GROWING FAST

Last year, 51 families and 105 children benefitted from social, cultural and educational opportunities here. 587 families were helped across all the Centre’s services last year.

By Gaia, family services manager Thanks to our generous funders and our amazing volunteers, we have been able to increase our family services offer for children of all ages and their parents.

OPENING OUR KITCHEN TO REFUGEES

Some of the families we work with are refugees who have been housed in local hotels. One of the many things they miss is being able to prepare and cook their own food. Families seeking asylum are given access to the Centre’s kitchen where they are able to cook and eat together as a family. Referrals are increasing so we have scheduled an extra day for this activity to meet the growing need.

We also set up and ran a weekly play and learning experience for families with young children living in the London Metropole Hotel. Home Office funding enabled us to provide appropriate play equipment, books and toys to take to the hotel which helped us deliver enjoyable, stimulating and much welcomed sessions.

NEW STUDY CLUB

The new Wednesday study club for older children and young people fulfils a very important function for the families we work with providing space, support and encouragement. Children tell us that they really appreciate the quiet atmosphere, the facilities provided and the help they are given with their work by volunteers.

GARDENING GOODNESS

With private outdoor space so scarce for families in inadequate or temporary accommodation, exploring the natural world in the safety of the Centre’s garden helps to grow children’s familiarity and confidence in the outdoors. Whole families have started to take responsibility for the crops and look after them.

Everyone gets involved in the fun and learning opportunities that the garden offers. The children in gardening club have been busy with a variety of activities including; measuring themselves against their sunflowers; making elderflower cordial; baking bread from the wheat that they grew and harvested; and picking the tomatoes for our summer programme lunches. Our wonderful gardening volunteer says she regularly learns something new from the families who come to work in the garden.

NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN

Some parents said they were in need of support with learning practical English they could use in their everyday life, and we started English conversation sessions for them. Read more from Klair (page seven).

Opposite page, clockwise from left: Study Club. Photo: Fergus Burnett Photography. Cooking at the Centre. Photo: Cardinal Hume Centre.

A music workshop for the Easter holiday club. Photo: Lewis Neck.

Playing in the Family Centre. Photo: Lewis Neck.

A trip to Legoland for families. Photo: Cardinal Hume Centre.