Over the Easter period we had 3 respite breaks for children coming to Honeypot House for the very first time.

The children had never been away from the family home before and although it was quite a daunting experience for many, they coped very well and had a fantastic time getting involved with a variety of activities!

They had a lot of fun at Paultons Park (a big thank you to all the staff there), catching crabs at the beach and bouncing on the trampolines in the garden, and there was plenty going on to keep them busy!

The respite breaks also gave them the chance to mix with other children with caring responsibilities and make new friends who they’ll be coming back with next year!

All went home armed with Easter eggs from the local Wimpson Lane Scooter Club, Southampton and we’d like to thank them for their very kind support.

Easter was also a very busy time for the Honeypot Playbus which travelled over 500 miles to visit children in Kent  and Hampshire. We had 79 children hop on board to play, do arts & crafts, sing and have fun and we’re looking forward to getting back on the road again this weekend!

CONGRATULATIONS to all our runners who took part in the 2012 Virgin London Marathon. You all did exceptionally well, with two of our runners even coming in just after 3 hours and 15 minutes!

It was a great day and for the most part the sun was shining.

We would like to say a special thank you to the Honeypot volunteers, friends and family who all came along to cheer at mile 25. It was great to see you all there and I know the runners all appreciated the support. Also thank you to Catherine Wilson our fantastic sports massage therapist who worked tirelessly throughout the day to ease away the aches and pains of the runners

See photos here!

Sunday 22 April 2012

CONGRATULATIONS to all our runners who took part in the 2012 Virgin London Marathon. You all did exceptionally well, with two of our runners even coming in just after 3 hours and 15 minutes!

It was a great day and for the most part the sun was shining.

We would like to say a special thank you to the Honeypot volunteers, friends and family who all came along to cheer at mile 25. It was great to see you all there and I know the runners all appreciated the support. Also thank you to Catherine Wilson our fantastic sports massage therapist who worked tirelessly throughout the day to ease away the aches and pains of the runners.

Keep your eye out here for the final fundraising total…

If you are interested in running the 2013 Virgin London Marathon then please contact sophie@honeypot.org.uk or call 020 7602 2631. You can also click here for more information.

At the end of last month we were very kindly offered two VIP tickets to see JLS perform live at the O2.

Leanne, a member of our Children’s Services team took Kelly, a Honeypot child who had an amazing day! She had the chance to meet the boys before watching the concert from the front row and it was an experience she’ll never forget.

Below is a quick write up from the day by Leanne, so please read a little about what they got up to…

“We were very lucky to be offered two tickets to go to the O2 to meet and greet JLS, with VIP front row tickets!

Kelly is a local Honeypot child so I picked her up and drove to the O2. I was really looking forward to the day, and although Kelly wasn’t really sure what to expect I could tell she was very excited and couldn’t wait to get there!

When we arrived we were taken backstage to meet the boys and given programmes which they signed. They were really nice guys and took the time out to chat with us and have some photos taken. We were both a little star struck but I think we managed to keep our cool…

Kelly absolutely loved meeting them and just couldn’t stop smiling! I’ve known Kelly for a couple of years and spent time with her on the Playbus but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her quite so happy!

After grabbing a bite to eat we headed through to take our seats and got ready to watch them perform. Walking through the crowds gave us such an amazing feeling. Kelly had never been to the O2 before and once we were in she said “WOW!! Are we sitting right at the front?!” It was an experience that neither of us will ever have again!

The concert was amazing, wicked, and being in the front row was incredible!!!!!!

It was the experience of a lifetime and huge thanks go to JLS for taking the time to talk to Kelly and giving her memories she will cherish forever.

It was just a fantastic day!”

This Sunday a former Honeypot child will be running the Virgin London Marathon with her mum to raise money for Honeypot. Kirstie Nash (18 years old) will be running alongside her mother Sue.

Being a lone parent brining up children is not always easy and when one of those children has a disability it can be even more challenging.  Over the last eighteen years Sue endeavoured to give both her children the best start in life that she could.  In 1997 and 1998 Sue took part in the London Marathon.  On both occasions she ran to raise money to buy her disabled daughter a specially adapted tricycle.  Her youngest daughter Kirstie  helped with training and it became her dream to complete the marathon when she was old enough.

In 2001 when the girls were aged 11 and 7 years they became isolated from family and the respite support they offered. However in 2003, when Kirstie was nine years old she got her first opportunity to visit Honeypot House.  She had a wonderful time and came home really excited to tell her mum about what she had been up to.  Kirstie was overjoyed to receive birthday and Christmas cards, presents and to visit the house a number of times.  Kirstie was also lucky enough to be the 1000^th Honeypot child in 2006, an honour that she has never forgotten, and has now been chosen to carry the Olympic torch through Winchester in the summer.

When Kirstie turned eighteen at the beginning of the month she was now old enough to complete her dream of running in the marathon. Kirstie  asked for no birthday presents, just donations to Honeypot.

If you would like to sponsor Sue and Kirstie then please do so here.

Friday 8th June 2012
www.powerleague.co.uk

This year sees the tournament relocating to Powerleague’s flagship venue in the shadow of London’s iconic Wembley Stadium.

Up to 16 teams will compete for the prestigious Honeypot Trophy.

The tournament comprises a Champions league format 1st phase and Knock out rounds for 2nd phase.

Match will take place on latest generation 5 a side pitches and we will have FA Qualified referees as well as top class facilities available onsite.

After the match and prizegiving you can Watch Euro 2012 kick off in the bar!

We have a few places left in thournament and it would be great to see you.

• The cost is £500 entry per team with 7 players allowed per team.

Please contact richard@honeypot.org.uk if you would like to enter a team

“OddBox Introduces” is a celebration of young talent from dancing, singing, and live music, to stand up comedy, and an art gallery. The event will take place at St John’s Church, Locks Heath SO31 6LW. Doors open at 7 and the show will start at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5 per adult and £3 for students and children.  Contact Jamie at oddboxtheatrecompany@gmail.com to book tickets and to find out more. All monies raised will be donated to The Honeypot Children’s Charity.

Friday 29 June 2012

We have great pleasure in inviting you to join us for our first UK golf day on Friday 29 June 2012 at Stoke Park Golf Club, voted one of the ”Top 100 Courses in the World”.

Set within 350 acres of historic parkland and gardens, Stoke Park combines sumptuous luxury and refined elegance with some of the finest sporting and leisure facilities in the country.  

The event will consist of 18 holes of golf followed by a fabulous BBQ. Non golf-playing partners, friends or colleagues can relax in the beautiful spa, indoor pool and fitness facilities before joining us for the BBQ.

• Teams of four or individuals are invited to play on the day.
• Single player £300.00
  Team of Four £1200.00
  Non Player (Lunch) £65.00

Places still available so get in touch now.

If you’re interested then please contact sophie@honeypot.org.uk or 020 7602 2631 for further information .

On Tuesday 13 March we hosted Honeypot’s second gentleman’s only Wine Dinner & Auction.

The event was held at the fabulous Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Park Lane. There were only 70 tickets available for this elite event at the triple Michelin starred restaurant.  The restaurant offers contemporary French cuisine in a modern and elegant décor along with professional and friendly service.

There were also a number of the finest wines for auction on the evening. We are extremely grateful to Lord Dalmeny for managing our wine auction and are plaesed to announce that the event raised a fantatsic £134,080! A huge thank you to everyone who supported the event.

The 2012 Corporate Challenge took place at the Kingpin Suite, Bloomsbury Lanes. Once again a fantastic evening was had by all as we asked companies to put on their bowling shoes and compete for that all important Honeypot trophy.

After a champagne reception the bowling began, with some delicious food to keep everyone going throughout the evening! There were other activities for the non-playing guests, such as an exciting Las Vegas casino and games competition with table tennis, table football and pool.

Throughout the evening guests were placing bids in our silent auction, which had some amazing prizes.

Thank you to Kate McKenzie from Christie’s auctioneers who hosted a fantastic live auction at the end of the might. Honeypot would also like to thank all those who supported us by donating some fabulous prizes:

The evening was a fantastic success and we are pleased to annouce that we raised £18,372. So a big thank you to everyone for coming along. Congratulations to Hell-Po Team 1 for taking home to the 2012 trophy. We hope you will all be back next year to take on another challenge!

See some photos from the night here!