Issue 1 Summer 2014

The Parents’ Companion

FREE

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Welcome

As a full time mum of three, I have spent many hours pondering over what I could

do as a career from home that meant I could still dedicate as much of my time as

possible to my children. I have tried my hand at several business ideas, but never

followed through with any of them. And I am sure that many of you mums or dads

out there have done the same! So, I have decided to provide a service to you. As a

community of parents and carers, I declare that we support each other, not only in

out family life, but in our businesses and careers too.

So, with the support of my husband, inspiration from my kids, guiding hands of

wonderful friends, we have ‘Go Barefoot’.

We would like you to get involved, by either submitting recipes to go in the next

issue, or writing in a letter or a section from your blog. Whether it’s to share stories

as a parent or plan your family time. Maybe you would you like to see your children

on the front cover or see your best friend’s business successfully taking off?

Then this book is for you.

Julie

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Contents

Upcoming Events

Car Boot Sales

Fun for Free & Toddler Groups

Early Education Funding

Ripon Walled Garden

Recipes

Cooling Ice Sensory Play

Kids Art Competition

Summer Saving Tips

Calendar - To use as your own diary

Useful Numbers

Editors Note

Why ‘Go Barefoot’? Because I mean it

literally! Go outside with the kids and feel the

grass between your toes. Stand in a muddy

puddle, roll up your jeans and jump on the

trampoline. Go down the slide! So what if

your butt gets stuck half way down, the kids

will push you the rest of the way. Summer is

here! Who cares if you stand in dog poop

along the way. The sun is

shining - Go Barefoot!

Julie

Pg 5

Pg 4

Pg 6 & 7

Pg 8

Pg 9

Pg 10

Pg 12 & 13

Pg 15

Pg 16 & 17

Pg 20, 21 & 22

Pg 23

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Car Boot Sales

Thirsk Racecourse - Sundays

Station Road, YO7 1QL

Sellers –8am, Public 9am

Cars £10

Vans from £12

Trailers from £3

Public Admission 80p

Ripon Racecourse - Sundays

2 miles from Ripon centre on B6265

HG4 1UG

Sellers –12pm, public - 1pm

Cars £10

Vans from £12

Trailers from £3

Public Admission 80p

Ripley Car Boot - Sundays

August 17th

August 24th

September 7th

September 21st

Sellers 7.30am, Buyers 8.30am

www.ripley-cc.co.uk

North Stainley - Every Bank Holiday Monday

Sellers and buyers from 7am

£8 per pitch

Free entry for buyers, with donations on the gate for North Stainley School & Church.

Tea, coffee, hot sandwiches and cakes served in Village Hall.

September 7th

September 21st

Minskip Boot Sale - Sundays

From May to October

Sellers -12noon, Buyers - 1pm

Call J. Wilcock on 07845 505277 to check dates.

Bedale - Saturdays

Sales start at 6.30am, till 2pm

Cars £8

Vans, car & trailer etc. £12

Contact John Ferguson on 07516 926568 with enquiries.

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If you would like to advertise your event here contact us on 07806600720

or email gobarefoot@outlook.com

Upcoming Events

Advertise

your event

here for just

£4.

Wath Street Fair Saturday 12th July, 1pm

Dog Show & Pet’s Corner

Stalls & Food

Ice cream, bouncy castle, appearance by Noddy, vintage Tractor Parade

Finish off with hog roast at The George at Wath pub.

Thirsk Small Business Community Family Fun & Shopping Day Thirsk Town Hall, YO7 1QR

Monday 25th August 10am -3pm

Children’s entertainment, face paints, model balloons & Rythmtime demos. Stalls to include Usborne Books, Yorkshire Rose Candles, James Wesley Photographs, plus lots more.

Ripley Agricultural

Show

Sunday,

10th August

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Free family days out in Yorkshire.

Jervaulx Abbey Location: between Masham and East Witton just past Brymor Ice cream. Good for: Picnics, walks, history. Park in the tea room car park, cross the road with care and enter the Jervaulx parkland. From here you can visit the abbey where you can picnic and play or why not follow the footpaths past the abbey and enjoy a walk through the parkland where sheep graze. En route you will see the old monastic fish ponds. Facilities: Car Park and toilets available at the tea rooms Eat and drink: take a picnic or visit the Jervaulx tea rooms, dog and child friendly Coverbridge Inn or Brymor Ice cream nearby.

Hackfall Woods Location: The Masham side of Grewelthorpe Good for: Walks in beautiful woodland, exploring follies and waterfalls, wildlife. Families can enjoy exploring this grade 1 listed garden which is under the care of the Woodland Trust and The Hackfall Trust. Full of streams, woodland, hidden follies, waterfalls and a magnificent fountain, the woodland is teaming with wildlife and in Spring you’ll see the woodland awash with bluebells. The winding paths lead you on various trails through the woodland with some parts giving amazing views of the region. The trails can become quite muddy so wellies are a must and some routes can get fairly steep for little legs. Great fun for children who love the outdoors.

Facilities: Car park available. Toilets available in Masham Eat and drink: Take a picnic or food available in Masham Town

Museum Gardens, York Location: Central York between the Railway Station and York Minster Good for: picnics, ice cream, letting off steam in the city, squirrel searching. This lovely park in the centre of York offers space for children to play and explore. Paths weave throughout the park through shady trees with views of the river. For history enthusiasts you can visit the remains of St Mary’s Abbey, St Leonard’s Medieval Hospital and a Roman tower all free of charge within the park. The resident squirrels and are always a hit too. The Yorkshire Museum stands in the centre (fee payable) which houses artefacts from across the region in addition to dinosaur fossils Roman and Medieval exhibitions. The park is easily accessible from the Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride if you alight at Museum Gardens, is within walking distance of the Railway Station and Railway Museum and also only a few hundred metres from the town centre. Facilities: Public Toilets available Eat and drink: Perfect for picnics or cafes available in the city centre. Ice cream van usually available in the gardens.

Contact us if you would like an attraction to be mentioned in our Fun for Free page.

Image copyright York Museums Trust

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Would you like us to list your Toddler Group here? Contact us on 01675 641895 or email

gobarefoot@outlook.com

Toddler Groups

Mondays Advertise your Toddler Group with us for just £5 for the year.

Tuesdays

Nicky’s Pre School Stay & Play Sessions

West Tanfield

1.30pm –3pm

Donations –children get healthy snack & drink

Call Jennie: 01677 470123

Email: nickyspreschool@yahoo.co.uk

Term time only.

Wednesdays

Thursdays

North Stainley Baby & Toddler Group

Village Hall

10am –11.30am

£2 per child, £1 thereafter

Call Emma: 07811 312251

Email: emmainghana@hotmail.com

All year

Ripon Community Toy Library

Community House, Allhallowgate

10am - noon

£1 donation per session

All year.

Fridays

Melmerby Toddler Group

Melmerby Village Hall

10am –11.30am

£1.50 per family

Call Tracey: 07762 253236

Running on alternate weeks during term time only.

Next sessions on 4th & 18th July.

Term time only.

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Early Education Funding

What is it, and who is it for?

These places are offered to families on low incomes who are in receipt of at least one of the following:

Income Support

Income-based Jobseekers Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Child Tax Credit with income of less than £16, 190 and not receiving Working Tax Credit

Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum act 1999

Guarantee element of State Pension Credit

Children who are or have been in local authority are also eligible. Children with high need special education needs and disabilities can be referred by specialist service working with them.

All 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to 15 hours of free early years education a week. Starting from the beginning of the term following their 3rd birthday.

Lists of registered providers can be found at Family Information Services. They in-clude child minders, pre-school playgroups, private day nurseries, council-run nursery schools and classes, reception classes in infant and primary schools(4 year old places only) and independent schools.

The hours offered to the child are agreed by the parent and provider. They can be split between morning and afternoon ses-sions over a number of days. Or, a child in full time care would simply have their 15 hours of free entitlement credited as part of their overall package.

Funding for 2 Year Olds

Some less advantaged children are entitled to a place a year earlier.

For more information contact Families Information Service helpline on

0845 6011 630, email FIS.information@northyorks.gov.uk or text “info” to

07624 802425.

Information extracted from website - www.northyorks.gov.uk

Ripon Community Toy Library

Community House, Allhallowgate, Ripon

Stay & Play sessions every Thursday 10am - 12noon

Borrow 10 toys for a party for £5

Become a member for £5 for the year and borrow 2 toys for 2 weeks for 50p.

Toys for babies and children up to 8 years old

Outdoor Play Run by friendly volunteers

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Ripon Walled Garden

Café - Opening this Summer!

Café Coordinator, Jill Flatt has a wonderful vision of a family friendly café in the tranquil surroundings of the Walled Garden, offering refreshments using ingredients grown and freshly picked within the grounds of Ripon Walled Garden. The menu will also use locally sourced ingredients such as Wensleydale cheese, cheese from the Shepherds Purse dairy and Brymore ice-cream.

Families or groups may come and enjoy drinks and cakes, inside or out on the deck, followed by a walk around the orchard and Woodland which offers nature at it’s best, where children may explore the apple trees and search for animals in the woods.

Situated on the road from Ripon to North Stainley , Ripon Walled Garden, previously part of the Bishop’s Palace Garden, is a unique and charming place. The project enables adults with learning disabilities to pursue interests in horticulture, to learn and to make a positive contribution in a real working environment.

The project also benefits from work done by offenders on the Community Payback scheme , who provide hundreds of hours per year of useful labour, while also learning skills which may lead to new vocational options.

The Café in progress. Easily accessible by wheelchair/pushchair.

Wildlife Viewing Station

And you couldn’t possibly leave without purchasing a bottle of apple juice, locally made from the garden’s own apples or filling your basket with produce from the shop and nursery, whether it be plants, fruit , vegetables or seasonal gifts.

Volunteers

Ripon Walled Garden welcomes volunteers to assist by supporting the members in their work in the garden, or the café. Also welcome are volunteers with skills in administration or mar-keting, in fact any skills are greatly welcomed!

To find out more about the Café opening dates, or any other information, contact Ripon

Walled Garden on 01765 609229, or view the website www.riponwalledgarden.org.uk

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Ingredients

green pepper( optional)

1/2 cucumber

1 medium onion

2 sticks celery

5 radishes

Directions

1. Boil eggs until hard

2. Place eggs in cold water then shell

3. Slice top and bottom off eggs so that they can stand up

4. Shred lettuce leaf and put on plate

5. Peel cucumber, slice finely and place on top of lettuce

6. Stand eggs on bed of lettuce and cucum-ber

7. Place half a tomato on top of each egg

8. Dot mayonnaise on tomato halves to look like toadstools

9. Optional –use toothpicks to hold eggs and tomatoes together

Summer Recipes Macaroni Salad - Sent in by Amanda Dorrill

Ingredients

4 eggs 2 large tomatoes Lettuce leaf

Cucumber 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Toadstool Salad

Submit your recipe at gobarefoot@outlook.com for our Autumn issue.

Facebook.com/gobarefootnorthyorks

Total Time - 15 mins

Prep Time –10 mins

Cook Time - 5 mins

Directions

1. Chop pepper, cucumber, onion,

celery and radishes to desired

pieces

2. Mix the chopped vegetables with

the mayonnaise and mustard

3. Cook the pasta, then drain and

cool

4. Add the pasta to the vegetable

mixture

5. Slice the boiled eggs and layer

them on top

5 boiled eggs

4 cups pasta

3 tbsp. mayonnaise

1/2 tsp mustard

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Please mention ‘Go Barefoot’ when contacting advertisers.

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Bluebell Book Corner Independent Usborne Representative

Available for events, fundraisers,

party and wedding packs and home

parties

Facebook: Bluebell Book Corner

samanthajoyceusborne@gmail.com

Truly Madly Playtime Samantha Joyce (Rep of Truly Madly Baby)

Quality gifts and everyday essentials for

mums to be up to 11 year olds. Available

for events, fundraisers, baby showers and

home parties.

Facebook: Truly Madly Playtime

samantha.clegg@talk21.com

Please mention ‘Go Barefoot’ when contacting advertisers

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Kid’s Art Competition

Theme: Natural Summer

Let’s get the kids creating this summer with a little

outdoor, arty fun!

Send your pictures to -

Go Barefoot

1 Howgrave Grange Cottage

Sutton Howgrave

Bedale

Prizes

Be as creative and crafty as you like with nature and create a picture to enter into our Summer competition.

Submissions will be split into 3 age categories.

Age 0-2

Personalised plaque from Mortique’s Boutique

Age 3-5

£10 gift voucher for Truly Madly Playtime

Age 6-12

£10 gift voucher for Usbourne Books

Contact - T: 01765 641895 E: gobarefoot@outlook.com

Entrants must please put their name, address and telephone number on the back of their art.

Deadline - 8th September

Winners will be chosen on the 10th September, to be announced in the Autumn issue.

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Summer Saving Tips

I’m sure we all find it difficult to save over the Summer with the kids tagging along on shopping trips, family days out and about and of course the endless nagging for ice-cream

and various other treats that are abundant during the Summer season. Holidays are booked, barbeques are whipped out of the garden shed and before you know it you have

spent more money on crisps and ice-cream than you ever planned– and like me, have ended up eating half of the junk yourself!

1. Plan in advance

Planning your Summer Holidays in advance could save you vast amounts of cash. Get your calendar and plan your family days out, and fun for the home too. Having a plan saves on unexpected spending and makes it easier to say ‘no’ to unplanned activities. Although this may sound too strict and organised for some, it could be fun for the kids if you plan their time off school together. Kids have fantastic ideas, and may come up with some simple but exciting things to do at home as well.

2. Budget right

Setting a weekly or daily budget sounds easy, but can be very difficult to stick to, especially with the kids off school. But you will pat yourself on the back once you see how rewarding it can be. If you are travelling set daily amounts of pocket money for each family member - yes, even for the adults! The last thing you want is to come home feeling refreshed from a fantastic holiday, to the gloom and doom of financial crisis for the rest of the kids school break.

3. Shop with Caution

We all know what it can be like when the kids are home and need to tag along for the weekly grocery shop. My advice is, if you can’t leave them with your other half or family then organise a rota system with a friend who also has kids. Drop the kids round for a playdate while you go off to do the shopping, and take it in turns. Thus, saving you on many random items that sneak their way through the till, or giving in to the endless begging for the Peppa Pig magazine they don’t really need!

4. Kids Love picnics!

Whether you’re having a family day out or in the comfort of your own garden. Kids love the idea of a picnic. Something so simple, and costs a lot less than a meal out. Why not incorporate it into a fun day outdoors with Building Blocks and Acorns ‘Cooling Ice Sensory Play’ on page 12.

5. have a clear out

Set aside a day during the school holidays for the kids to have a thorough clear out of their bedrooms and random ‘bits and bobs’ that have accumulated in the garage over time. Get the unwanted things on a sell site or get to your local car boot sale. The kids will be happy with the money they have earned and you will be happy with tidier bedrooms.

6. Teach cash skills

Now is an ideal time to start teaching your kids cash skills. If you are worried about spending this summer then start them on a weekly allowance. When they go to the shop with you explain to them that if they want something that is not on the grocery list then it will be purchased out of their personal allowance. Remind them of the allowance when they ask for things , and show them how much is left at the end of the week , which if there is any, should encourage them to want to save even more the following week.

7. Find fun for free

Paying entrance fees can sometimes be a bit disheartening when you know that come lunch time everyone will be starving, and it’s inevitable that you will be expected to dip into your wallet for a meal at the café or nearest restaurant.

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Find your nearest places that are free, most of

them outdoors for the kids to explore.

8. Bulk Buy

Stocking up before the summer holidays can be a cash saver, and a stress saver! Fill the freezer and pantry cupboards with all the necessities you know you will be constantly needing to stock up on while the kids are home. There is absolutely nothing wrong with frozen vegetables! They save you a fortune and last longer than fresh. This will limit the time needed to shop with the kids in tow.

9. Switch off the

television

So many of us are in the habit of having the television on from dawn till dusk, whether it’s to keep kids entertained or be updated on the news and weather. Majority of us probably don’t realise that even though it has been left on all day, we have only really watched it at brief intervals while folding laundry or feeding the baby. Turn it off and pick up a novel instead. If the kids are with you get the puzzles and games out, or simply lounge outside if the whether is decent.

10. Grow your own

Plan a summer project with the kids and grow your own vegetables. Kids love being outdoors and learning about where their food comes from. The looks on their faces when they pull the first carrot or potato make it worth the effort. Keeping an eye out for people with excess left over from their gardens can be a steel , saving you from spending at your local garden centre or nursery.

Health Visitor

Bedale Children’s Centre

Drop in

2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month.

10 - 11.30 am

To book one year checks and antenatal appointment call 01609

535060.

Community House, Allhallowgate,

Ripon

Drop in

Every Thursday

1.30 - 3 pm

Call Ripon Children’s Centre on 01609 532608

Greystone School Bungalow, Ripon

Drop in

Every Tuesday

9.30 - 11.30 am

Call Ripon Children’s Centre on 01609 532608

Midwife Drop In

Ripon Antenatal Unit

Every Friday

9.30 - 10.30 am

Chat with your Health Visitor about

your baby’s progress, and have your

baby weighed.

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Health & Beauty

Please mention ‘Go Barefoot’ when contacting advertisers.

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Find us on Facebook – www.facebook.com/gobarefootnorthyorks

Autumn edition deadline is 10th September for distribution from 1st October.

Block bookings

A years advertisement booking of 4 issues may be secured with 10% discounted

off over all cost. This includes space for an article in one issue.

Would you like to advertise in this space?

With prices starting from just £16, we are here to

support families, local businesses and charities.

Next Issue

The next issue will cover Halloween, Guy

Fawkes and Christmas

Contact Julie on 07806600720 or 01765 641895 Email: gobarefoot@outlook.com

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Useful Numbers

North Yorkshire Family Information Services 0845 6011630

Bedale Children’s Centre 01609 535060

Ripon Children’s Centre 01609 532608

Northallerton Hospital 01609 779911

Ripon Community Hospital 01765 602546 closes 9pm

Harrogate Hospital 01423 885959

Childline 0800 1111

Bedale Town Council 01677 427949

Ripon City Council 01765604097

RSPCA 0300 1234999

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