SMILE’s Free Lone Parent Fair Reaches a Milestone 10th Year

We were delighted to see over 200 people at the 10th SMILE Lone Parent Fair, including 60 families, 76 volunteers and a further 15 children and young people volunteering!

This year’s fair included a fantastic range of activities to celebrate and support single parents and their families. From building robots and hook-a-duck to glitter tattoos and magic shows, there was something for everyone to enjoy!

Jim’s Reptiles was a huge hit, giving children and parents the opportunity to hold snakes and a range of other creepy critters! The Friendly Food Club gave out over 100 burritos to children and parents, and there were many happy unicorns, dinosaurs and superheroes brought to life by Diamond Face Painting. It was wonderful to see so many families having fun, children making memories, parents relaxing, and smiling faces all around.

The free event also provided an amazing array of practical support for single parents and their families, including children’s haircuts and bicycle maintenance, which many of the parents expressed their gratitude for. Support like this helps take the burden off single parents by giving them one less thing to worry about.

A huge thank you to our wonderful hosts, St James’ Church and Poole Lifecentre and Foodbank, who opened their doors so graciously and let us take over their space for the day. We couldn’t have done it without you!