Supporting families, making memories

Family is at the heart of our business and our work with charities and grant-giving organisations - whether it’s helping to provide furniture, replace electrical goods, or deliver energy and food vouchers to people who need it the most. In 2022, we also wanted to deliver that little bit extra and help families create lasting memories together.

To do this, we partnered with Mousetrap Theatre Projects on their Family First Nights programme. Through it, Mousetrap offers families on low-incomes, or experiencing other challenging circumstances, the opportunity to attend top quality theatre together.

We were able to help 295 families go to the theatre this Summer, the majority of whom had never been to the theatre before. Families were offered a choice of 30 different shows across a variety of genres, from musicals to opera, and also had the opportunity to take part in three family workshops, which helped them explore the shows they were seeing in a fun and interactive way.

We also supported two productions each of Wicked and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by providing a complimentary programmes and ice creams for attending families, so they could enjoy the full theatrical experience. Our team also volunteered at these performances, handing out tickets, programmes, and ice cream vouchers.

As Mousetrap said, “This meant the C Supplies team could see the smiles they were putting on the faces of families first hand. We would like to thank C Supplies for their incredible support, which enabled these families to enjoy an uplifting experience, bond, and create lasting memories which they will treasure forever. Crucially, their generosity has also helped start a life-long journey with theatre for these families. Thank you for introducing them to this magical world”.

After their theatre visit, families were asked to share with Mousetrap what the experience meant to them. Almost every family said it made them more likely to attend the theatre together again. They also reported significant improvements in their children’s wellbeing, emphasising how important their theatre visit had been in giving them a positive family experience in the wake of the pandemic.

As one parent at Wicked told the team:

“I’d just like to say thank you. My daughter has recently been through a very hard time and to see her face watching the show was beautiful - she really loved it. Also thank you for the programme and ice cream; it’s not something I could have provided myself, so it was a special treat.”

It was a privilege to be part of the programme and we’re so glad it had such a positive impact on the families who attended.

https://www.mousetrap.org.uk/c-supplies-partnership