summer holiday club!
As new terms start and children head back to school, we wanted to reflect on the fun and busy days we had during the summer.
Running over eight days, the holiday club had over 320 children take part in one or more of the sessions! They played with the mud kitchen, had games of hide & seek, ran imaginary shops & restaurants and got to do lots of exploring. The feedback from the children was delightful;
“I like everything, especially…. well, everything”
“I love the way that everyone is allowed to come. I love the different ages. Sometimes I can’t go to things that I would enjoy, but here we can all come.”
“I like it here because it is fun playing with other children.”
The space and the garden worked its magic as children got to build dens, climb trees, pod dip, pick fruit and vegetables, dig pits and create potions.
Catherine Floyd, the space2play lead, also made sure that there were plenty of craft activities to keep little hands busy with painting, making key rings, decorating jars & tiles, making bracelets, bookmarks, collages and making cut out people decorated with natural objects.
The children came from a wide variety of local schools including Potters Gate School, St Andrew's Primary School, St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School, St. Peters, Rowledge Primary School, Highfield South Farnham, South Farnham Infants, South Farnham, The Ridgeway, William Corbett and Waverley Abbey.
The Parents also shared their appreciation;
"Thank you once again. It has been brilliant. I love it here. We love it here"
"Thank you for inviting us, it has really helped to have something so lovely to do."
"Being here with the children is so nice, no-body is judging. It doesn’t matter what their difficulties are. I know they are both safe and doing what they like. I feel calm as soon as I walk into the garden" (mother of a child with SEN)
"Thank you so much for a fabulous morning today! It is the first time we have been to space2play and she really enjoyed it."
Huge THANK YOU to Farnham Town Council for their grant towards holiday activities for children this summer and for the Mayor of Farnham, Councillor Brodie Mauluka for dropping by. As well as presenting us with a cheque he also spent time with the children whilst they showed him their special blackberry and charcoal paintings. Also a BIG thank you to local organisation the Dempster Trust for making this happen and being such a supporter of the space. As one parent expressed "To have this opportunity in our community is just amazing"
THANK YOU!
dancing delight!
Doorstep Duets returned to the acre bringing a little spark of magic at the end of a gardening session. The aim of the project organised by Farnham Maltingsis to bring joy, escapism, and connection and remove barriers to accessing great art, by offering free opportunities where people can enjoy performances in their local neighbourhood.
Performed by New Adventures dancers, the original dance piece explored the importance of friendship and the need for connection.
The garden volunteering team continued to work their magic creating new herb beds, uncovering hidden benches and organising irrigation systems. As the summer progressed volunteers were able to take armfuls of produce from soft fruits to bunches of sweet peas at the end of each session and the garden played host to lots of 'Afternoons on the Acre'
reflections from the acre...
The children who attended Holiday Club were asked 'Can you think of 3 words you think of when you think about space2grow?'
Amazing, amazing, amazing
Eco friendly, people, calming
Happy, excited, fun
Fun, dinosaurs, mud
Happy, calming, fun
Mint, flowers, nature loving
Ace, hiding, pond dipping
Fun, friendly, freedom
Free time, me time, Can I come here lots of time?
