Charity hippo helps celebrate first anniversary

A coffee morning was held to mark the first anniversary of a charity's support services for the families of deployed soldiers.

Family Friends in Windsor and Maidenhead holds coffee mornings every week at Broom Farm Community Centre in Dedworth, attended by an average of 20 mothers and children.

The celebratory event, which took place on Wednesday, was attended by the charity's mascot, a blue hippo called Freda, who helped children to blow out candles on a cake.

Kate Saunders, a member of Family Friends' forces project, said: "All the mothers and children who attend the coffee mornings really value the service, it's somewhere they can go to have a chat while kids are able to take part in fun activities which helps with their development.

"We have had some lovely feedback a year on and we hope to continue."

Contact Family Friends on 0300 8001005 for more information.