Cheshire Young Carers Knutsford Summer Programme Review 2021

KNUTSFORD SUMMER PROGRAMME

PROJECT REVIEW 2021

548

HOURS OF ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CARERS

TOTAL OF

93

ENGAGEMENTS

26

EVENTS DURING THE PROGRAMME

22

KNUTSFORD SUMMER PROGRAMME

PROJECT REVIEW 2021

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

4

THE CENTRE

5

THE ACTIVITIES

6

THE TRIPS

9

BIG TRIPS

10

THANK YOU

11

GET IN TOUCH

12

3

3

INTRODUCTION

KNUTSFORD SUMMER PROGRAMME PROJECT REVIEW 2021 It was “touch and go” for most of the year if we would be able to deliver activities face to face this summer due to Covid infection rates. However, with the vaccine and more relaxed guidance from the government the Cheshire Young Carers team decided it was essential to at least try to deliver a more normal schedule of activities over the school summer holidays.

So intensive discussion took place with staff, partners, and venues to deliver an amazing programme of activities that was designed to get young carers together again, build friendship networks and help children who had spent much of the previous 18 months in isolation to have confidence in being out and about.

The result has been our biggest ever programme of events, in more local centres than ever and not forgetting the popular online activities that have been developed over the last 12 months. You can see the results of the hard work in this report and so many smiling faces.

Cheshire Young Carers is grateful to our funding partners (see page 11) who provide the financial resources and without this investment we simply would not have been able to deliver our events and activities.

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I also want to pay tribute to the Cheshire Young Carers staff team, the colleagues who joined us for the summer programme period and the volunteers who helped to deliver the full programme in extraordinary circumstances. The programme reflected in this report is the result of months of planning, hours spent dreaming up activities, periods of frustration when plans fell apart as a result of things outside our control but also the joy of when a great plan comes together.

As you read this review of our summer 2021 programme, please consider the challenging circumstances against which it was delivered, the fact that many of the children had not seen their “young carer friends” for over 18 months and the fact that the threat posed by Covid had not disappeared. Throughout the last 18 months Cheshire Young Carers has continued to support children who are young carers, much of which had to be done online so it was just fantastic to be back meeting children face to face.

Enjoy reading this inspiring reflection on a summer of fun for young carers.

Thank you,

Graham Phillips Graham Phillips Managing Director Cheshire Young Carers

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THE CENTRE During our two-week sessions based in the lower school campus of Knutsford Academy the young carers enjoyed playing group games, workshops, craft activities and days out. We also enjoyed themed sessions run by the amazing teaching staff - these included looking at and learning about dreamtime stories, aboriginal markings, the Olympics, the Great Barrier Reef, Japanese art, print making, totem poles and drama sessions.

During Australasia week the young carers got to make their own boomerangs decorated with the aboriginal markings that we had learnt about followed by a competition to find out whose came back first.

They then created their own mini totem poles using card and paint with animals and objects that we like.

The young carers also learnt about the Great Barrier Reef and how coral can regenerate over time and the impact of coral bleaching. Following this the young carers got to design and draw their own coral reef.

We also looked and learnt about Japanese art this week with the young carers learning about a popular Japanese art called Manga.

They then had a go at drawing their own Manga character. We also looked at India’s famous drama culture Bollywood and had a go at some dancing and re-enacting some action scenes from a Bollywood action movie. Along with learning about the popular Bollywood culture the young carers also learnt about the tradition of Rangoli and Mehndi patterns and created their own prints and piece of art.

The young carers also got to take part in some team games and activities including escape room type maths puzzles where the young carers had to solve the puzzles as a team to unlock the different padlocks to discover the next clue. We also made use of the vast grounds and played games such as hide and seek (a firm favourite), rounders, football and some Olympic style activities.

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THE ACTIVITIES MULTIMEDIA PICTURES During Asia week we got crafty using a range of different art mediums and materials to create 3D photo frames. Laid out on the table were lots of images of Asia, different coloured card and paper, tissue paper, colouring pens and pencils, craft scissors and accessories. The young carers each gathered some materials consisting of their favourite colours and their images. We all then decorated an A4 piece of card using the gathered materials, and some even wrote messages in different Asian languages! Many young carers used positive affirmations on their frames like ‘be kind’, ‘you can do anything you set your mind to’ etc. After we had made our base of the frame, we used acrylic pens to decorate the plastic by outlining shapes and words and drawing new things. The young carers were all so excited to take their frame home and share their creations.

CLAY PRINT MAKING The young carers loved experimenting with print making, taking inspiration from the art and culture of Asia, and using natural materials and botanical patterns. The young carers used clay to create shapes inspired by different types of decorative pottery and traditional sculptures such as the Terracotta Warriors. The young carers also got experimental using different flowers and leaves to press into the clay sculptures and tiles to see what printed patterns they left behind. The patterns created by the printed flowers and leaves were beautiful and so intricate, the young carers gained confidence throughout the workshop to experiment with other materials and foraged natural forms to see what patterns they made. The young carers also took inspiration from their favourite tv shows and books, creating sculptures and 3D images. The process of working with the clay was just as impactful as the final outcomes for the young carers, as they enjoyed playing with the texture or the clay and found it relaxing.

SEA SCULPTURES In Australasia week the young carers had the challenge of capturing the ocean using a number of creative techniques. The first part of the workshop was the most challenging as the young carers created origami whales. This took a lot of patience and a few attempts, but the outcome was really impressive to the young carers.

They loved learning to create a 3D model out of one piece of paper and a sequence of folds and were so excited to go home and show their friends and families. The second part of the workshop took inspiration from the colour and movement of the ocean. Using watercolour, the young carers created beautiful colour blended patterns which they used in an experiment using salt to see how it created texture and unique shapes in the paint. The young carers then used this painting technique using salt to paint their origami whales. The final part of the workshop tied all the other elements together. Using sea glass, the young carers learnt how to tie the pieces of sea glass together to create a hanging decoration. Some young carers picked sea glass that matched the colours used in their whales and created a beautiful hanging sculpture by attaching the origami whale at the end.

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ONLINE ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY PACKS To fit in with our virtual ‘Trip Around the World’ theme, young carers were sent weekly digital activity packs in the shape of passports to six continents - Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia, South America and North America. Each passport contained interesting facts about the continents, craft activities, reading activities and videos, physical activities and games as well as colouring pages and puzzles. By sending out digital packs to all our young carers we are also able to support those who are unable to attend face to face sessions.

FAMILY COOKING Our online family cooking sessions continue to be popular with young carers, and for our ‘trip around the world’, all of the healthy recipes were themed around the different continents. Young carers were able to learn new culinary skills as Sarah led the group with step-by-step instructions and encouraged the young carers to try new ingredients. Recipes included Beef Stroganoff, Cape Malay Veggie Curry, Chicken and Mushroom Ramen, Australian Hot Pot and Beef and Chorizo Empanadas.

TRIVIA NIGHTS

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Trivia nights were back by popular demand throughout the Summer every Thursday which the young carers and their families could join on Zoom. We had Summer themed Bingo where everyone was invited to get their sunhats and sunglasses on and dance around to some tropical island tunes. With the winner of the first line and ’bingo’ getting Amazon vouchers as prizes there were lots of happy smiles from young carers and family members. We also had Family Quiz nights which featured questions on the theme of the different continents we were traveling to that week, with the winners of 1st, 2nd and 3rd all getting Amazon vouchers as prizes too. The young carers and their families love the fun interactive aspects of the Quiz which allows them to let their competitive side blossom as they race to get to the top of the leader board. For the final trivia night, we also took inspiration from the different continents with a range of fun Gameshow rounds. The first rounds challenged the young carers and their families on their knowledge of European languages. Asking them to name a number of ways to say ‘Hello’ in different European languages, with the quickest to answer winning a prize. Round 2 was inspired by Australasia and the Coral Reef where young carers and their families had to be the quickest to complete the sink or swim challenge by being the quickest to find an object that sinks and object that swims. Round Three was inspired by the different logos of companies across the world where young carers and their families would battle it out on Kahoot to get the highest on the leader board by guessing the correct logo. The Gameshow finale is probably the favourite round with the young carers and their families which is the Speed Fancy Dress round! This time the young carers and their families had 5 minutes to dress up like the Statue of Liberty, with the criteria having to have something to resemble a draped dress, a crown, and a lamp. The young carers and their families had such a fun time getting creative and competitive within the time limit.

TRIPS JUL

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CHESTER ZOO

Many of our young carers love animals and learning about them too, so it felt right that after a year of seeing them on Zoom we would have a day out to Chester Zoo! From elephants to butterflies, they were mesmerised and keen to find their favourite animals around the park.

In small groups we all took our own expedition to see who could find the most animals, and most importantly, the penguins that were a definite favourite! It was a great day for everyone to be outside, having picnics and enjoying each other’s company in the sun.

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4

JODRELL BANK

We were kindly given tickets to visit Jodrell Bank in the rolling hills of the Cheshire countryside on a lovely sunny day. Jodrell Bank is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to the third largest steerable telescope in the world. The day begun with an interesting and interactive talk in the open theatre, where young carers learnt more about the history of the site and what they do there. We then split into smaller group for the young carers to explore the site and enjoy the different attractions. The favourite activities of the day were space crafts, the outdoor playground and the photography exhibition!

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DELAMERE FOREST 10 Ready, set, explore! Young carers turned into forest explorers for the day at Delamere Forest, where they enjoyed a variety of fun activities with their friends. Whilst on their adventures they walked up Old Pale Hill, played outdoor scavenger hunts and different team building games. Everybody reconvened for lunch where they enjoyed catching up with friends from other areas. After lunch, everybody went back into their groups and started creating trails for each other, den building and free time to enjoy playing together. Since lockdown we have seen the positive benefit of doing trips in nature and the outdoors, especially for the young carers’ wellbeing, so we are very pleased to have incorporated this into the summer and for it to have been enjoyed by so many!

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WHITE PEAK ALPACAS

When the young carers arrived at White Peak Alpacas, they were given a talk about the alpacas and split into smaller groups, the young carers first got to meet and stroke a sheep before going through into the alpaca pens. Each young carer got to pet and hug the baby alpacas and also have their photograph taken before going through into another pen to pet those alpacas. After each young carer had chance to pet and have their picture taken with the alpaca, we had chance to explore the rest of the farm where we saw some chickens, a donkey, more alpacas and wallabies.

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BIG TRIPS MANCHESTER UNITED

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At Cheshire Young Carers we have a lot of Manchester United fans and arguably a lot more after a very exciting visit to Old Trafford itself! The day began with a tour of the grounds, where young carers paraded out of the tunnels as if it was match day and sat in the managers’ chairs to pick their team. They were so excited to visit the changing rooms and sat and posed in front of their favourite players’ shirts, being sure to ask lots of questions to the tour guides about the players. The museum of memorabilia certainly impressed the group as they gravitated towards the impressive number of trophies at the ground. After lunch, we were lucky enough to have an educational session on the club’s history as well as learning some secret and interesting facts, whilst the YAC group had an education session which was careers focussed. The final part of the day was a favourite, whereby the young carers were able to try on shirts and boots from a variety of different clubs. This was an encouraging and exciting day for many of our aspiring footballers in the group.

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ALTON TOWERS

The Golden Ticket Trip! Young carers were really excited throughout the Summer to get the opportunity to go on this year’s Golden Ticket trip, which they had to earn points to go on by attending workshops and activities throughout the Summer. The trip was so popular with our young carers that we had to split it over two days, with Cheshire East going one day and Cheshire West the next.

We were lucky enough to have beautiful weather on both days of our visit which made the experience even more exciting. Young carers went round in small groups dependant on their preference of rides and age, which made sure all young carers were able to have an enjoyable experience. The thrill seekers were made up that they got to go on the big rollercoasters and the younger ones were so excited to be able to go to the new World of David Walliams and ride the Gangsta Granny ride, one of their favourite books. The young carers loved going on the water rides, they especially loved targeting the Cheshire Young Carers staff members on the pirate ship water shooting game and laughing about who was the most soaking wet.

Alton Towers allowed new friendships to be made and fears to be tackled. There were a number of young carers who went on their very first rollercoaster and were so proud of how brave they had been. It was clear by how many smiling faces we had getting back onto the coach that they all had such a lovely time and couldn’t wait to tell their families about the day. The giftshop is always a hit, with young carers buying treats and souvenirs to remember the day, and also buying presents for their family members at home.

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THANK YOU! Without the support of our generous donors, this programme would not have been possible. We want to thank them for their support, donations and encouragement.

We would also like to thank Knutsford Hosts for supportin g the programme wit h wonderful volunte ers!

Knutsford Academy & Cheshire Community Foundation ou all anks to y d h t y n a n “M ositivity a to p r u o y r fo ou . Thank y m s ia s u g h t en e amazin h t r o f u h all of yo doing wit e ’r u o y s work e activitie h t d n a s lly the kid g, it’s rea in t t e g e ’r they ed. appreciat

“My daughter A licia and I want to thank you al much for a brilli l so, so ant summer of activities and su My daughter es pport. pecially wants to thank Sarah an who she really en d Rob joyed the activi ty centres with Towers was an am . Alton azing treat, esp ecially as it’s no somewhere fro t m a mobility po int of view that ever take my dau I co u ld ghter. She had a fantastic time, she did in Delam as ere and on the alpaca trip. Than all. Everything k you you all do for th e children is very much appreciated.”

I felt welcomed and supported by all the staff “It was a pleasure to spend the day with the group. was going to happen or what I could contribute. what idea no st almo had I use beca cially espe lved, invo ort, providing guidance on the activities, sensitive supp The organisers and activity leaders were excellent, for rved vioural boundaries, which the children obse enthusiasm and commitment. There were clear beha there was a bit of misbehaviour, they were told the majority of the time. On the rare occasions when ”, thus reinforcing collective responsibility. that they were “letting the group and the staff down rasting activities. The teachers leading the The day was very well planned and organised into cont ialist subject was (e.g. “Maths is Fantastic!”), and individual sessions told the group how great their spec essed that the children committed themselves the message appears to have got through... I was impr er’s k into the Maths quiz/race and beat the adult help stuc got also but ities activ art and t spor to only not fun with friends and other children who were carers, team with ease. They had the opportunity to have also had an excellent relationship with individual but also work on their own if they wished to. Staff children and gave unobtrusive informal support. k you for the opportunity to experience it!”

It was a fascinating and enjoyable day for me. Than

- Knutsford Lions Host

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KNUTSFORD SUMMER PROGRAMME PROJECT REVIEW 2021

CHESHIRE YOUNG CARERS Registered Charity no. 1151399 Northern Lights Business Park, Rossfield Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 3AW

Tel: 0151 356 3176 info@cheshireyoungcarers.com

www.cheshireyoungcarers.org @cheshireyoungcarers

@CYC_youngcarers

@cheshireyoungcarers

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