Friend in Me to spread awareness on social exclusion

Friend in Me will be running their first inclusive family friendly fun day later this month. Photos: FRIENDINME/FACEBOOK

AUSTRALIAN charity Friend in Me is hosting an inclusive family fun day during February and are vowing to leave no child behind by breaking the cycle of exclusion.

The February 25 event at Geelong Racecourse will give children the chance to laugh, dance and create lifelong memories with other members of their community.

The event hopes to reduce children’s feelings of loneliness and isolation and get them involved in a range of fun activities.

Founded with the core belief that no child will ever be left behind, Friend in Me promotes social inclusion and acceptance of at risk and disadvantaged children through sensory friendly events, workshops and online programs.

Friend in Me hope that their first family fun day will help to spread positive messaging and stop the chain of one in six children experiencing social exclusion.

The event is set to be held in Geelong for the first time.

“We want to reduce the feelings of loneliness and isolation that children can experience by bringing families together to meet, share, laugh and connect with each other,” Friend in Me Founder, Louise Larkin said.

The three-hour long festival will include a wide range of children’s activities including an animal nursery, face painting, a silent disco and plenty of roaming entertainment.

A range of roaming entertainers are on the bill for February 25 including Team Dream.

Event partners including the Bendigo Community and The Bisenella Group are among a group of local businesses to jump on board for the event and to throw their support behind the cause.

Friend in Me’s goal is to have reached 5,000 families by 2025, and then by 2030 to have eradicated social rejection and exclusion.

“Our role at Community Bank is to make sure we support a range of groups and activities that allows more people to participate in their communities,” Andrew Hillard, Chair at Bendigo Community Bank Lara District said.

“Every community has people within it who are at risk of being left behind.

“By supporting Friend in Me to run this event we are allowing families to participate, feel connected and lift their spirits.”