School’s Out is in a class of its own
Stones Community Trust is expanding its School’s Out programme from June.
The club’s charity has just finished a fortnight of fun activities at Greenfields Community Primary School to coincide with the Easter holiday. Each day, 30 children enjoyed arts and crafts, games and sport, as well as a tasty lunch.
From the next half term holiday, the Trust will be bringing its brand of magic to another school in the borough. With the challenges of Covid-19 still impacting countless families, there has never been a greater need for the School’s Out programme.
Thanks to the funding and support of The National League Trust, Golding Homes and The Education People, the popular scheme will run during the next three school holidays.
Community development officer Kay Skelton said: “I love running the School’s Out camp and this last fortnight has been amazing. The children are such a joy to be around and we had so much fun.
“One of the themes this time was mental health. We asked the children to draw two faces – one during lockdown and one during their time at camp, and to add words to describe how each made them feel. That was a real eye-opener, you forget they’re like sponges at that age and absorb so much of what’s going on around them – good and bad.
“The feedback from the children and their parents about the camp has been overwhelming. It makes it all worthwhile when you hear what a difference it has made to so many. I’m a heart-on-the-sleeve girl and it gets me every time!
“I cannot thank the National League Trust, Golding Homes and The Education People enough for their backing.
“The NLT has been with us every step of the way since we started and Golding Homes are just the perfect partner – they know the area we’re working in so well and can make sure our help gets to those who need it most. The Education People are new to us and believe wholeheartedly in what we’re doing to support children out of school time. We’re lucky to have all three on board.”
It has been a busy 12 months for the Stones Community Trust, with volunteers putting in the hours to support charities, families, hospices and hospitals, as the coronavirus pandemic impacted all our lives.
From making PPE for frontline workers to delivering Christmas hampers to families reliant on foodbanks, Kay and her team have put in the hours to help the local community.
She said: “The last 12 months are a bit of a blur, it’s been non-stop. When I do get five and look back on it, I feel an immense sense of pride at what we’ve achieved.
“In those early days of the pandemic, we were looking at how we could make a difference. Day after day, the shortage of PPE was making the headlines. Very quickly we were able to galvanise a small team of volunteers who set to work making masks and visors.
“I lost count of the miles I clocked up, collecting donations of fabric, getting that out to the volunteers, going back to collect the finished items and delivering those to some very grateful frontline health and social care staff.
“From there, it was back to the day job, if I can call it that. It started with handing out activity packs and lunches from the car park at Heather House this time last year, to restarting the School’s Out programme in August – families were so grateful for the practical support that was on offer.
“That led to the Christmas hamper project and donations from Stones fans and others were gratefully received. We continued to do food deliveries well into the New Year as lockdown caused further hardship.
“I know I speak on behalf of all the trustees when I say thank you to everyone who has supported us during the past year. Just like the club and game we represent, it’s been a real team effort.”
The Stones Community Trust was established in October 2018 through funding from the National League Trust, which supports community programmes at clubs who are members of the three divisions of the National League.
The Trust, which took on many of the club’s community activities, gained charity status the following year.