May 2012
May is my favourite month of the year. Not only is it an important birthday month in our household, mine and my mum’s, but it is also the month of two bank holidays, our new summer and the start of festival season.
May is also the month of some of the best family events on the calendar.
This month my family will laughing all the way to the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast for the fantastic international street theatre of the Festival of Fools, intrepidly hunting dinosaurs at the new ‘Age of the Dinosaur’ exhibition at the Ulster Museum and enjoying the fresh air and birds of prey displays at the National Country Sportsfair. To plan your weekends in May just turn to page 14 for our Festival guide and as usual our ‘What’s On Guide,’ starting on page 22 has a plethora of events to cater for your entire family.
May is also a month in which my thoughts turn to children in need. Firstly those children who are in desperate need of foster parents. Throughout ‘Fostering Fortnight’ in May, charities and agencies try to raise awareness of the need for more foster carers. Becoming a foster parent can be extremely rewarding and if you think this is something that could be for you, please read our article on page 15 and get in touch with one of the organisations featured.
For the last three years the ni4kids team have spent the end of May bank holiday at Stormont Estate at the family fun day which kicks off the fundraising efforts for BBC’s Children in Need appeal. This year will be no exception other than the change of date to Monday June 4 and we hope to see many of you there having fun and supporting this great cause.
May 2012 will also be a month to remember as after months of planning on May 11 we will finally host the first ni4kids Family Awards in the new Titanic Building. The excitement in ni4kids HQ is growing as the date draws closer and we can’t wait to meet all our amazing finalists. The judging panel faced an extremely difficult decision in selecting just three finalists in each award category, never mind just one winner, but after long deliberation a verdict was delivered. Find out who made it to the top three in each category on pages 10 & 11.
Whatever your plans are for May; a party? See page 5, updating your spring/ summer wardrobe? Get our ‘Style Counsel’ input on page 17, a springwatch with the kids, check out page 16, or looking forward to the Olympic Games? Read page 12 for some ideas to start your kids on the path to Olympic glory. All this in one issue, plus we have our usual collection of great family give-aways.
Enjoy May and see you in June for a special Dad’s only Father’s Day issue.
Nadia x