Alton Towers 25th Birthday Party
On Saturday 7th May we celebrated the 25th birthday of Caring Matters Now at Alton Towers.
Not only would this be the first time we had been able to host a national event since before the pandemic… but out of the 64 families who attended, over 34 of them had never attended a Caring Matters Now Event before or had only attended a virtual event! We knew that the day was going to be life changing for many!
The day began as we greeted our 273 guests at the entrance to the park and directed them to the Hospitality Suite which sat directly underneath a ride called the Spinball Whizzer! The Hospitality Suite was decorated with pink and blue balloons, crayons and colouring pages were scattered across the tables and some well-placed Ronnie the bears were hidden waiting to be found! Along the side of the room, conference tables displayed Merchandise, Fundraising Materials and Support Literature. As our members arrived, they received a Welcome Pack which included a running order of the day, a wristband to be able to recognise other guests throughout the park, a Teens Guide to Alton Towers which was written and designed by one of our Young Ambassadors, Jasmin, and some must have items like wet wipes and sun cream samples- very kindly donated by SunSense for the event!
Our members began to mingle organically, many recognising each other from Online Communities which have been forming over recent months.
The morning session in the park began and our families where off to explore the rides with our Support Contacts taking on the role of ‘Guide Families’ for specific age groups! Some families stayed behind for a chat, one of these families included a 7-year-old girl with facial CMN. She had been very nervous about the day as she had never met anybody with CMN before! We discussed ways to manage bullying at school, the Explain-Distract-Reassure Technique and positive Self-Talk.
As families returned for lunch, conversation came easy as families shared stories and enjoyed each other’s company! Despite having organised a Gaming corner for the Teens during lunchtime, they were nowhere to be found, as a group had formed to head around the park together!
Our CEO, Jodi Whitehouse, addressed the crowded room, introducing the team and thanking our members for coming along to celebrate 25 years which had passed in a blink of an eye! 125 iced cupcakes gradually depleted as members visited the Fundraising stand where they met Rachel, our Communications and Fundraising Officer. Some avoided eye contact as they snuck in for a cupcake, whilst others signed up for our Liverpool to London TREK and our Coffee and Cake Morning! Several children approached Rachel with fundraising ideas which they were going to try with their family, friends, and schools!
We were able to bring along two of our How Do You C Me Now portraits which were proudly on display and manned by the models themselves over lunch! Callum and Isla’s striking portraits caught everyone’s attention, and Isla and her family got some photos beside her portrait to see just how much she had grown up since the image was taken!
As the day came to an end, we pulled ourselves away from deep conversations and gathered for a group photograph! Our members collected their Goody Bag for the journey home- filled with bubbles and sweets for the kids, and leaflets with simple QR codes for booking our next events! Child and adult members alike shared such a sense of pride to be together sharing the day and sharing our unique experiences with CMN.
As a team of Trustees, Staff and Volunteers we were so pleased with how the day had gone, and as the 7-year-old we met earlier put it- it was the ‘best birthday party ever!’
Some families stayed behind for a chat, one of these families included a 7-year-old girl with facial CMN. She had been very nervous about the day as she had never met anybody with CMN before! We discussed ways to manage bullying at school, the Explain-Distract-Reassure Technique and positive Self-Talk.
