User:JAndrewsUK/National Family Week (UK)

National Family Week is an annual event in the UK taking place throughout the English Summer half term holiday. It was founded in 2009 by Henley Media Group (www.henleymediagroup.com) and mirrors the already established Canadian National Family Week. The campaign aims to celebrate family life, encourage families to spend more time together and highlights the important role families play in society. The week consists of thousands of local events organised across the UK by supporting organisations including local authorities, sports clubs, charities, community and religious groups as well as a The National Family Week roadshow which tours the UK's major cities throughout the Summer half term holiday. National Family Week is endorsed by but does not receive funding from the UK government so funding for the initiative comes through commercial sponsorship. The website www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk forms a major part of the campaign with a searchable event map for families to find out about activities are taking place in their area.

The week 2009 National Family Week 2009 consisted of over 4,000 events nationwide including a favourite family recipe competition, Family of the Year competition and search to find the next Big Family Idea where the Big Lottery Fund donated £150,000 to go towards turning the winning ideas into a reality. 2009 also included a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest picnic across multiple venues which was attended by ambassadors Sally Gunnell and Antony Worrall Thompson amongst other celebrities and acheived a then Guinness World Record of 12,934 participants in 79 venues across the UK. Sponsors of the 2009 campaign included Sainsbury's, Bupa, Vue, Outwell, Seat and Legoland. The week 2010 Over 5,000 events took place during National Family Week 2010 and competitions were launched to find the best family photo and most talented family pet. A new Guinness World Record was also set for the largest three-legged race across multiple venues which included Twickenham stadium and the City of Manchester stadium with at total of 1,860 participants at 18 venues across the UK, on 5 June 2010. National Family Week also launched a free goodie bag which was distributed at events and contained offers and discounts from a number of family-friendly brands as well free samples. Sponsors of 2010 included Tesco Mobile, Hasbro, Chrysler and Vue.

Merchandise

Free National Family Week goodie bags are handed out at major events and contain freebies for kids, a voucher booklet and The Family Time magazine. Organisations co-ordintating events under the umerela of National Family Week are also supplied with free merchandise, balloons, stickers, posters and banners to help promote their events.

 Political supporters

National Family Week is endorsed by many of the UK's high-profile political figures including:

David Cameron

Nick Clegg

Gordon Brown

Alex Salmond

Boris Johnson

Celebrity supporters of National Family Week include:

Richard Madeley & Judy Finnigan

Jo Frost

Terry Wogan

Sally Gunnell

Antony Worrall Thompson

Amanda Holden

Esther Rantzen

Gillian McKeith

Joe Swash

Sian Lloyd

Pauline Quirke

Jo Whiley

Supporting organisations

Thousands of local not-for-profit organisations and over 180 national not-for-profit organisations support and get involved with National Family Week including:

4Children

Action For Prisoners’ Families

Age UK

Amateur Swimming Association Army Families Federation

Association for Family Therapy Association of Chief Police Officers

Association of School and College Leaders

Athletics Northern Ireland

Baptist Union of Great Britain

Becta

BeGrand.net

Big Lottery Fund

Bike Week

Booktrust

Bowls England

British Academy of Film and Television Arts

British Canoe Union

British Humanist Association

British Marine Federation

British Mountaineering Council British Muslim Forum British Orienteering British Rowing Cache Camping & Caravanning Club Care for the Family Cash for Kids Catholic Bishops' Committee for Marriage and Family Life Centre for Youth Ministry Change4Life Chief Fire Officers' Association

Children's Links Christian Initiatives in Early Years Education Contact a Family ContinYou Coram Countryside 2010 County Councils Network Cycling England DadTalk Daycare Trust Deaf Parenting UK Diabetes UK Eden Project Education Otherwise Energy Saving Trust England Athletics

England Basketball England Cricket Board English Federation of Disability Sport English Heritage Enterprise Nation Evangelical Alliance Families First Families Need Fathers Family Action Family and Parenting Institute Family Friendly Family Fund

Family Holiday Association Family Links

Family Matters Institute

Family Rights Group Fatherhood Institute

Fegans Child & Family Care Fields in Trust Fitter Families Gingerbread

Girls' Schools Association GMB Grandparents Plus Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity Greater London Authority Hindu Forum of Britain Home Start

I CAN Jewish Community Centre for London Kids Company Kids in Museums Lawn Tennis Association Lesbian and Gay Foundation Liberal Judaism Lions Club International British Isles and Ireland Local Government Association London Councils

London Symphony Orchestra MacIntyre Make-A-Wish Foundation UK Marriage Care Masorti Judaism Medical Engineering Resource Unit Mencap Mothers' Union MS Trust Multiple Births Foundation Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Museums, Libraries and Archives Council National Academy for Parenting Practitioners National Association of AONBs National Association of Family Information Services National Association of Local Councils

National Association of Toy & Leisure Libraries National Autistic Society National Childbirth Trust National Childminding Association National Children's Bureau National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations National Day Nurseries Association National Family Mediation National Federation of Women's Institutes National Literacy Trust National Lottery Good Causes National Maritime Museum, Cornwall National Media Museum National Museums Scotland National Parks National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Natural History Museum Naval Families Federation Northern Ireland Tourist Board One Plus One Parenting UK Parentline Plus Pauline Quirke Academy Pre-school Learning Alliance Premier League Prince's Trust Princess Royal Trust For Carers Prison Advice & Care Trust Prisoners' Families and Friends Service RAF Families Federation Ramblers Relate Relationships Foundation McDonald House Charities Royal Opera House Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Royal Yachting Association Rugby Football League Safe Network Save the Children School Governors' One Stop Shop School-Home Support Scope Scottish Childminding Association Scottish Sports Association Signed Stories Single Parent Action Network

Society of Genealogists Sport England

Sports Council Wales

Spurgeons St John Ambulance Starlight Children's Foundation Swim Wales TACT

Tennis Foundation

The Association for Physical Education

The Children's Safety Education Foundation The Children's Society

The Football Association The Fostering Network

The Grandparents' Association The Muscle Help Foundation

The National Gallery The Pony Club

The Reading Agency The Royal British Legion

The Rugby Football Union The Salvation Army

The Scottish Government

The Wildlife Trusts

The Work Foundation

Trades Union Congress

Treehouse UK Sports Association

United Reformed Church

Victoria and Albert Museum

Visit Scotland Visit Wales

Volleyball England

Wallace & Gromit's Children's Foundation

WellChild

Welsh Yachting Association

Wigmore Hall Women Like Us

Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation

Woodland Trust

Working Families

Women's Christian Association (YWCA)

YoungMinds

Youth Hostel Association

Youth Sport Trust