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Free SEALIFE Manchester ticket opportunity for eligible families this November 🦈

Free SEALIFE Manchester ticket opportunity for eligible families this November 🦈

Thanks to children’s charity Merlin’s Magic Wand we are delighted to be able offer tickets to children aged between 2-18 years old with a growth condition, and their immediate family and carers, to SEA LIFE Manchester for our Meet Up on Saturday 8th November 2025.

About our magical Meet Up…

 Merlin’s Magic Wand Magic Days Out would like us to share the magic with children and families who have never received a Merlin Magic Wand experience before – if you have previously received Merlin’s Magic Wand Magic Days Out tickets please note you are not eligible to apply due to the terms of the tickets we have been gifted.

We can give tickets to immediate family and carers, as long as the child aged between 2-18 years old with a growth condition attends with them on the day.

The tickets are for entry to SEA LIFE Manchester, please note accessibility passes and parking / transport to the venue need to be arranged by yourself.

To apply for a ticket, please complete our application form – click here, or scroll to the application form on this webpage.

Please complete the form by Wednesday 23rd October 2025, and a member of the CGF Meet Up team will be in touch if you have been successful. If we get more requests than the number of tickets we have available we will draw family groups out of a hat.

Thank you to Merlin’s Magic Wand

Thank you so much to Merlin’s Magic Wand Children’s Charity for their support through this Magical Days Out opportunity. It’s hugely appreciated, and is wonderful for our charity to be able to share this magic with the child growth community.

Our Meet Ups are hosted by the CGF team and bring the growth community together for a fun, family friendly day out. If you are not eligible to apply for free tickets, are unsuccessful in your application or have already received a Merlin’s Magic Wand Days Out experience from the CGF, you are still very welcome to join our Meet Up event by purchasing your own SEA LIFE Manchester entrance tickets for Saturday 8th November 2025 and letting us know you will be joining at [email protected].

Future magical Meet Ups

If you can not make this date, or cannot attend at this particular location, we will be planning more Meet Ups for our incredible community.

Virtual Cuppa & Chat: 1 December 2025

Virtual Cuppa & Chat: 1 December 2025

Join us for a cuppa and a chat!

Join our latest evening Virtual Cuppa & Chat on Monday 1st December, 7-8pm on Zoom.

These supportive sessions are run by the CGF’s nursing team, Sally and Lisa, and are a lovely opportunity to meet virtually with other parents and carers in the growth community, sharing experiences and asking questions in a safe, welcoming space.

Email: [email protected] to register. Please note places are limited to a maximum of 10 attendees.

Our summer LEGOLAND® Meet Up

Our summer LEGOLAND® Meet Up

Family fun at our LEGOLAND® Meet Up

This August Laura and Sally from our team joined a fantastic group of children and their families at LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre in Birmingham for our latest Meet Up event.

Our Meet Up events first started in early 2024 and we now hold four Meet Ups a year in different locations and venues to bring together the child growth community. The events are designed for children and families to meet new and familiar faces for a fun day out, and we were delighted to have 68 attendees join us for a magical day out.

Thanks to Merlin’s Magic Wand Children’s Charity we’ve been able to offer tickets to eligible families through their Magical Days Out opportunity, allowing the CGF to share this brilliant Meet Up opportunity with our members and the wider child growth community.

The support of our donors, fundraisers and members allows us to make these type of support events and activities possible, and we can’t wait for our next Meet Up already! Read more about our Meet Up events here.

A day in the life of: Austin Reid

A day in the life of: Austin Reid

A day in the life of: Austin Reid

 Austin, age 6

Growth condition: Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS)

Typical morning: Struggling to get him to get dressed and eat breakfast before school like any other 6 year old…try to get protein into him if possible. Omelette is the favourite right now. 

Typical afternoon: After school Austin loves his swimming lessons and also goes to an after school club. He’s very active as a child and always on the go. He loves riding laps around the garden on his bike.

Typical evening: It’s still a battle sometimes to get him to eat his dinner, but afterwards he has his growth hormone injection, before shower and bed. He has just started reading so we take turns in reading for bedtime.

My favourite thing to do is: Sailing, skiing, dancing, bike riding.

My least favourite thing is: Writing, and listening (standard 6 year old challenge!).

The best thing about having SRS is: People underestimate me all the time and then are surprised what I can do! For example skiing for 6 hours a day up and down mountains.

The most challenging thing about having SRS is: Having different length legs and not always being able to wear the shoes I want. Also being too skinny and not having enough muscle. 

One piece of advice I would give to someone who has this growth condition and/or is a parent carer of a child with this growth condition is: There are good days and bad days but your child will surprise you and will take you on a journey!

One thing I want to share with others about life with a growth condition is: It’s difficult to get adult time away from kids who need daily injections when you have no other family as we can’t ask someone else to do the injections.

It’s International Children’s Growth Awareness Day! 🌟

It’s International Children’s Growth Awareness Day! 🌟

International Children’s Growth Awareness Day is here! 🌟

This special worldwide, annual event raises awareness amongst the public and healthcare professionals about children’s growth conditions, growth concerns, the importance of child measuring and understanding children’s growth.

International Children’s Growth Awareness Day takes place on 20 September each year, organised by ICOSEP, the International Coalition of Organizations Supporting Endocrine Patients, which the CGF are part of representing the UK child growth community.

To help our community raise awareness we’ve created a public board full of resources: https://trello.com/b/LI62Wozm/cgaw-icgad-2025.

A day in the life of: Growth Hormone Deficiency

A day in the life of: Growth Hormone Deficiency

A day in the life of: Growth Hormone Deficiency

Age 21 months

Growth condition: Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD)

Typical morning: I eat breakfast with my older sister, some days I enjoy my breakfast, other days I don’t have much appetite and I eat breakfast gradually throughout the morning. Mum and dad have to make sure I have eaten because I’m only able to fast for 10 hours over night to make sure my blood sugar levels don’t drop too low. I love listening to my tonies (audio stories) with my sister at breakfast time.

Typical afternoon: After my midday nap, I usually play at home or out and about. I have a special yogurt to eat with lunch or as a snack which gives me extra calories and nutrients to help me grow.

Typical evening: After dinner, my sister and I watch my favourite tv show Pocoyo. This helps keep me still whilst I have my daily injection. My injection doesn’t bother me, I hardly notice it. Pocoyo helps to distract me. My family are really proud of how brave I am. I have some extra vitamins and formula before bed to make sure I’m getting everything I need.

My favourite thing to do is: I love shoes, I’m always trying on different shoes I can find at home. I also love climbing and going on my bike. I love trucks and cars and one of my favourite things to do is go outside and look at the vehicles pass by. 

My least favourite thing is: I don’t like brushing my teeth! This is way worse than my daily injection! 

The best thing about having GHD is: I’m lucky that my growth condition can be treated and I am under a really supportive medical team to help me grow and develop. My growth condition has given me resilience and I will grow up knowing I can face any challenge in life. 

The most challenging thing about having GHD is: I’ve got lots of medical appointments and sometimes I get anxious, but I’m getting more used to doctors and nurses. 

One piece of advice I would give to someone who has this growth condition and/or is a parent carer of a child with this growth condition is: Don’t forget to enjoy your child in the present because you’re constantly worried about what their future will look like. 

One thing I want to share with others about life with a growth condition is: Comments about height can have a profound impact on individuals with a growth condition, especially when those comments are insensitive or repetitive.