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Child-Friendly Medway Partnership Board Members, councillors, community partners and Child-Friendly Medway team
On Thursday, 1 October, at MidKent College, Child-Friendly Medway held our Partnership Board and 2025-26 Annual Report Launch.
Highlights included the 2025 Children and Young People’s Survey, our first ever Baby and Toddler Week, Play and Storytelling Workshops and our School Readiness activities.
In 2025-26, we reached 121,173 children, young people, and families in Medway. We delivered, supported, and sponsored 237 FREE events. Working with 45 Medway Council teams and community partners, creating lots of opportunities for listening to children and young people to hear their ideas.
We also looked back at five years of Child-Friendly Medway, we delivered 6,772 FREE events and celebrated engaging with an amazing 479,137 children, young people and families.
Guest speakers included Councillor Vince Maple, the Leader of Medway Council, Richard Hicks, Chief Executive of Medway Council and Child-Friendly Medway Partnership Board Chair, and Councillor Adam Price, Portfolio Holder for Children's Services.
We shared all the amazing things that we have been doing during 2025-26 with our 48 attendees, including Child-Friendly Medway Partnership Board Members, Medway Council teams and community partners. Guests also included Councillor Douglas Hamandishe, Mayor of Medway, Councillor Teresa Murray, Deputy Leader of Medway Council and Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Councillor Tracy Coombs, Portfolio Holder for Education, and Councillor Louwella Prenter, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Homelessness.
We launched our new Child-Friendly Medway Ambassador programme at this event, where all those that attended pledged to champion Child-Friendly Medway through their work and were given a Child-Friendly Medway Ambassador badge in recognition of their support.
A special visit from our Child-Friendly Medway mascot, Mojo, made the launch even more fun, and brought a smile to everyone’s face!
As well as the 2025-26 highlights you can also read about our For the Love of Reading Initiative, partnership working, school programming, funded projects and much more in this year’s Annual Report.
To read the Annual Report click here.
The Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayors of Medway
On Tuesday, 27 October, we welcomed the first ever Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayors of Medway during our Young Mayor Launch event at the Rochester Corn Exchange.
The eight young people making up the Young Mayor team were joined by 78 guests, including local councillors, Medway Council teams, sponsors, community partners and their families. They were formally welcomed into their new role by Councillor Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council. Our Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayors introduced themselves on stage and told us a little bit about why they are excited to be representing children and young people in Medway.
We were also joined by Councillor Douglas Hamandishe, Mayor of Medway, Councillor Sharon Jackson, Deputy Mayor of Medway, Dr Lee-Anne Farach, Director of Children’s Services and Deputy Chief Executive of Medway Council and Councillor Adam Price, Portfolio Holder for Children's Services, who all shared words of encouragement for our Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayors.
Thank you to Canary House Care, Home Finding and Fostering, Shining Stars Fostering and The Hazel Project Fostering for sponsoring the Young Mayor project and to other partners who joined us in welcoming the Young Mayor team.
Another huge congratulations from Child-Friendly Medway to Amelia- Rose, Archie, Anastasia, Isla, Isobel, Kayin, Priya and Violet. We know you are going to have a brilliant year in your exciting new roles!
Child-Friendly Medway listening to a child at Trick or Treat event
Fang-tastic Halloween Half-term
On Monday, 26 October, Medway Park was filled with fang-tastic fun for Child-Friendly Medway’s FREE Halloween Trick or Treat event. This event was developed to provide a safe alternative to door knocking.
The event began with a SEND-friendly hour, featuring reduced-volume music and a range of inclusive activities, including crafts, games and photo opportunities.
The fun continued with music from a children’s entertainer, alongside opportunities to meet Halloween characters and our mascot, Mojo. Trick-or-treaters also enjoyed showing off their costumes and posing for photos throughout the event.
We were joined by over 400 guests including tiny goblins, ghouls, witches, superheroes, fairies and princesses, along with their families, for this frightfully fun event. Visitors explored each stall, took part in a range of activities and enjoyed a wide selection of treats along the way.
We asked children what activities they enjoy doing at this time of the year and pumpkin picking or going to a Halloween party proved popular. All taking part received a FREE spooktacular book as part of Child-Friendly Medway’s For the Love of Reading Initiative, to encourage children and young people to develop a love for books and a passion for reading.
One mini ghost child shared with us:
“I liked the dancing, stickers, brushing teeth and crafts.”
One parent/carer shared with us:
“Very informative stalls. It was a nice that the 'treats' were not sweets.”
Partners joining on the day included community partners: Home-Start; Kent Police; Medway Asthma Self Help; Medway Parent Carer Forum; Medway Parent Carer Panel and Medway Council teams: Family Solutions; Fostering for Medway; Medway Sport; SEND Local Offer and teams from Public Health: Beside You; Cooking Together Team and Oral Health.
Across the half term week, Child-Friendly Medway engaged with almost 3000 children, young people and families at a range of spooktacular events including Scare Fest and Inflatable Fun Day.
Funded by Best Start in Life programming.
 A child enjoying dressing up and playing with a Child-Friendly Medway team member
Role Play Week
Children had fun dressing up and using their imaginations at our very first Role Play Week event at The Pentagon Shopping Centre in Chatham.
Throughout the week, the Child-Friendly Medway team spoke with parents and carers about school readiness, sharing information and resources to help support children as they transition to school. We also welcomed feedback on how we can make our Best Start in Life events both engaging and informative, helping families to create positive home learning environments for their children.
The event ran from Tuesday, 8 September until Monday, 14 September, where babies and toddlers explored Child-Friendly Medway’s role play village.
They pretended to take care of toy animals in our vet’s surgery, arrest team members when pretending to be a police officer and make delicious meals in our café. Other play opportunities included:
- School
- Post office
- Salon
- Emergency services
- Doctor’s surgery
- Dentist
We could see the children having an amazing time, one child at the event said:
“I have enjoyed building, going in the ball pit, and being a doctor.”
A grandparent shared with us:
“We bring our granddaughter to all the Child-Friendly Medway events as much as we can. She is usually shy, and is an only child, but has really learned to socialise at your events and has made friends, so thank you, we really appreciate it!”
This event was funded by Best Start in Life programming to support children’s development across multiple areas including language, social skills, and imagination.
 Mojo enjoying The Strand Takeover
Child-Friendly Medway is a platform to listen and respond to the voices of children and young people. It provides an opportunity for children and young people to shape where they live and make their communities even more child-friendly.
Since launching Child-Friendly Medway we have used our Child-Friendly Medway City Halls and all of our Seeing is Believing FREE events to collect feedback, which we use to shape what we do.
Free swimming is one of the most common requests we recieve through our postcards and at our Child-Friendly Medway City Halls, where children speak directly to Councillor Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council and Richard Hicks, Chief Executive of Medway Council, and have asked, ‘Can there be free swimming sessions?’
Child-Friendly Medway responded to this and on Tuesday, 28 July, we introduced our first The Strand Takeover event at The Strand Lido.
At this event, children and their families could enjoy a FREE three-hour swimming session and make the most of the outdoor saltwater pool, alongside slides, a lazy river and pool inflatables.
One child who was enjoying splashing about told us:
“I like having space to swim and go in the lazy river and see friends and family.”
Parents/carers shared their thoughts on the day saying:
“Creating more days where parents/carers can take children out and not worry about financial worry. The Strand takeover is a day that people will talk about in years to come.”
“We are not going on holiday this summer so events like The Strand Takeover are amazing and feel like we are on a family holiday!”
We also used this event to get feedback from the children attending about what they like to do in Medway.
Funded by Best Start in Life programming.
Have you been to one of our events?
Don’t forget to share with us on our social media channels: @ChildFriendlyMedway on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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