'Picnic on The Circle' event held near the site of Saints Bar Pool

On the 6th August we held what we hope to be the first of many family fun events in the Bar Pool North and Crescents LSOA, which is our area of focus for our new Saints Bar Pool project, coming soon to Vernons Lane.

What happened on the day?

We pitched up on the green inside 'The Circle, CV108AY', right in the heart of the community. The sun was shining and we were ready for an amazing day!

We invited families to come and bring picnic blankets and/or camping chairs, and to come and grab a spot to sit and enjoy the sunshine and the activities.

We had loads of things on offer, including

• Facepainting

• Making mini boats from recycling (and trying to sail them in our big water trays!)

• Making bracelets and keychains

• Colouring

• Circus skills equipment

• Giant bubbles

• Outdoor garden games

• Under 5's sensory play toys

• A mini scavenger hunt

Some of the site as we were setting up!

The whole day was completely free, and we had free packed lunches available for any child under the age of 18 (as well as drinks and biscuits for the grown ups, who brought their own picnics!)

We even had a visit from a fire engine, much to the delight of everyone there! Children got to have a look inside, and even pose for photos with the firefighters.

The day would not be possible without the wonderful YWAM 'Shine' team, who came all the way from Switzerland to help us run the day. It was wonderful to see young people and young adults serving the community and helping put on fantastic activities.

We had the privilege of working the NBBC Tenant Engagement team who ran a stall on the day and were there to listen to any concerns local residents might have. We also worked with the WCC Communities Team, and in particular local Community Development Officer Chris Florance, who came and supported us on the day.

Thanks goes to the NBBC Events office for helping us plan this event, and the WCC Social Fabric Fund for funding our work in this area.