Welcome to Family Day, Sunday 13 May 2012
What is Family Day?
Family Day is a big annual celebration of the diversity of families and family life in Ireland. As broadcaster Ian Dempsey explained at today’s launch, ‘Families come in all shapes and sizes and Family Day is a day for everyone to celebrate their family, no matter what its make-up, and to think about what family really means.’
Family... Day is brought to you by One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, in association with EBS. It is One Family’s 40th anniversary this year, so we want your support to make Family Day 2012 bigger and better than ever.
On Sunday 13 May 2012 One Family and EBS will host a wonderful family event with free entertainment, family sports activities, face painting and arts and crafts workshops in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens – come and join us and bring your own picnic to celebrate family day. If you don’t have time to prepare your own picnic, visit our food village for a range of quality refreshments. Or if you are not based in Dublin – why not hold your own event? Just register and tell us all about it. The type of family event you hold is entirely up to you and can be held any time during the week of Monday 7 to Sunday 13 May. If you are an organisation, you may want to organise a family-themed arts and crafts project, or a storytelling hour or even a formal talk – if you are a family you may prefer to have a family outing such as a treasure-hunt, or a family X-Factor competition. See here for loads of ideas.
This year you could win €500 in our art competition by drawing or painting your family portrait and dropping it into any EBS office – or by posting it to One Family, 2 Lower Pembroke St, Dublin 2. The closing date for portraits is 31 May.
Why not turn your event into a fundraiser for One Family?
One Family is the national organisation for people who parent alone or share parenting, because sometimes it isn’t easy being mum and dad. Monies raised will go to our askonefamily national helpline which gives support, information and a listening ear to lone parents going through a difficult time. See here for details on how to hold a fundraiser.
Why Celebrate?
We believe all families matter, and that individuals who feel cared for and supported by those around them – whether families or others in their lives – help to make stronger communities for us all. We know that families are not all the same. We define a family as two or more people, related by blood, marriage, adoption or commitment to care for one another. We celebrate all types of family – blended, extended, adoptive and foster families, and those with one-parent or same-sex parents.
Who supports Family Day?
Family Day is brought to you by One Family in association with EBS, with media support from Today FM and The Evening Herald. It is supported by community and voluntary groups, schools and charities around the country, see partners and supporters for how to sign up your group’s participation or add your support.
Next steps…
Register your own Family Day event
Enter our art competition to win €500*
Attend our Family Day Picnic.
“Like” our Facebook Page and mark yourself as attending the Family Day Picnic on our Facebook Event page
See which individuals and organisations are supporting Family Day 2012.
Watch the One Family Stories video to see why we support one-parent families.
Tell us your story – what family means to you and why family is important to you.
