November will see a charity creating a rainbow over Milton Keynes, and at the same time bringing some colour into the lives of bereaved children in and around the city.
With the help of the community, including businesses and schools, Harry’s Rainbow will mark Children’s Grief Awareness Week by asking everyone to stage a fundraising event in the most colourful way imaginable.
Schools will be holding ‘dress-down’ days where children wear their brightest clothes or dye their hair crazy colours in return for a donation. Businesses can do the same, or use their imagination to organise any kind of rainbow-themed event to raise both money and awareness.
Harry’s Rainbow is a Milton Keynes-based charity that offers support groups, trips, events, holidays and mental health support to children who’ve lost a parent or sibling. It costs at least £650 a year for Harry’s Rainbow to support just one child, and the charity currently has seen a 50% increase in registrations already this year.
Alison Johnson, Fundraising and Events Manager at Harry’s Rainbow, said:
“Registrations are increasing and we don’t ever want to have to say No to a bereaved child in need of help, and so our message this year to everyone in Milton Keynes is to say Yes. We’ve got events planned throughout Children’s Grief Awareness Week and we want schools, businesses and organisations to organise something colourful to help us mark the week and raise vital funds”
Children’s Grief Awareness Week runs from November 18 to 24 and Harry’s Rainbow will be out and about throughout the week, spreading the word about the vital work the charity does. The charity’s team will be at the following venues:
November 20: Safari MK soft play centre
November 21 – Frosts Garden Centre, where staff will also be fundraising throughout the week.
November 22 – Gulliver’s Land MK, which will be holding its Land of Lights event from October through to February.
November 23 – Stantonbury Leisure Centre, where Jets Roller Skating will be holding rainbow roller skating sessions for visitors.
Alison added:
“What we’d like is for everyone taking part in any of these events, or running their own fundraisers – raffles, bake sales, sponsored events – to take lots of photographs for social media and tag #ChildrensGriefAwarenessWeek and @harrysrainbow and help us create a rainbow of colour across the whole of Milton Keynes.
“And if any other venues or businesses would like to find out more about how they can help, or that want to become Friends of Harry’s Rainbow, we’d love to hear from them.”
Scan the QR code to donate, contact Alison Johnson at alison@harrysrainbow.co.uk or find out more about Harry’s Rainbow at www.harrysrainbow.co.uk
