Year 8 and 11 will be taking part in various activities this half term to raise money for children's charity, Momentum. Momentum is a charity that is very dear to us as it is supporting families in our Dunottar community.

Momentum Children’s Charity helps families of seriously ill children to keep moving forward. Working across South West London, Surrey and Sussex, they partner with local hospitals to provide tailored support to families, both in hospital and at home, following their child’s diagnosis of cancer or a life-challenging condition.

Their support services include counselling, creative therapies, experiences and respite breaks. They also improve the environment for children in hospital with children's ward refurbishments; transforming bare, clinical areas into bright, child-friendly spaces.

They’re there whatever the outcome, for as long as they're needed, so that no family has to cope alone.

They currently support around 240 families whose child is in active treatment and a further 110 bereaved families. Thousands more benefit from their hospital makeovers.

MOMENTUM CHILDREN’S CHARITY – HOW DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

£5 Could restock a hospital freezer with ice lollies and cold drinks to help soothe child suffering with side effects of chemotherapy This is how the charity started – providing freezers stocked with ice lollies to Kingston Hospital, and is still a service we provide to this day.

£15 Could provide a creative activity pack for a sick child, to enjoy at home, in hospital or as part of our art therapy service We aim to provide packs to the children’s wards, and also give one to every child who is referred for art therapy.

£20 Could pay for a personal visit from a Family Support Worker, providing comfort and advice to a distressed parent This is the beginning of the unique bespoke support that the charity offers each family to help them keep moving forward.

£30 Could pay for a special treat or gift for a child at the start of their treatment, to boost their spirits when they are facing extreme challenges We aim to give gifts to around 150 children, siblings or parents totaling approximately £3000. Gifts will range in cost from £10-£50 and tailored to the individual.

£50 Could give a child a one-to-one art therapy session in their own home, exploring their worries and emotions through the medium of art Building on the launch of this service last year, in 21/22 we are continuing to work with specialist art therapists and art psychologists to help children address any emotions associated with their illness, using drawing and painting. We aim to offer 80 individual sessions (or 8 courses of 10) totaling approximately £4,120 .

£60 Could pay for a music or play therapy session for a child in their own home or remotely- whichever best suits their needs - helping them to express their feelings about their illness We offer music and play therapy for children (2-13 years) as individual sessions or as courses of 10 sessions. We aim to provide 340 individual sessions this year (which is 37 courses, almost £20,000 in total) including the provision of musical instruments.

£100 Would pay for a special 2-hour character visit, e.g. Princess, Fairy, Magician, to children in hospital bringing huge joy to children and parents alike We aim to arrange just under 100 character visits this year in our partner hospitals as well as some home visits, totaling £11,000 .

£150 Could allow a family to have a respite break on board our riverboat ‘Moments on the River’, an ideal escape from stresses of everyday life Next year we aim to send 85 families on a boating break. The costs of the programme (£15K annually) includes all running costs, mooring fees, licenses, cleaning, refreshments for families on board, and training, plus an allowance for core costs. We are fortunate to have around 20 volunteers helping out as crew on the family trips.

£200 Gives a sick child their own media tablet, to help them stay in touch with friends, family and schooling whilst they are in hospital or unwell at home We are budgeting to spend around £2,200 on mediapads this year, which will benefit a dozen of our most in-need families .

£250 Would pay for a family to have a holiday in one of our three holiday cabins: Mo’s Keep and Mo’s Pebble Lodge in the New Forest, or Mo’s Sunset Lagoon in West Sussex. Next year we plan to arrange respite breaks for 160 families. We anticipate high demand given that so many families have been shielding or isolating throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Breaks run Mon-Fri or Fri-Mon and we need to raise almost £38,000 for this annual holiday programme.