Turville Trust

RESIDENTS of the Hambleden Valley and several Henley shops came together to produce summer art boxes for the children of the Turville Trust.

The trust provides five weeks of week-long residential breaks throughout the summer at Turville School for vulnerable inner-city children disadvantaged by life’s circumstances or social exclusion.

Many of the children’s lives have been affected by poverty and family breakdown and they would not otherwise have the opportunity of a holiday. A holiday in Turville helps restore a child’s confidence and self-worth. The holidays are geared towards the needs of these extremely vulnerable children, supporting and empowering them to cope with the difficult challenges they face in life.

This also gives a week of respite for parents and carers.

The staff group is led by very experienced residential and family workers who are assisted in activities by many people in the local community to cook for them, provide days out, swimming, horse-riding, art and crafts, music and nature trails.

As the trust was unable to provide a holiday for the children this year, the idea of a summer box came about. People were invited to provide art and craft materials, books, toys, games, simple toiletries and a few sweets all packed up in a shoebox.

Hannah MacDiarmid, Oxford City groups co-ordinator to the trust, said: “The boxes will mean so much to children in Oxford who will be spending the summer at home after a long time out of school. Coming on the trust holidays is a highlight of the year for us and especially for the kids who won’t be able to come out and visit this summer, so it will be great for them to know that they are being thought of and not forgotten.”

The Bell Bookshop, W H Smith, Bagatelle, Cara, Fluidity and Superdrug in Henley were all enthusiastic to donate to the project and Hambleden Valley residents also generously supported the initiative.

Organisers gratefully thanked everyone’s kindness, saying: “It is wonderful that so many have understood the needs of these children.”

Julia Lacey