AIO Events comprises of a team of three women who were born and raised in South London. Together we have started a Community Interest Company benefiting families in London - particularly South London as our events will be hosted there.

We have chosen to target families, due to the rising costs of living and the impact that it is having on our communities.

The impact the cost of living is having on families:

• Families are not able to afford activities for children to enjoy

• Struggling to buy food to feed their family

• Having to choose between feeding their families and keeping the heating on in their home

• A decline in mental health for both children and adults, due to the stress and pressures being put on them

• Not being able to afford new clothes for growing families

We want to help all families in the community – not just those that are classified as having a low income. We have researched and seen that it is not just families with a low income that are struggling.

“I sometimes go down to one of the local soup kitchens and the demographic of people going there at night is so different than it was 18 months ago. People complain that they’re not eligible for the food bank because they’ve got a job, but it doesn’t matter; people who are working are still finding it incredibly difficult to make ends meet.” taken from: https://www.family-action.org.uk/our-voices/2022/11/03/familyline-cost-of-living-crisis/

We intend to help alleviate some of the pressures to families by having Quarterly giveback feeds for families, during school holiday periods. We are aware that this can be a very stressful and challenging time for families. Therefore, we want to be able to put these feeds in place to cushion and support families at this time. We plan to give them a hot meal to eat and a care package with essentials to help during these periods. We will be working with other charities and external providers that can come to these feeds to also offer services, knowledge and support to help families during these times.

We also intend to create after school clubs and toddler sessions throughout the year, educational and vocational. This will allow children to still flourish while, enjoying activities out of the home, to drive away any limitations that can hinder a child. We will have a percentage of subsided or fully funded places available to help and support families who need it the most – which we plan to access funding to support this.

“Growing up in poverty can harm children's life chances, limiting their opportunities, holding them back in education, or leading to worse physical and mental health outcomes” taken from: https://www.barnardos.org.uk/research/what-cost-impact-cost-living-children-and-young-people#:~:text=Families%20with%20nothing%20left%20to,physical%20and%20mental%20health%20outcomes.

We are planning to host a range of seasonal events and activities for children throughout the year, that we again will have a percentage of subsidised attendees' tickets. This will allow us to bridge the gap for children to be able to celebrate key times of year regardless of their parent's income – relieving pressure and allowing children to cherish and enjoy these events. We endeavour to help them to develop key skills that they can harness onto the next phase of their development.

We understand the challenges of raising a family on a low income, whilst also trying to maintain your well-being. Our intentions are to also provide adult family members with events where they can prioritise their mental and physical health, at the times when they will need that type of support the most – enjoying activities they may not be able to normally afford and access. Such as, yoga, mindful meditation, etc. We are passionate about creating opportunities for families to be able to enjoy our events while benefitting financially from subsidised tickets. People will also get the opportunity to meet people local to them, that may be in the same position – being able to form new relationships and exchange support, building a stronger community. Where tomorrow feels hopeful and no so bleak.

Our team have a combined background in working and supporting children, as well as supporting and rehabilitating vulnerable and homeless people. We will be using our knowledge, experience and skillset to make change in our community. We are dedicated to bridging the gap and promoting unity, making our events accessible to all families. We endeavour to reach those families who are most isolated, are financially impacted, but would still be interested in attending innovative, uplifting and engaging local events in South London.