The organisers Purple Elephant are revving up to Sunday the 21st August when this year’s event takes place.
The excitement is building and the team are busy organising the final details and would love to hear from any adults who have time to volunteer on the day. If you have 3 or 4 hours to spare on 21st August and if you’ve worked at community events before or have a current DBS check, please do get in touch to offer your help.
This year the team are focussing on making the day as accessible as they possibly can. They have consulted and worked with local youth groups and schools with additional needs, as well as taken advice from local families who have first-hand experience of living with a child with additional needs.
Event organisers said: ‘We got the ball rolling at last year’s festival with Somerset Parent Carers Forum. Eight young people, all with additional needs, came along to the festival and wrote a report, which we have used to guide our approach to this year’s event.”
Open Storytellers are making an exciting new performance for the festival and artists, Robin Meader, has worked alongside Charlotte Woodall, Social Enterprise Manager, and Critchill School students to design awesome T-shirts for the volunteers and young trainees to wear at this year’s event.
Pod and Pod plus, a local charity working with young people with additional needs will be running a jewellery-making stall using recycled materials and scrap and this year’s festival will have more accessible activities such as clay modelling for the visually impaired, a zip wire accessible to people in wheelchairs, Widgit communication symbols, clearer signage, BSL interpreters and family support workers, boccia and seated volleyball.
Running from the Cheese and Grain, along the length of the river bank and woods, into the whole of Welshmill Park and the Roundhouse, there will once again be priority wrist bands for young people with additional needs and a ‘Changing Places’ accessible toilet in the Market Yard carpark. All the activity providers will also be given guidelines on best practice in working with young people with additional needs.
The FREE Frome Children’s Festival takes place from 10am – 4pm, 21st August, thanks to funding from Frome Town Council, the National Lottery Community Fund and the generosity of volunteers on the day. The event is free but text donations are most welcome to keep Purple Elephant’s events happening all year round. See the Purple Elephant website for further details.
