We invite families from across Newham to attend our winter celebration for free; each year our 100 places fill up with deserving families as soon as they become available. Our winter applied art adventure is held in Newham, one of the poorest boroughs in London, across two venues - a local community centre and a local library. Everyone is welcome to come along for a over three hours of free activities and entertainment. We have a huge range of activities all based around a winter story. Previously children have made shaving foam art, painted tree decorations and made bags of 'reindeer food' for Christmas eve. All of these creations are free to take home. We also offer face painting, snacks and drinks for everyone who comes along. Throughout the day children meet a number of colourful winter characters including penguins and reindeer, and the day culminates in a performance all children can join in with. The day is run almost entirely by a team of enthusiastic volunteers.

What we'll deliver:

• Costumes for our 'Snow Queen' volunteers so children have a great immersive experience!
• Craft materials for our huge range of activities
• Games for children to play with their families

Why it's a great idea:

This is the main winter holiday event for many of the families who attend. These are not families who can afford to go to the pantomime or visit Father Christmas so our event enables them to spend some special time together as a family, making fantastic memories. Children from all backgrounds and religions are welcome, helping to build community at this special time of year. Newham has the second highest child poverty rate in London at 41% as well as the highest rate of over crowding. The families we are working with can struggle to provide the basics for their children, which mean socialising and additional activities that cost money take a hit - the families we work with cannot afford to take part in recreational activities. Christmas and winter celebrations are often the first thing neglected, we want to make sure every child gets a chance to have fun, meet some magical characters and get covered in glitter at least once a year!

Steps to get it done:

• Making and preparing materials
• Recruiting, DBS checking and training volunteers
• Event day!
• Planning and risk assessing the event
• Purchasing equipment