It was a foggy and frosty December morning but families travelled from different parts of England to attend Filipino Mothers UK’s (FMUK) first in-person Christmas party on 2 December.
Thirty members, many with their families, led by FMUK founder Catherine Wigley, gathered at the Reborn Church in Birmingham for the whole day event. FMUK is a UK-wide online support group for Filipino mothers.
Children showcased their talents in singing, keyboard and drum playing, and dancing. Older kids joined arts and crafts activities like balloon modelling, parol making and face painting organised by Cherry Igarta-Allison while babies and toddlers engaged in soft play. Parents enjoyed taking part in the banana-eating contest and other Filipino party games hosted by Sarah Ventura.
The party was mainly about doing things for the first time for some members, according to Catherine or Cath. “There were families who went out of their city for the first time. For others, it was their first time to attend a Pinoy party or to meet other Pinay mothers. For some non-Filipino daddies married to Filipinas, it was their first time to meet other dads.”
“There were also first time attendees to a party as they have children with special needs,” Cath said. She explained that some mums were hesitant to go out as they didn’t know how their kids would behave in a party setting.
Armee Estorque, her husband Jere and their four boys travelled by train from Liverpool to Birmingham to meet other mums. Their family arrived from Malaysia in 2022 and she joined FMUK to get advice about living in the UK.
“FMUK helped me with all the adjustments and info I needed. I also joined our Recharge Thursdays to combat anxiety and depression brought about by the move,” she said.
For Armee, the best part of the event was “to meet in person those names we just saw from our page or from Zoom, and feel the warmth of the FMUK community. It was just pure fun! Kids and husband enjoyed the bayanihan and salu-salo. Kudos to the founder, admin/moderators and organizer of this first-ever FMUK Christmas reunion.”
“I like how everyone was very warm and accommodating towards each other and everyone’s family. It felt like we had known each other in person for sometime. I love the foods and everyone’s enthusiasm,” said Jelben Estrella.
The sumptuous Filipino food was catered mainly by Mae Ellis of JSP Foods and Party with additional food made by Rylee Nathaniel and baked goodies by Ethyl Destura.
One of the highlights of the event was the animal encounter where adults and children had the chance to touch or hold exotic animals such as boa constrictors, lizards, hedgehogs and tortoises. “It was an excellent idea cos it just want’t the kids who got to know the creatures, yung mga moms got over their fears too,” said Dina Trinidad.
“At the FMUK Christmas party, we wove new bonds seamlessly into the fabric of familiar connections, all within a heartwarming family embrace. From enchanting toy swaps to engaging activities like parol making and delightful animal encounters, every element harmonized to craft a uniquely memorable and inclusive celebration for everyone present,” shared Sarah Ventura.
Despite less than one month’s preparation, members pulled together to organise an enjoyable event. “The FMUK Christmas party in Birmingham was a testament to the unity of Filipinos. The whole event was so well-organised and everyone helped out in their own little ways to make everyone feel welcome and connected,” wrote Sheryll Shaikh on the Facebook group page.
Among the sponsors of the event were Nora Tsourous of Owl Financial, Mae Nepo Ellis of JSP Foods and Party for the catering, Ethyl Destura for the animal encounter, JJ Hulland for FMUK tote bags, Cherry Allison for the banner, Jessica Santiago for the soft play and many others who donated cash and other prizes.
