Author Archives: Gazala Alvi

21 Sep

Missed any of our Summer Series of Talks? You can catch up here….

We are delighted to say that our Summer Series of Talks has been a great success thus far, with 6 fantastic speakers giving audiences a fascinating insight into a wide variety of topics.

If you’ve missed any of our speakers, you can catch up with all the talks at our Youtube channel by clicking HERE.  There, you’ll be able to hear:

  • Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, talking about how children in general and vulnerable children in particular are being affected by Covid-19 and the need for a ‘Nightingale scale’ intervention
  • Anthony Costello talking about the longer-term consequences of Covid-19 for child health globally, and the threats from climate change and commercial exploitation
  • Alan Johnson talking about his love of music, books and football (with a bit of politics thrown in)
  • Eleanor Mills discussing some of the highlights of her career as a journalist, editor and campaigner, and how she used story-telling to raise funds and awareness for important causes
  • Christine Blower discussing the virtues of education and gardening and the extent to which children in urban and suburban environments are cut off from the natural world
  • Benjamin Zephaniah telling us about his remarkable journey from leaving school at 13 years old to becoming one of the most respected poets of his generation
  • Adrian Martineau explaining how vitamin D has played a key role in immune function for centuries, and examining its potential role in the fight against COVID-19.
14 Aug

Don’t miss the final talk of our Summer Series….

Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England

In the seventh, and final, instalment of our weekly Summer Series, we are delighted to host Anne Longfield OBE, the Children’s Commissioner for England.

Join us on Tuesday 25th August at 7.30pm, for what promises to be a topical and insightful talk on the eve of England’s children returning to school.  To register, please click here.

09 Jul

WLAC Patron the Rt Hon Alan Johnson joins us for the second talk of our Summer Series

In the second of our Summer Series of talks, Alan Johnson will give a talk entitled Three Guitars, encompassing his love of music, books and football (with a bit of politics thrown in).

Alan Johnson served in the cabinet under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, where his roles included Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Trade and Industry, Education, Health and Home Secretary.

Having left school aged 15 and failed in his attempts to become a rock star, he joined the Post Office and became a local official of the Union Of Post Office Workers, rising through the ranks to eventually become the Union’s youngest ever General Secretary in 1992. Five years later he became the MP for Hull West and Hessle, a position he held through five general elections, standing down when the 2017 election was called.

He has written four best selling memoirs, chronicling his life in the slums of Kensington during the post-war 50s through to reaching one of the highest offices of State.

Alan kindly agreed to be a Patron of West London Action for Children in 2018.Read less

To register for the event, click here

06 Jul

Join us for the Opening talk of our Summer Series

Professor Anthony Costello in conversation with Krishnan Guru-Murthy – Tuesday 7th July, 7:30pm

In our opening Summer Series webinar, Professor Anthony Costello, Director of the Institute for Global Health at University College London will be in conversation with Channel 4 News’ Krishnan Guru-Murthy to ask if there’s A Future for our Children? He will explore the longer term consequences of Covid-19 for child health globally, and the threats from climate change and commercial exploitation.

CLICK here for more information or to register for the event.

02 Jul

Join us every Tuesday evening for our Summer Series of talks

Each Tuesday evening this summer WLAC will be hosting our weekly Summer Series of topical webinars where eminent guest speakers will be discussing key issues facing vulnerable families and children in our current turbulent times. 

CLICK here for more information on each of the talks or to register for any of the events.

26 Jun

£22,600 raised through Champions for Children!

A huge thank you to everyone who donated to WLAC over the Champions for Children campaign week. We well and truly hit our target and raised over £22,600, all of which will go towards supporting local families and children in need during Covid-19.

Also a big thank you to The Childhood Trust and our pledge givers, whose kind generosity meant that donations made via the Champions for Children match funding campaign were doubled!

15 Jun

Big Give Match Funding during Covid-19

23rd – 30th June 2020
Help us to hit our target of £20,000

We are delighted to announce that The Big Give and The Childhood Trust have teamed up to organise Champions for Children – a match-funding campaign to support charities in raising much-needed funds during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The funding offers you the opportunity to double your donation to WLAC, at no extra cost to you, helping us to continue providing our vital services to those most in need at this unprecedented time.

What do you need to do:

The match-funding opportunity goes live on Tuesday 23rd June, for one week only, so make a note in your diary.  We will be publishing the direct link to our WLAC Big Give Donation page closer to the time here on our website, on all of our social media platforms, as well as emailing our supporters, so keep your eyes peeled.

In the meantime, get your thinking caps on because we’d like you to log on to social media during the Champions for Children week, and tell us who has been your #LockdownChampion and why.

Could it be…

Your partner for bringing you that much needed cup of tea when your computer crashed yet again?

Your children for being so brave, kind and mighty at such a difficult time?

Your best friend for making you laugh just when you needed it most?

Your family for making your lockdown birthday one to remember?

Your neighbour for bringing round the Tesco essentials?

Everyday acts of kindness are all the more important in these difficult times, and we’d like to celebrate each and every #LockdownChampion

03 Feb

Sponsor our heroic London Marathon runners

On 26th April, Becky, Ben, Josh, Lance and Terry will be taking on the challenge of running a collective 131 miles to raise money for WLAC.

Please support their heroic efforts by clicking on the links below, which will take you through to their Fundraising pages. Please donate to help them hit their fundraising targets, and make the early morning runs, and aches and pains worth it.

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BeckyCatlin

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BenMartin26

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/josh-saunders-SAVMLMBONDS333-2020-202232

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lance-corcoran

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/terry-vangasse-SAVMLMBONDS333-2020-225373

01 Feb

Video Interaction Guidance – A new therapeutic approach

Five of our team have been training in Video Interaction Guidance – an intervention through which the therapist aims to enhance communication within relationships.  This approach fits well with our solution-focused ethos, where clients are supported to make positive change through strength-based interventions.

Video Interaction Guidance is delivered by video-recording interactions between a parent and child, usually in a period of play.  The next phase is the video review session where the client is supported in reflecting on clips of their own successful interactions.  This session uses a micro-analysis of successful moments in the relationship, with an emphasis on moments when the parent is attuned to their child’s emotions and behaviour.  The approach is a collaborative one which celebrates positive interactions, with the belief that this is key to bringing about the change the client is hoping for.

Video Interaction Guidance is usually a short term intervention, used in many settings to help families to make their desired changes by witnessing, recognising and experiencing a different, more positive, narrative about themselves.