes Batchellor (Legal Attorneys) sent a donation of £1000
• The children from Swalecliffe Community Primary School donated £136.48 raised through a newspaper project
• David Hamilton Brown asked friends to donate to us instead of giving him presents for his 50th birthday, donation was £550

Tesco Collection Days
We have had two Tesco collection days, one at the end of January which raised £522 and one on the 20/21 April which raised £285. Many thanks to Carolyn for organising this and also to her many helpers.

Raffle news
Many thanks to Janice Long and her piano pupils who raised £100 in a raffle that they held. Thanks to all involved.

Haircut!
A big chop to raise funds. Many thanks to Hannah Bolam for her magnificent fundraising effort. She has cut off her long hair for two charities, one of which is Family Support. Thanks Hannah. We hope that you are enjoying your new haircut and it doesn't feel too cold! See Hannah's fundraising page on http://www.justgiving.com/Hannah-Bolamfor details of the funds raised and to see Hannah with long and short hair.

Cycling Day
Vanessa writes: "I just thought I'd let you know how our ride went. We cycled 21 miles in total. The weather was gorgeous, warm, sunny. Perfect for cycling. We left  the Bell (PH) in Staplehurst at 11.30. We cycled through Marden, to Claygate, to Laddingford, to Benover, back to Claygate, and from there back to the Bell in Satplehurst. The last stretch was the hardest as it ended, going up the only hill in Staplehurst. Not what your legs want at the end of the day. Fairly uneventful day until the very end when 5 minutes from the end, someone's chain decided to come off. Quickly sorted to arrive back at the Bell for 5.15pm. Not bad as we had stopped at 4 pubs on route." Sounds like a great day out. Click here to see the images of the ride.