Quick news flash from the desk of Sophie Robertson:

A HUGE thank you to everyone who bought and/or sold raffle tickets for the Scooter donated by Paul and Jennifer Leone of JW Kirkwood. The scooter was won by Eastwood Village, a regular market customer whom I saw on a daily basis when I was at the markets for six days selling tickets. The raffle raised $15,595.00!! As Mal McKissock so succinctly put it: "it's lovely that they let us reap the fruits of their labour". So thank you to all the friends of A Friend's Place, Paul & Jennifer Leone and Sydney Market Foundation. You're all friends indeed!

Dear Clients, Supporters and Friends of The National Centre for Childhood Grief,

If you, or anyone you know, have always wanted to ask some burning questions about grief, here's your chance! You and your friends & family are invited to a fundraising screening of "The Tree" (synopsis below) followed by an expert grief panel with our very own resident experts Dianne & Mal McKissock! This is a great opportunity to get together with friends and family for a night out whilst raising funds for "A Friend's Place". What more could you ask for?

When: Thursday, March 10

Where: Riverside Theatres in Parramatta http://www.riversideparramatta.com.au/default.asp

What time: 6:15pm for 6:30pm Movie screening

Expected finish time: approx 9:15pm

How much: $30.00 per ticket plus a booking fee

What you get:

• A screening of the movie "The Tree"
• A book with the screenplay in both English and French
• A panel discussion on Grief with world renowned experts Dianne & Mal McKissock
• The chance to catch up with friends, family and the "family" from the Centre

How to book: Please go to the Riverside Box Office to book your tickets directly.

If you have any questions, please call or email Sophie Robertson (contact details in the 'contact us' section of this site) otherwise we hope to see you all there!

Synopsis of "The Tree":

After the sudden death of her father, 8-year-old Simone shares a secret with her mother Dawn. She's convinced her father speaks to her through the leaves of her favourite tree and he's come back to protect them. But the new bond between mother and daughter is threatened when Dawn starts a relationship with George, the plumber, called in to remove the tree's troublesome roots. As the branches of the tree start to infiltrate the house, the family is forced to make an agonising decision. But have they left it too late?