Heartlands Holiday Playscheme 2011

Heartlands Cluster My Choice programme went out with a bang this summer as the funding for this project ceased on 31st August 2011. The project was called "Hand in Hand"and followed an international theme to reflect our children's and/or parent's nationality. Each workshop travelled around a specific continent and it was an opportunity for children to share and appreciate each other's cultures.

In partnership with WFS and The Kick Start Academy, a 3 week schedule of creative, imaginative and physical activities between 25th July - 12th August. Following this a further 2 weeks of Play in the Park was hosted in Bloomsbury Park from 15 August - 26 August and ensured the children and families of Nechells community were truly catered for over the summer holidays.

A record 150 children accessed the programme at the POD and the subsequent, signposting to St Vincent's School, where in conjunction with The Kick Start Academy, a sports, dance and football camp were hosted. We were also fortunate to have use of Cromwell school grounds to assist with the outdoor aspects of the project.
Activities included a range of dance styles including Bhangra, cooking, steel-band, Mehndi, ice-skating to name a few.
Our children were taken on a journey across the continents of Asia, Europe and the Americas. A passport journal was completed by each child to reflect the countries they visited over the course of each day.

Positive comments were received from providers with many of them saying what an enjoyable experience it had been to work with the children and acknowledging the skills and talents among them; notably "bags of creativity .......... with lots to offer"
Parents were particularly impressed with the range and quality of the workshops, particularly those in which their children showed a commitment to design and learn choreographed routines. The children were able to share their successes through performances to parent and each other at the end of the day.

The individual and collaborative aspects of the programme armed our children with the life skills of teamwork, communication, co-operation, respect for each other and social engagement as well as the courage to take risks and embrace new challenges.
It's been both a pleasure and a privilege to be part of Heartlands Cluster Extended Services success and to have had a positive impact on the experience of the children and families within the Nechells community.