Play Torbay Newsletter Spring 2025
Life moves quickly here at Play Torbay with lots of new developments and ideas emerging since the last edition. So here we are. Grab a garibaldi and a brew and settle in for a good read.
Beach Clean
On the 22nd October we took part in The First Home Ed Beach Clean which was organised by the parents from the Forest School Home Ed group. SEND Family Voice Torbay and Play Torbay combined forces to hold a Home Ed Beach Clean on Paignton Beach, with a warm-up drink and chat afterwards at People’s Parkfield, Old Parkfield House. SWISCo provided pickers and hi-vis gear, Torbay Harbour and Peoples Parkfield, it was a successful day, enjoyed by all. The sun even came out but most importantly, we helped to keep the beach clean and protect the marine life.
Junior Placements
We delivered two induction training events in Paignton Library for hopeful young people who were hoping our Junior Placement Programme. The trainings took place at Paignton library in October and March which is a really nice, welcoming venue. We now have 28 Juniors supporting the work at our sessions and events which is great news.
Sadly, in December we had to say goodbye to James our Play Support Mentor who has been working to develope the Junior PLacement Programme. He has moved on to different things and we wish him all the very best in his new ventures. Don’t be too upset at him leaving though, we will still see him around.
Community Nature Network
On the 14th October. Indigos was added to the Community Nature Network. Check it out! https://www.communitynaturenetwork.org.uk/map
Greenspace Award
On the 18th October we were delighted to report that at the Greenspace Award Ceremony Play Torbay received Level 5 Outstanding Awards for both Indigos and Wild Fox playgrounds – Hurrah and well done everyone! It was sponsored by the RHS, Britain in Bloom and is part of It’s your neighbourhood
Peas For Bees
Life on the Edge is a project that is giving these bees a helping hand. Last year ASRUS started to work with Life on the Edge to help save the bees. Earlier in the year ASRUS had bought seeds and planted two different types of peas. Fast forward to six months later and they have grown enough to be planted out ready to flower in 2025.
On 23rd October ASRUS was invited to Shoalstone Outdoor Pool to plant out the pea plants which were planted next to a picket fence so they can ramble up and provide food for pollinators in the area. The Peas for Bees team also brought along bat detectors to find out if they could hear the bats which roost at Berry Head as they emerged from their roost. Everyone was well looked after and kept warm and cosy with the help of flasks of hot chocolate and biscuits for snacks. All in all a fantastic ASRUS evening with a difference and some great environmental work done too.
Did you know.. The six banded nomad bee is extremely rare and only found around Berry Head and Prawle Point. The long horned mining bee is in decline and is a UK priority species. It only feeds on a few wild flowers from the pea family.
ASRUS Christmas Party
Then before we knew it – Ho Ho Ho. Christmas was upon us! Whaaaaaaat? How? So soon? Thanks to all of our fantastic supporters, we were able to put on a great ASRUS Christmas party.
Wolseley kindly donated 100 selection boxes and which were swiftly dispatched to Santa’s little helper for wrapping. Tanny provided the food and drinks and our friends at Beverley Park gave us the use of a room for the party and also provided games, music and dancing. Father Christmas came along too! It was a fantastic start to the Christmas season. Thank you to everyone who contributed to make it an evening to remember.
Charity of The Year 2
During the Christmas Partt evening a huuuuuge cheque was formally presented to Play Torbay from Beverly Park. We were their chosen charity of 2024 and they raised an enormous £5259.17!!! Wowzers! We were beside ourselves when they said that we would continue to be their chosen charity for 2025 too. We’d like to say a massive thank you to all at Beverley Park for their support in so many ways in the last year. We look forward to working with you again in 2025.
After the presentation on of Santa’s elves got all the children involved in some lively singing, dancing and games, included the world’s longest game of pass the parcel. I actually think they are still unwrapping the layers now! After the food it was time for the big man himself to arrive. Father Christmas announced his arrival with a lot of ho ho ho’s and a huge sack of gifts for the children. All in all it was noisy, chaotic and full of music and laughter. Exactly as a good party should be.
The Play Torbay 25th birthday party video was seen for the first time at the Christmas party. It was incredible to see how far we have come and evolved over the last 25 years what an achievement! You can see it here
Christmas HAF
While all this was going on preparations for the Christmas HAF programme were also underway. We were delighted to announce that we would be running some outdoor play sessions during the Christmas break in Paignton and Torquay. We secured funding from Healthy Holiday and Food Programme to run sessions so on the 30th and 31st December we carried on the Festive fun at the Great Parks and Barton with the HAF sessions.
All the children attending received a hot meal, a Wintertime Play Pack with lots of different activities and a food hamper to take home was included too. It was a lovely way to finish off the year. December was a busy, busy time with such a lot going on all at once but with your help and support we manged to put smiles on the faces of lots of families in Torbay this Christmas. Thank you all.
Future Proof Event
We got off to a great start with on the 8th Feb at Paignton library’s Future Proof Event. There was such a lot going on with displays and activities from lots of local eco organisations and also our own junior play workers who did a fantastic job.
Colour My Streets
February Half Term followed hot on the heels of this event and we were kept busy again with the amazing Colour My Streets event. It’s always a lot of fun and this year it was even brighter and more colourful than ever. As always, the junior playworkers. Did us proud. You guys are amazing! Thank you.
Beverley Park Pantomine
On Friday 21st February, Beverley Park outdid themselves yet again and invited the autism clubs to a special performance of their pantomime, Aladdin.
Oh no they didn’t …. Oh yes they did… Look at this poster!
It was amazeballs, so funny. There was a lot of shouting and screaming at the baddies. I think it’s fair to say everyone had a fantastic time.
Tool Craft Training and Tool Experience Days
Just as exciting but for different reasons were the Tool Craft Sessions. We were really excited to be able to offer these sessions in collaboration with Kings Ash Group, Sanctuary Housing and the Office of Police Crime Commissioner. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn some new skills in a relaxed and fun environment at Wild Fox.
The first course was on the the 15th/16th March and was delivered by playworker and playground designer Simon Bazley came all the way from North Wales. Everyone was delighted with the results at the Wild Fox playground. Although it was cold, it was bright and sunny and the young people who came made a wonderful variety of wooden creations with the support of adults including two swings, a bird feeder and a guitar! Simon said ‘I think the atmosphere yesterday was just perfect, and the children who attended clearly got a lot out of it’.
One parent sent a note: ‘Thank you my daughter came home so excited to tell us how much fun she'd had using tools and making things. Was lovely to see her excited over learning (doesn't happen when she's at school) so a big thankyou
And another said ‘ The boys thoroughly enjoyed the event yesterday! Thank you :)’
We are lucky enough to be having a second Toolcraft session with Simon, and will be confirming the date very soon. We recommend you book early because all the young people who came yesterday want to come again.
