Home-Start Hampshire are celebrating a wonderful team of local volunteers who have been busy putting together story bags for families in the New Forest that are currently supported by us.
The story bags, which are all themed around an age appropriate popular story book, contain a copy of the book, characters from the story, a game or puzzle with a link to the story and a craft activity. The story bags and activities have been designed with education and fun in mind and the volunteers have also included additional activity suggestions linked to the book that the whole family can join in with.
The local community have really taken the project to their hearts; members of the Hythe Poppy Ladies have been knitting and crocheting characters and Waterside Women, a Facebook Group that fundraises for local good causes, have purchased games and books to the value of £150 which was a huge boost to the project. Individuals have also contributed activity packs and non-fiction books.
For many of the families, the support they receive from Home-Start Hampshire and contact they have with their volunteer is a lifeline. Over the past six months, Home-Start Hampshire have continued to support families across the county, including in the New Forest, taking on new referrals and training new volunteers to ensure that they are able to continue to provide their services at a time when support and community spirit is arguably more important than ever before.
Christine Galpin, Community Team Chair in the New Forest says: “Story bags contain exciting and stimulating resources that promote language skills and introduce young children to a memorable and enjoyable reading experience. Families and volunteers will greatly value the opportunities given in sharing a story bag with a young child.”