Play Project Trip to Global Gardens

Can we come here again?

Currently based at our temporary home at Parkminster United Reformed Church; our Play Project welcomes families on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Our Play Project is a very special place giving children safe places to play and have fun.

Throughout the Summer, families have been going on days out including visits to Cardiff Castle, the National Museum as well as a coach trip to St Fagans National Museum of History. Last week they took a trip to Global Gardens.

Nestled away behind a busy street; Global Gardens is a community-growing project based in Cardiff. Home to a mud kitchen, crafting area, tree swings, a firepit, a greenhouse, and a very popular hammock – the team at Global Gardens kindly welcomed families from our Play Project to the gardens. Special thanks to the Social Farms and Gardens Summer Activity Grant whose funding enabled Global Gardens to host our families.

Families spent the afternoon collecting fallen apples, playing on the swings and hammock and picking wild flowers and herbs.  Meanwhile; parents cleaned, chopped, and helped prepare the food for a picnic outside under the trees. Several children asked to help, many hands making light work. At the end of the session all the families gathered in a circle listening to stories of wildlife and drinking hot chocolate. Both parents and children alike were delighted to leave with bags of freshly-picked plums and tomatoes leaving them with sticky fingers and smiles on their faces.

“Some of our families don’t have access to their own outside space”, said Meryl Hoffer, Play Project Lead at the Welsh Refugee Council. “Being at Global Gardens is lovely and peaceful, some of our children seem calmer in an outside setting. They love to explore and being able to safely take small risks and try something new is an important part of children’s development.”

We believe every child deserves a summer of fun and our Play Project is a lifeline to displaced families in Cardiff.

Diolch yn fawr to Global Gardens, Wales and West Housing and Children In Need for supporting our Play Project.

If you would like to join the Play Project please contact Meryl on meryl@wrc.wales

If you would like to donate to the Welsh Refugee Council. You can donate here.