The Children's Foundation

20/08/2026

🍽️ 240 meals in eight days!

Over the past two weeks, we’ve loved welcoming children aged 7–11 from Carr Hill School Kids Club to Toddling On for fresh, tasty food.

For four days last week and four days this week, we’ve served 30 children every day - that’s a whopping 240 meals! 🙌

We want to say a big thank you to Gateshead Council for funding the sessions at Deckham Family Hub, where Toddling On is based, helping us make sure local children have access to good food during the school holidays.

We’ve also been able to make great use of surplus food sourced from charities including Bread and Butter Thing – turning food that might otherwise have gone to waste into healthy, tasty meals for local children. 💚

10/08/2026

🐸 We’ve been having a toad-ally brilliant time at the allotment this summer!

Young people at our drop-in sessions have been getting stuck into nature and seeing what they can find around the allotment – including searching for some of our resident frogs. 🌱

A huge thank you to the team at P&G who helped clear and tidy up our pond, creating a much better habitat for wildlife and a fantastic space for young people to explore.

There’s something pretty special about getting outdoors, getting muddy and discovering what’s living right on your doorstep. 💚

06/08/2026

Go Fran! 🏃‍♀️ We'll be cheering you on every step of the way this September.

Frances Smailes nearly died as a toddler 💔 Now she's running the Great North Run to give back.

Frances was born with the rare genetic condition Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCAD) and almost died before it was diagnosed. Today, MCAD is one of the conditions checked for in the newborn heel prick test offered to every baby in the UK.

As a child, Frances took part in the Yellow Brick Road walk with her family. Looking back, she now understands why it meant so much to her parents and is proud to support The Children's Foundation again. 💙

She decided to take on the Great North Run after a colleague's baby was diagnosed with the same condition. Even though she has to carefully manage her energy levels because of MCAD, Frances says this is her chance to give something back.

Frances will run alongside her husband, Guy, with her mum, Alison, cheering them on. Alison says seeing her daughter healthy, happy and ready for the challenge is incredibly emotional after everything their family went through.

Their fundraising will help The Children's Foundation support children and young people across the North East.

05/08/2026

A huge thank you to SharkNinja for so kindly gifting us this fantastic air fryer!

With demand in the café continuing to grow, it's already making a real difference behind the scenes, helping us prepare fresh, delicious food more quickly so we can keep up with all our brilliant families.

We're incredibly grateful for your generosity and support. Every little bit helps us continue creating a warm welcome for everyone who visits.

Thank you!

03/08/2026

🌞☀ Summer has been full of smiles so far! 🌞☀

Over the first two weeks of the summer hols, our young people have been making memories with trips to Gutterball in North Shields, bouncing around InflataSpace and getting creative with pottery painting, all in collaboration with our friends at Action for Children.

It's been fantastic to see everyone having fun, trying new things and spending time together over the school holidays.

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped make these activities possible. We can't wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store!

22/07/2026

We loved hosting our very first Baby Box event of the summer yesterday at Riverside Family Hub in North Shields, welcoming families from across the North Tyneside area. 💙

It was brilliant to see so many families getting involved and learning more about how to use our Baby Boxes to promote laughing, playing, reading, singing and counting together.

Over the next three weeks, we'll be hosting five Baby Box events across the North East, giving even more families the opportunity to connect with others and have fun together.

We want to say a particular thank you to the Weston Foundation whose funding makes events like this possible. Unrestricted funding gives charities like ours the flexibility to respond to what families need most, invest in meaningful community events like these, and deliver our charitable mission where it makes the biggest difference.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday – we can't wait to meet even more families over the coming weeks. 💛

13/07/2026

🌞 Summer Trips 2026 are nearly here! 🌞

We're excited to be teaming up with Action for Children to offer a fantastic programme of FREE summer activities for young people aged 9–16 this summer.

From bowling and inflatable fun to pottery painting, beach trips and more, there's something for everyone to enjoy, make new friends and create lasting memories.

🍽️ Free lunch provided
🎟️ All activities are free of charge
👥 Limited to 12 places per activity

Take a look at the poster below to see what you fancy and visit the link below to register your interest.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/N82FzXY2n6?origin=QRCode

Let's make this a summer to remember! ☀️🎳🏖️🎨

06/07/2026

We love having our brilliant trustee Belinda at Toddling On! 💛

Belinda is regularly volunteering in our Stay and Play Café in Gateshead, bringing along her amazing experience from her career as a Consultant Paediatrician. From leading activities and singing songs to playing games and engaging with families, her enthusiasm, knowledge and energy make a real difference to everyone who visits.

The activities Belinda delivers are all inspired by the resources included in our Baby Box, helping families make the most of the tools inside. Through songs, games and play-based learning, she supports parents and carers to build their confidence, strengthen bonds with their children and discover simple ways to sing, play and learn together at home.

Thank you, Belinda, for giving your time, enthusiasm and experience to support Toddling On – we're so grateful to have you as part of the team! 😊

03/07/2026

Nothing goes to waste at Toddling On! 🌶️🥔😋

This week, our brilliant Tilly and Belinda have been busy turning surplus ingredients from The Bread and Butter Thing into some delicious meals, including stuffed peppers leftover bolognese and a tasty potato and egg salad.

It's a great example of how a little creativity can transform basic ingredients into nutritious, home-cooked meals for families visiting Toddling On, while helping to reduce food waste at the same time.

A huge thank you to The Bread and Butter Thing for providing the surplus food that helps make this possible. 💚