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COVID-19

News, Our services

The University of Essex and Family Action project highlight families’ needs at the front line of COVID-19

The unprecedented year we’ve had has affected us all, and families have seen their limits tested. Our Impact and Influencing Manager,…
Real stories

Sam’s story: Why my happiest memories are made around my kitchen table

After a year largely spent indoors many of us are making plans for the summer and rediscovering the things we’ve…
Our services, Real stories

Claudette’s story: How school and our BOSS service supported my family in lockdown

Our Creating Happy Memories campaign is currently celebrating the fresh start we’ve all been given now that lockdown is ending,…
Parenting tips, Real stories

Jay’s story: How my family began thriving after lockdown

Our Creating Happy Memories campaign is all about highlighting the resilience and support our families provide for all of us,…
Our services, Volunteering

Rakesh’s story: Enthusiastic about volunteering… and food!

Our Family Action FOOD Clubs are more than just a means to ensure families can access quality food at a discount…
Our services, Volunteering

Fiona’s story: volunteering with FamilyLine

Our FamilyLine service offers the opportunity for callers to receive emotional and practical support, and we’re used to hearing about the positive…
Real stories

Laura, Pandemic Preggo’s story: Maternal Mental Health and the road to recovery

Laura, author of the Pandemic Preggo blog, talks to us about her experiences of having a baby during the pandemic…
Real stories

Pregnancy and birth during lockdown

For many of us across the UK, the entire experience of parenthood has been shaped by the Coronavirus and the…
Parenting tips

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month: Top Tips

It’s Maternal Mental Health Month which aims to raise awareness of the challenges that can arise for parents in the…
Real stories

Developing life skills through cooking

Our Cookalong4Families programme, which runs as part of Family Action’s Holiday Hub clubs, gives young people and their families the chance to cook and eat…
Real stories

Mia’s story: Cooking, culture and COVID-19 – commencing university during a crazy year

Our experiences of COVID-19 have differed significantly, but for one group it’s added further complications to a situation that already…
Parenting tips, Real stories

A story about pre and post pregnancy, resilience, and a very special space online

As restrictions loosen and our lives once again return to something approaching normality it’s easy to look back over the…
Real stories

Heather’s Story: eating together as a family as lockdown restrictions ease

With the children back at school and with further changes to lockdown restrictions planned for the next few weeks, there is lots of talk…
Real stories

David’s story: how cooking with his son brought his family closer together

Food has a way of connecting people and is often the focus of family or cultural celebrations like birthdays. Despite…
Parenting tips

Top tips for teenagers stuck at home

Many people – ourselves included – have focused on making home-schooling work during the recent lockdown, but we might risk…
Parenting tips

Practical back to school tips for families with teenagers

Teenagers have not had it easy over the past year. Between lockdowns and isolation measures, their experience of school –…
Our services

Looking after your mental health during the pandemic podcast

In this episode, we speak our community mental health service BAND about the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on the…
Parenting tips

The “lifejacket approach” to tensions at home

The past year’s events have seen families across the UK spending more time around the house and the current lockdown’s…
Parenting tips

Tackling complex feelings about going back to school

There are many practical considerations when helping our children transition back to school – particularly after a long summer break…
Real stories

Karin’s story: A tale of two lockdowns

Most of us will have heard someone describe the past year as resembling “groundhog day”, with each day feeling much…
Parenting tips

Ten top homeschooling tips for parents of younger children 

After the positive response from our homeschooling tips for teenagers’ article we thought it was useful to ensure that we covered younger children too… and once again our Behaviour…
Real stories

Michael’s story: how being close to nature keeps me positive in lockdown

With more time spent in and around our homes and gardens this year it’s not surprising many of us have…
Parenting tips

Ten top home learning tips for parents of teenagers

Homeschooling is tough! Not only do we have to ensure our children continue to learn and thrive – we also…
Parenting tips, Real stories

Dan, The Breaking Dad’s story: managing lockdown over two households as a blended family

Daniel Betts, Dad blogger, @The_Breaking_Dad tells us his experience and top tips for managing as a two-household blended family, during…
Real stories

Ed’s story: how cooking during lockdown has brought my family closer

Eating well and remaining enthusiastic about meals has become more important than ever over the past year and has inspired families…
Real stories

Nikki’s story: rediscovering the joy of baking

Nikki, mum to four children and also to one ‘absolutely perfect’ granddaughter, tells us how baking at home helps her…
Real stories

Charlie’s story: how a Survival Fund grant made a difference

Since the pandemic began many already struggling families are in need of support, now more than ever. Find out how one…
Our services

Michelle’s story: how Family Action’s FOOD Clubs inspired my family

When Michelle took up her post as Family Action’s Deputy Director of Services and Innovation National Services, she knew what excited her…
Our services

Delivering a nativity to remember with our Peterborough Pre-Schools despite a difficult year

Children from Family Action’s seven pre-schools have taken part in a nativity show for the past six years. However, this year the traditional performance would be impossible. Here our…
Parenting tips

Getting ready for Christmas with our Southend Children’s Centre podcast

In this episode we catch up with our South End Children’s Centre, Mum and Baby group, to find out what…
Our services, Parenting tips

Why cooking and eating together is important

With more of us cooking and eating at home in recent months, here Sharon Robinson, Family Action’s Food On Our…
Parenting tips

Thrifty tips for using Christmas leftovers and crafting budget-friendly presents

Christmas and delicious food go hand in hand – but often luxurious treats can stretch our budgets as well as…
Real stories, Volunteering

Volunteering at our FOOD clubs this Christmas 

Food On Our Doorstep (FOOD) clubs provide low cost, healthy and sustainable food for families on a budget who are at risk of food insecurity. The valuable work of our FOOD clubs is only…
Parenting tips

Counting the cost – ways to save money during an unusual Christmas

The end of the year is traditionally a time when we sit and reflect on the year that’s been, and…
Parenting tips, Real stories

Dan, The Breaking Dad’s story: making Christmas magic as a single parent

We hear from Dan Betts, creator of the Instagram page @The_Breaking_Dad, as well as thebreakingdad.co.uk, about his experience of Christmas as a single…
Parenting tips

Managing family relationships during a COVID-19 Christmas 

Spending time with family at Christmas is magical but it can also put a strain on family relationships, this year…
Parenting tips

Making Christmas magic this year

This is the first in a series of blogs where we will be counting down to Christmas with a mix…
Our services, Real stories

The positive impacts of allotments on mental and physical health

It’s not just a case of us looking after our allotments – during lockdown it’s become clear that allotments have…
Our services, Real stories

Nicola’s story: how Family Action’s grant helped my daughter and I

COIVD-19’s impact on the nation’s health, economy and schools has been dramatic and far-reaching but, in many respects, the effects…
Our services, Volunteering

Celebrating World Food Day with our FOOD Clubs

Today it’s World Food Day, which offers us the chance to celebrate its theme of “food heroes”, who are helping…
Parenting tips

Coronavirus – employee rights and how they affect you 

The economic and financial implications of COVID-19 have resulted in increased job insecurity across the country and, in some cases, unemployment. It’s a worrying time for…
Real stories

Worrying about employment in the post-COVID world

The Government’s furlough scheme that it introduced in response to COVID-19 is unprecedented and has kept many families from severe…
Parenting tips, Real stories

Back to School with Clapham Manor podcast

In this episode we visit Clapham Manor Primary School and Nursery, to find out how students; Ezra, Romy, Riadore and…
Our services, Parenting tips

Inspiring brunch ideas from our Holiday Hub team

Now that many of us are starting to get back to school and work, we may reminisce about our family…
News, Our services

Report out: Our response to the COVID-19 challenge

Our Chief Executive, David Holmes, CBE and Chair of Trustees, Mary Fulton introduce a report on our response to the…
News, Parenting tips

Back to school – low cost, high quality packed lunch inspiration with Bacofoil®

To help us support families preparing to go back to school, we have partnered with household favourite and kitchen helper,…
Our services, Parenting tips

Fun ways to enjoy nature outside with your children

The summer holidays are great to enjoy some time with your children, but after a long period of lockdown and…
Parenting tips

Money-saving tips for troubled times

We’ve spoken to a range of our experts from all over our organisation and come up with some handy money…
Parenting tips

Summer Staycation Strategies

The summer holidays are here but with the national and global picture still uncertain and countries moving into and out…
Our services, Real stories

Louise’s story: food, meal times and my family during lockdown

Louise, our National Food Services Operational Manager and mother to a teenager, shares her lockdown experience and the part food…
Real stories

Lockdown… and beyond. A new perspective and way of living

COVID-19 has, without a doubt, changed the way we live – the way we socialise, shop, work (and workout).  However, despite…
Real stories

Hannah’s story: lockdown in perfect company 

We’ve been sharing stories regarding the little changes we’ve all made during lockdown which have had a positive effect on…
Our services, Real stories

Young Carer Maggie – looking after her family during COVID-19

Maggie Brooks an extraordinary individual with an astonishing story to tell, at only 12 years old. Read on to find…
Our services, Real stories, Volunteering

Joshua’s story: how having a mentor turned my life around

During this period of physical distancing, staying connected to each other is more important than ever. That’s why our services are…
Parenting tips, Real stories

A new way to manage loneliness as a single parent

Read Zoë’s story as a single mum & founder of Frolo, one of the services we reccomend through our FamilyLine…
Fundraising, Real stories

Mohbub’s story: Receiving a COVID-19 grant

We knew from the moment COVID-19 hit the news headlines that families of all kinds across the country would be…
Fundraising, News

We’ve partnered with The Times Coronavirus Charity Appeal

We’ve partnered with The Times and The Sunday Times Emergency Coronavirus Appeal to support the thousands of vulnerable families we work…
Parenting tips, Real stories

Jo’s story: money, food and my family during the lockdown

The worldwide spread of COVID-19 and the resulting isolation measures have placed financial and emotional stress on families across society…
Parenting tips, Real stories

Ideas to feed your family during the COVID-19 lockdown

Our National School Breakfast Programme, Project Support Officer and public health nutritionist, Gill understands the difficulties many families are facing…
Parenting tips

Isolation ideas for your children from a pre-school professional

Since the government rolled out nationwide isolation measures to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic parents have found themselves much more involved…
Parenting tips, Real stories

Jade’s story: pregnancy, birth & Covid-19

Pregnancy and the prospect of giving birth can be an anxious time, even more so during this unprecedented time. We…
Parenting tips

How to enjoy the weekend during the COVID-19 outbreak

Modern life is built around the working week, with many of us dreaming of when Friday rolls around. However, due…
Parenting tips

How to manage family tensions whilst self isolating together

While many of us love spending quality time with our family, being on lockdown means we can’t do the things…
Parenting tips

Learning at home with your children during the COVID-19 outbreak

Long periods of school absence can fill many parents with nagging doubts about the effect on their children’s wellbeing and…