This year G. Wathall & Son Ltd collected 178 Easter eggs for Children First Derby.  They are an established and well respected local charity (Charity No 1111157), founded 42 years ago, based in inner city Derby. They employ 11 staff and work with over 60 local volunteers. Their founding aim is to relieve the distress and suffering experienced by children and families, particularly those suffering from violence or abuse.

They provide three distinct services:

– Derby City’s Supervised Contact Service for Looked After Children – contract funded

– A Family Support Service for vulnerable families with children under 18 – funded by The Henry Smith Charity and their own fundraising

– A Mentoring Service for vulnerable young people aged 10 to 16 – funded by BBC Children In Need and again, their own fundraising

Danny Smith, CEO of Children First Derby, says “The Index of Multiple Deprivation indicates that all our local Lower Super Output Areas are in the most deprived 20% nationally for the Living Environment, Health Deprivation and Disability, Income and Crime measures.”

“Our ward is ranked the most deprived of all Derby’s wards. We know that, over our 42 years in existence, our early-intervention services have never been more needed.”

“We have been awarded both enhanced accreditation by the National Association of Child Contact Centres and the quality mark of Help and Support for Separated Families. We are in the process of acquiring the quality mark of the Mentoring and Befriending Society.  We are proud to have secured both Dame Vivienne Westwood and actress Gwen Taylor as patrons of Children First Derby and to have been awarded a Lloyds Bank Foundation Charity Achievement Award, a Chamber of Commerce ‘Community Champions’ Award and a Community Action Derby ‘Shining Stars’ Award within the last two years.”