Site

Community High Street Garden at St Mary’s Church

Set up

23rd April 2021

Team

Sally Taylor
Ellie Shaw Laura Billingham

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We’ve teamed up with Bearwood residents Laura from Wild Lives Forest School and Ellie from New Baby Network CIC to bring you our first playgroup! It will take place in our high street garden, hidden behind St Mary’s Church (opposite Argos) and it’s especially for parents/carers and their babies/children under 5 who have felt very isolated in the last year. With thanks to our funders SCVO, Community Fund and Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals Trust.

It’s a 10 week pilot running every Friday 10-11am, starting on 23rd April 2021.

Join us to connect with other local parents whilst your little ones play and explore Bearwood’s secret garden! We will be growing confidence, independence, social skills and a connection to the natural world – as well as plants and vegetables!

Spaces are booked up but you can register your interest via the waiting list HERE.

We hope these playful sessions will give you time and space to be nurtured through playing outdoors in nature and building social connections.

Sessions will be held in accordance with current Government guidance. There is enough space in the garden for adults to maintain social distancing.

Toilets, baby change and hot drinks available.

Bearwood High Street Garden, St Mary’s Church on St Mary’s Road, Bearwood. On-street parking available.

Here are a few pics of the garden progressing this spring, thanks to local volunteers and chief organiser Vicki MacWinyers.

1.

Two mothers supported by Bearwood Action for Refugees, and known to be vulnerable, have attended the play group. Both told us they loved it and have attended again.

“One mum has recently arrived in this country alone. She has an 18 month old who never usually leaves her side and amongst her many anxieties, one of them is that he will have to go to nursery in September. She said to me: "Now I am not worried. Look at him, he has been playing without me the whole time. He has loved it". Reported in discussion with Sally Taylor.

2.

Running a pilot like this is really important for us to learn what works well and to build the evidence of its impact. One of the cornerstones of the activities we run is that we try and make them as relational as possible - ensuring participants can be active participants, foster a sense of belonging over time and make meaningful connections. This approach is really important to us and to local people who have told us what they want, but providing facilitation and expertise (such as forest school leaders) is not cheap. Shorter term pilots help us build the case for longer term provision - or help us to learn if something is not a priority.

3.

The children are expressing the difference the playgroup is making to them by not wanting to leave, they are voting with their feet! And we’re hearing reports from parents that they are showing great excitement at coming.

For the parents, being able to connect with other parents has been really powerful for some after the isolation of the past year. We are being told that this is just as important as the children enjoying themselves.