More than 700 community members enjoyed a day out at Family Zone’s Fun Day recently, which gave parents and caregivers the opportunity to enjoy a free day out with their little ones.   

Held at Family Zone, on the front lawns of Ingle Farm Primary School on Friday, April 19, the event brought the local community together, with people of all ages walking through the gates.   

Speaking about the event, Lutheran Care’s Operations Manager – Families and Relationships Kerry MacGrath said it was certainly a fun and successful day, making her immensely proud to be a part of the Lutheran Care team at Family Zone.  

“It was fantastic to see the joy on the children, as well as the adult faces,” Kerry said.  

 “It makes the long planning and re-planning worth it, to bring this free event to so many families. 

“A big thank you to our staff from across the organisation who chipped in on the day and our Family Zone volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and gave their free time to help out. 

“A special mention to Daniela (Team Leader Families and Relationships) who led the planning of the event and together we are now working through the feedback as a team to assist us in planning our next Family Fun Day. 

“The success of the day speaks for itself. Overwhelmingly, most people wanted to know when our next event would be. 

“I am confident that holding this year’s Family Fun Day during the school holidays made it easier for families to come along and we were able to meet a need within the community we work to support.” 

Included in this year’s family-friendly entertainment was a petting zoo, jumping castle, face painting, games, and a magic show. A free sausage sizzle, drinks and ice blocks, as well as a coffee van was onsite to keep everyone’s energy levels up!  

There were also stalls from local community organisations providing information on their family services including Lutheran Care and Elcies Disability Care, Salisbury Council, Pooraka Farm Community Centre and The Salvation Army’s Parents Next.   

Kerry said the team were grateful for the 70+ responses from attendees as part of a community engagement survey, with initial findings showing the event also raised the profile of Family Zone and what Lutheran Care does in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.   

“A large number of community members I spoke with had not heard of Family Zone before, but then some had accessed our programs years ago when their children were babies,” Kerry said. 

“From the initial look at the survey, there seems to be a real need for more support for parents in the community, ranging from support for single dads to how to manage the mental load of being a parent, to feeling good about being a parent and supporting the behaviours of neurodiverse children. 

“We are now debriefing as a team through this feedback to see what the local community were telling us.” 

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