BAMBI Annual Report 2024

BAMBI Executive Board’s Report 

2024 was an exciting year for BAMBI with lots of new initiatives, some goodbyes, and some new faces joining the team. This report aims to present a snapshot of BAMBI’s journey in the past year.

With BAMBI choosing to maintain its management structure of delegating specific responsibilities within the chairwoman's role to an executive board elected by the committee, Chiaki Takegawa, Sara Chow, and Rocky Farheen led the organization into 2024 as Executive Board members. By the end of the first quarter though, Sara stepped down from her role and Daisy Soongswang took over from her. With the support of the committee members, the Executive Board worked diligently to guide BAMBI through the year, ensuring continuity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to supporting the community.

Notable highlights of the year include the opening of many new playgroups in response to the changing needs of our members; BAMBI’s popular annual events—Halloween, Splash Bashes, Songkran Fiesta, Yard Sale, Volunteer Appreciation Day, and Christmas lunch with Santa; a variety of Me-time activities enjoyed by members; greater engagement and growth in the number of followers on social media; new relationships forged with new benefits partners, venues and sponsors; and a total profit of approximately ฿ 257,739 from all offerings in the year. Nearly all departments generated profits, and in 2025, BAMBI will reinvest these into enhanced and impactful initiatives for its members. 2025 will also see BAMBI amplifying its charitable impact, extending further support to those in need and strengthening its commitment to giving back.

The Executive Board is dedicated to cultivating a warm and supportive working environment within the BAMBI team. As 2024 came to a close, Lynda Suchintabundid and Frances Billones officially stepped up to succeed Daisy and Chiaki, joining Rocky to form BAMBI’s Executive Board for 2025. Looking ahead, the Board aims to welcome new, like-minded individuals into the organization and drive BAMBI to new heights, making it more vibrant, inclusive, and impactful than ever before.

 

2024 AT A GLANCE 

• Total revenue: ฿1,334,090.77 
• Total expenses: ฿1,076,351.36 
• Members at year end: 424
• Volunteers at year end: 55
• Followers on social media: 16,535
• Visitors to the website: 51,694
• Playgroups: 148
• Bumps & Babies initiatives: 45
• Activities for older children: 66
• Me-Time activities for parents: 10
• Number of BAMBI Magazine articles published: 114

BUMPS & BABIES 

BAMBI’s Bumps & Babies team is dedicated to supporting expectant parents and those with infants by providing a welcoming and supportive community. Through playgroups, informative sessions, and social events, the team helps new and expecting parents connect, share experiences, and access valuable resources during this special stage of parenthood. In 2024, headed by Joanna (Jo) Cox as the coordinator and supported by volunteer Iasnaia (Yaz) Maximo, the team organized and offered the following activities and events:
 

Notable changes in 2024

• Closure of the Small World playgroup in May due to the unavailability of a playgroup leader and venue.
• Reduction in the frequency of Infant Massage sessions from weekly to twice monthly due to a conflict of interest with the venue. Since mothers preferred the weekly option though, this resulted in a drop in the number of attendees.

Highlights of 2024

• Growth of pregnancy information session on birth partner’s preparation into a well-established and highly attended event
• A total profit of ฿24,308 generated from total income of ฿49,950 versus total expense of ฿25,642.

Plans for 2025

• Recruitment of a new Bumps & Babies coordinator following Jo’s resignation 
• Expansion of operations and offerings for members by recruiting more volunteers and establishing connections with new venues and partners 

PLAYGROUPS

BAMBI’s playgroups provide a fun and engaging environment for young children to play, explore, and socialize while offering parents a supportive community to connect with one another. With a variety of playgroups held across Bangkok, the Playgroups team ensures that families have access to safe, inclusive, and stimulating spaces where children can learn and grow through play. 

2024 was another successful and profitable year for the team. Headed by coordinator, Hilda Anita, and supported by playgroup assistant, Sassy Bairan, and playgroup leaders Ratthar Sriduam, Nana Jiravaraphan, Ashley Mitchell, Shivangi Tripathi, Arisa Hirade, Rei Koyama, Mika Takahashi, Kahoru Matsumoto, Hilda Anita, Mimi Su, Ting Rodgers, Nobuka Ishikawa, Natasha Duffin-Jones, Deshna Bhansali, Ryoko Uchiyama, Deshna Bhansali, Annika Timm, Makiko Takishima, Risa Imaizumi, Emiko Morita, and Padonda Ali, the team hosted the following playgroups in 2024 in coordination with venues across town:

Notable changes in 2024:

• Suspension of the British Club Playgroup due to high venue cost and low attendance

Highlights of 2024:

• BAMBI playgroups received a total of 2,044 attendees during the year. Kiddieville and Wonderkids continued as the highest attended playgroups in 2024. Little Birds and Little Treehouse enjoyed full bookings, but failed to reach maximum capacity due to no-shows and cancellations.
• Launch of three new playgroups: 
  • Kiddiezilla on August 13, 2024
  • Little Panda on November 19, 2024
  • Little Treehouse on August 30, 2024

• The Playgroup Leaders’ Breakfast morning held on June 21, 2024 at Hoshi Cafe, Ekkamai
• A total profit of ฿120,363 generated from total income of ฿231,233 versus total expense of ฿110,870.

Plans for 2025:

• Recruit more playgroup leaders to replace those who are stepping down.

• Launch one new playgroup at Sparkles and Sprinkle in February 2025 and others at various international schools in mid 2025. 
• Expand operations and offerings for members by recruiting more volunteers and establishing connections with new venues and partners 
• Organize refresher training for all playgroup leaders and the annual Playgroup Leaders’ Breakfast Morning. This event gives the team a chance to socialize and share information while enjoying the venue’s refreshments and play space.

ACTIVITIES

BAMBI’s Activities team organizes engaging and enriching experiences for children aged three and above, providing them with opportunities to learn, play, and develop new skills. From creative workshops to active play sessions, the team curates a diverse range of activities designed to encourage exploration, socialization, and fun in a supportive community setting. 

In the absence of an activities coordinator, Executive Board member Lynda Suchintabud managed the operations of the department with support from activities leaders Maria Hinde, Takako Toyama, Rosie Zhang, Hideko Narusawa, Eriko Yoneyama. The activities offered in 2024 included:
 

Notable changes in 2024: 

• Closure of Toddler Tunes in February 2024 due to low attendance and high operational costs (venue fee of ฿ 2000 per event and instructor fee of ฿ 1300 per event) resulting in losses.

Highlights of 2024:

• Successful delivery of activities to 736 children over the year. 
• Healthy attendance rates in 2024 for Toddler Music, the only dip occurring in August and September with many attendees returning to school. Nonetheless, this activity made an overall profit in 2024. 
• Increased participation, higher sign-up rates, and an improvement in show-up rates for football activities due to the creation of a LINE group to boost engagement, improve attendance, and share regular updates and reminders. The recruitment of a new coach also resulted in an operational cost saving of ฿500 per session, and greater engagement from the children due to the new coach’s personalised teaching approach.

Plans for 2025:

• Organize after-school activities for children aged six and above
• Recruit more activities leaders 185275

EVENTS 

The BAMBI Events team takes pride in delivering well-organized, engaging, and memorable events that bring families together and strengthen our community. As with previous years, in 2024, the team planned and hosted all of BAMBI’s annual events with great enthusiasm, dedication, and attention to detail. 

The year started with the Executive Board running events for the first half of 2024 given the absence of an events coordinator, but ended with Clarisse Chan at the helm. 

Highlights in 2024:

• The Songkran Fiesta, BAMBI Monster Mash Halloween Party, and BAMBI Christmas Lunch with Santa, which were held at Wells International School, American School of Bangkok, and Hilton Hotel (Ploenchit), respectively. Over 200 families attended all three events and the Halloween and Christmas events even generated profits.
• The annual Yard Sale in May, which generated ฿ 3,944 in table-booking fees, all of which were donated to the Giving Tree Project—a community-driven initiative focused on planting trees to promote environmental conservation, enhance biodiversity, and foster ecological awareness among local residents. Baby and child goods leftover from the Swap Shop during the event were also donated to the Baan Nokkamin Foundation.
• Volunteer Appreciation Day held at Safari Garden. This was a great success that celebrated all BAMBI volunteers and thanked them for their hard work throughout the year. 31 families participated in the day’s festivities. 

Plans for 2025:

• Recruit an events assistant
• Continue to uphold tradition by organizing three major events that have become annual highlights for everyone—the Songkran Splash Fiesta, Halloween Party, and Christmas Party
• Closely collaborate with the BAMBI Charities department to explore new initiatives as well as organise a Charity Day and the annual Yard Sale

NEW MEMBERS AND POP UP PLAYGROUPS 

BAMBI believes in establishing a community where all families feel welcome and supported, fostering meaningful connections through shared experiences and resources. In 2024, The New Members and Pop up Playgroups team led by Shelka Sharma and supported by volunteers Sayoko Okamoto, Jeannie Kim, Emily Crane, and Aya Yamanaka worked hard to promote this belief and introduce BAMBI and its offerings to families in Bangkok.

Highlights in 2024:

• Six New Members’ Coffee Mornings held during the year. A total of 122 families attended these.
• Five Pop Up Playgroups held during the year. A total of 405 families attended these.
• A total profit of ฿13,740 was generated from total income of ฿19,600  versus total expense of ฿7,300

Plans for 2025:

• Organize more pop up playgroups and coffee mornings to boost community engagement and membership
• Widen BAMBI’s reach and recognition by exploring opportunities to collaborate with new schools
• Expand the team by recruiting more volunteers and assistants

BAMBI ME-TIME 

Managed solely by Me-Time Coordinator Aoi Nakazawa, who took over from Aya Yamanaka in March 2024, BAMBI Me-Time activities have flourished into a diverse and engaging program, offering enriching experiences that cater to parents’ well-being and personal growth. In 2024, 59 parents from the BAMBI community participated in the following Me-Time activities:

• Compassion Gathering with Cecilia
• Body Check with Medical Treatment 
• Thai Silhouette Painting
• Groove Dance
• Embroidery
• UCC Coffee Workshop
• Zumba
• Yayaz Chocolat Workshop
• Dot Mandala Workshop
• Mini Terrazzo Workshop 

Highlights of the 2024: 

• Greater variety of activities and workshops focusing on food, fitness and art were offered in 2024 compared to previous years. 
• Since March 2024, all Me-Time activities have been profitable, thanks to successful negotiations with venues and instructors on costs related to refreshments, rentals, and fees. 
• A total profit of ฿241 was generated from total income of ฿22,075 versus total expense of ฿22,316.

Plans for 2025:

• Conduct a members’ survey to gauge demand for Me-Time activities and understand members’ interests
• Explore potential activities and workshops across Bangkok based on the survey findings
• Recruit more volunteers in the Me-Time department if the survey reveals that there is demand for evening, weekend, and/or more frequent Me-Time activities 
• Design and implement strategies to reach out to non-members as well 

BAMBI MAGAZINE 

2024 was another exciting year for the BAMBI Magazine team with new themes covered and fresh perspectives introduced, enriching content for our diverse readership. Sanam Rahman continued in her role as the editor, while Joe Barker took over the role of deputy editor from Anelia Van Zyl in early 2024. The rest of the team consisted of assistant editors Monisha Gurbani, Rachel Ofo, Natasha Duffin-Jones, and Chrissy O’Brien, feature writers Jeannie Kim, Kelly Patten, and Sheena Low, and photographers Jana Capek, Chikako Takahashi, and Chihiro Hiki. 

Highlights of 2024:

• 11 issues of BAMBI Magazine published over the year
• 114 articles and other contributions curated from external and in-house writers. Topics covered included child development, parental musings, diversity, mental health, crafts, book reviews, gender, nutrition, and so on. 
• Around 400 print copies distributed every month
• New design and page layout implemented in the magazine
• Close collaboration with BAMBI Media team to boost magazine’s online presence
• Built and maintained connections with new and old external contributors such as Anatta Zarchi from New Counselling Services (NCS), Kit Lang from the Neilson Hays Library, Anelia Van Zyl, and others
• Conducted BAMBI Magazine Readers’ Satisfaction and Interest Survey 2024

Plans for 2025:

• Continue to forge and nurture relationships with new and existing contributors to bring more exciting content
• Implement new strategies to further boost readers’ engagement
• Recruit assistant editors and invest in skills enrichment programs for the team
• Expand “Fun Corner” to include content relevant to two groups of young readers: 0–3 years and above three years
• Conduct a readers’ satisfaction survey to gauge readers’ interests and the magazine’s performance
• Plan content for 2026 based on the survey results
• Explore the possibility of creating a separate BAMBI Photography department to be led by Jana Capek

MEDIA ACTIVITIES 

In 2024, the BAMBI Media team made great strides, fostering community engagement through creative content designed by BAMBI promotional designers Yumi Shimada and Atsuko Ikeda, and setting the stage for new initiatives in 2025. All social media operations were handled by coordinator Eva Ngolo with support from Arisa Hirade, social media assistant. Towards the end of the year, Arisa was being trained to take on the role of media coordinator from January 2025 following Eva’s resignation in November. 

Highlights of 2024:

• Crossing the “1000 followers” threshold on IG 
• Successful expansion of BAMBI’s reach and community involvement (as reflected by increased registrations and participation in playgroups) driven by the team’s strategic content efforts—enhancing IG engagement through more posts and reels, and simplifying the registration process with direct links in stories
• Growth in the number of followers. Shares and tags by members of the BAMBI community, in particular, helped attract more followers. 

Plans for 2025:

• Sign an annual agreement with BKK Kids for advertising placement
• Recruit a social media assistant 
• Continue to enhance IG reels and story posts for greater engagement

MEMBERSHIP AND DATABASE 

The BAMBI Membership and Database team plays a vital role in managing member registrations, renewals, and volunteer applications, ensuring a seamless experience for families joining our community. In 2024, Database Coordinator Daisy Soongswang led assistants Yoko Mito and Shiwani Palikhe to better support BAMBI’s growing network in coordination with other departments. 

Notable Changes in 2024:

• 279 new memberships and 141 renewals were processed 
• At the end of 2024, Daisy began training Shiwani Palikhe to take over the role of database coordinator from January 2025

Highlights of 2024:

• Collaboration with Glue Up and the BAMBI Website team to migrate the previous database to the Glue Up platform. This involved training all departments in implementing activities and events through the new system. 
• Supporting onsite membership registrations and renewals throughout the year 
• Achieving significant reductions in returned magazines each month by refining the database, removing expired memberships, and filtering out invalid addresses

Plans for 2025:

• Create manuals for tasks within the Database department
• Continue supporting various BAMBI departments with onboarding volunteers
• Recruit another database assistant

MEMBER BENEFITS 

The BAMBI Member Benefits team is dedicated to securing valuable perks for our members by partnering with businesses and institutions across Bangkok. In 2024, Lynda Suchintabundid, Benefits Coordinator, single-handedly expanded our network of benefit providers, offering exclusive discounts on refreshments, services, and family-friendly activities to enhance the BAMBI membership experience. At the end of the year, total benefits available for all BAMBI members stood at 34.

Highlights of 2024:

• Four new benefits partners gained in the last year—Hakata, Bangkok Hospital, UCC Coffee Roastery, and Nextgen

Plans for 2025:

• Continue exploring more benefits for BAMBI members by reaching out to businesses and institutions that are of relevance to the BAMBI community and securing partnerships with them
• Recruit a new benefits coordinator

WEBSITE

The BAMBI Website Team serves as the organization’s technological backbone, managing everything from website maintenance to database support and event scheduling on Glue Up. In 2024, their expertise ensured smooth digital operations, enhancing efficiency across BAMBI’s platforms and improving the overall member experience. In 2024, Frances Billones served as the website coordinator and anshul singhal joined as the website assistant in May. 

Highlights of 2024:

• 51,694 visitors to the website in 2024
• Recruitment and training of Anshul
• Successful development and implementation of an efficient template and workflow for large annual events, such as the Yard Sale and Christmas Parties, which can now be duplicated for future events

Plans for 2025:

• Divide the website coordinator responsibilities to make the role more manageable and sustainable, as its complexity has made recruitment and retention challenging
• Collaborate with the Database department to manage our contacts allowance and ensure we have sufficient numbers for incoming members each year

CHARITIES 

Since its founding, BAMBI has been committed to giving back to the community by supporting non-profit organizations that share similar values and vision. Through both cash and in-kind contributions, BAMBI's Charities department plays a vital role in making a meaningful impact, ensuring that resources reach those who need them most. 

In 2024, Lynda Suchintabundid led BAMBI’s charitable efforts by organizing the annual Yard Sale in coordination with the Events team in May and the Giving Tree Project at the end of the year. Leftover baby and child goods from the Swap Shop at the Yard Sale were donated to the Baan Nokkamin Foundation, and all proceeds from table-bookings (฿3,944) were used to finance six out of 26 gift bags donated to the Giving Tree Project, a community driven initiative focused on planting trees to promote environmental conservation, enhance biodiversity, and foster ecological awareness among local residents.

Plans for 2025:

• Coordinate with the BAMBI Events team to organise more events that will help raise funds for charity

TREASURY 

BAMBI’s Treasury department, consisting of Treasurer Ritika Bhargava and assistants Saeko Omura, Takako Toyama, and Rieko Takagi, is responsible for managing the organization's financial resources with transparency and accountability. From budgeting and financial planning to overseeing petty cash and expenses, the department ensures that BAMBI operates sustainably while maximizing its support for charitable initiatives and community programs. SAS Group managed BAMBI’s administrative accounting services, and Khun Tan at S.T. Accounting & Taxation remained as the auditor.

Highlights of 2024:

• Net profit of ฿257,700. This is higher than in the previous year when a net loss of ฿170,000 was accrued. In 2024, BAMBI’s revenues were ฿1.33 million, about 12 percent lower than 2023 revenues, but 12 percent higher than the budgeted revenues. Expenses were ฿1.07 million, 36 percent less than budgeted. This year was profitable as we were able to cut down on our costs through the following measures:
  • Closure of British Club playgroup in December 2024, leading to savings in venue fees.
  • Re-plugging Yard Sale table-booking fees into financing the Giving Tree project.

Additionally, playgroup bookings increased, driven by an 11.6 percent increase in memberships from last year, leading to greater revenues. 

Plans for 2025:

• Move BAMBI banking operations online. We plan to open a new bank account for petty cash transactions online. We also plan to move BAMBI’s payments from a hard copy check-writing process to a digital payment system in order to reduce the finance team’s workload and BAMBI’s payment processing timeline.
• Implement data-driven decision making based on regular monitoring of the annual budget. We will put in place a process to monitor spendings against the budget allocated, and discuss every month if any spending exceeds the budget. The formulation of an annual budget, and the implementation of a monthly tracking system, will together allow BAMBI’s committee to make data-driven decisions so that we can increase revenue and decrease expenses. 
• Utilize this year's budget and make spending adjustments throughout the year as appropriate.

We welcome any questions you may have on the above information. Please write to us at treasurer@bambiweb.org or chairwoman@bambiweb.org.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS

BAMBI extends its gratitude to the following business and institutions for their invaluable support throughout 2024:

Sponsors and partners:
ScandMedia Corporation Ltd.

S.A.S Accounting

Wells International School

ASB American School of Bangkok 

St. Andrews International School Bangkok

Bangkok Dolphins

Ayasan Nonthaburi

Moori Moori Playfarm

Donz Rice Bowl

Copel

Asian Tigers

Benefits partners:
 

Body by Beast

Hakata

Amy Diener 

Ayasan

Bangkok Dolphins

BIDH

Bangkok Hospital

Bumrungrad Hospital

Curtain Up

Ergobaby

GAB

Hegen

J Clinic

Johny Live

Kiddy Kicks

Kiidu

Klongphai Farm

Lilli by Lilli

Little Big Dream

Little Gym

Neilson Hays Library

Nextgen

Pain Away Clinic

Plantoys

Playville

Samitivej Hospital

Swimming Bangkok 

Siva Yoga

SRC

The Pop

UCC

Urban flower

Verde

Wonder Woods Co-learning Space & Kids Cafe

Venues for playgroups:
 

British Club

Wonder Woods Co-learning Space & Kids Cafe

Playville

Noddy by Elizabeth Pre-School

Nancy Language School

Kidzilla

Storytime Preschool

Little Treehouse


Venues for New Members’ Coffee Morning and Pop Up Playgroup:

Brighton College Bangkok

Little Koala International Kindergarten

Kids Academy International School

First Steps Pre-School

OISCA International School and Nursery

Melodies International School Kindergarten

Precious Learners World

St. Andrews International School Sathorn

Storytime Preschool