Lottery grant helps provide summer fun at school holiday club

Pupils from four local primary schools have come together for the first five days of the summer holidays to enjoy sports, crafts and food together.

Asquith ran consultation in the local schools to see if families would be interested in joining them in a holiday club.

The positive responses to this consultation helped the school to secure a National Lottery grant to run the week-long club.

The school was also supported with the planning of this club by securing a smaller grant from bakery company Greggs.

School staff planned the holiday club activities which involved children making their own lunch each day and sitting down together as a whole group to eat with all together.

The grant covered the costs of additional support from Express Coaching who provided a qualified sports coach each day to run games and activities using the schools outdoor MUGA and indoor sports hall.

On the first day the coach brought the company’s wheelchairs so the children could all have a turn at wheelchair basketball.

All ages could get involved in this and enjoyed this activity tremendously

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In addition, there were lots of craft and making activities such as decorating a bag, making dream catchers, masks and colouring plus construction toys, a reading tent and gardening.

The children were encouraged to help with watering the many plants that are growing at Asquith.

Each child potted up a bell pepper plant, to take home to continue growing.

The school hopes the children will enter the Mansfield BID’s garden and craft competition in August, with the peppers they grow.

The week culminated in a summer disco with a fish, chip and ice cream lunch.

Chip lunches were provided by Papa’s Chip Shop in Mansfield, which supported the club by offering a discounted price.

Sumara Anbar, teaching assistant at Asquith and holiday club lead said “We have worked hard to offer a range of activities that would appeal to many children.

“They have all really enjoyed themselves and had great fun as well as making new friends.”

Clare Harding, headteacher at Asquith, added: “It was a real bonus to be given the grant to enable us to run a holiday club this year.

“It has worked really well; we were able to offer places to children from schools in the local area and schools Asquith works in partnership with.”