Hazlitt Theatre Announces SLIDE AWAY as their Pantomime Charity

The Hazlitt Theatre is proud to announce their nominated charity for their 2024 pantomime, Cinderella. Every year local charities are nominated by the public through general enquiry or social media and this year Slide Away has been randomly selected as this year’s Hazlitt Theatre Pantomime chosen charity!

Slide Away offers support to Kent-based children and young people who have been bereaved of a family member or friend, or who are living with a family member with a life-limiting illness.

This seems especially fitting as our own character of Cinderella lost her mother at a young age and with her strength of spirit and the support of those who care for her, despite all odds, goes on to be an inspirational icon of kindness, resilience and has become a legendary hero for the ages!

Denise, Slide Away’s Chair and Founder said:

“We have offered our support to Kent’s bereaved children, their families and schools since 2004. Our support helps children adjust to a life that has changed by providing them with a safe place to meet others with similar experiences, somewhere they can talk openly about their loss and express their feelings. We know they have fun with us too. We want to thank all those attending this year’s pantomime performances at The Hazlitt Theatre for their donations that will enable our valuable work to continue.”

Slide Away provides children and young people with opportunities to take part in a range of activities with others who have also been bereaved. This reduces their feelings of isolation and of being the ‘odd one out’. Building dens in the woods, writing on a graffiti wall or filling a memory jar with coloured salt are just a few of the activities the charity offers to help them understand their feelings, hold onto their memories and build their resilience. The team at Slide Away also ensures that there is time for fun too!

Slide Away is very proud of the support it offers to Kent’s bereaved children and young people, their families and their schools. They make no charge for the service they offer, and rely entirely on donations and grants for funding.

Kathy, Slide Away’s Operations Manager said:

“We rely entirely on our supporters, grants and donations from wonderful events like this to fund our support for the children referred to us; we are delighted to have been selected for this year’s Pantomime season at The Hazlitt Theatre, and we are looking forward to joining our families for this seasonal highlight in the heart of our region.”

To help promote this incredible cause the Hazlitt Theatre have also produced a promotional trailer. Panto audiences will be encouraged to look out for the QR codes around the theatre to make a donation, give online now via our booking page or please give what you can on our selected dates with bucket collections!

Year on year, it becomes clear that the Hazlitt Theatre’s pantomime is much more than just an annual festive tradition – it is a culmination of celebrating what is magnificent about the borough, from the talent on stage, the local businesses who partner with the theatre, the arts provision for the community, to the incredible charities we fundraise for. The Hazlitt Theatre is proud to be Maidstone’s central theatre, providing entertainment and support to the local community.

Join the cast of Cinderella for another memorable panto season this year, running from 30th November – 31st December, and fundraise for Slide Away!

Cinderella

30 November – 31 December 2024

Relaxed performances: