A WEYMOUTH community group is celebrating a successful series of summer activity events for children.

Bouncing back after a pause in activities due to the pandemic, Chapelhay Community Playgarden Association has just held the last of its three summer family fun days at the playground.

In July, local children enjoyed a drumming workshop and storytelling corner and planted potatoes and beans.

In mid-August there was a puppet-making workshop with Activate, a visit from Bumblina, Queen of the Bees, and circus skills.

For their final event last Thursday, the group pulled out all the stops with even more fun and games including Tug o' War, archery and parachute games, as well as junk modelling and ‘Fantastic Fish’ workshops, and a bouncy castle.

All events featured free food and food activities, and a book for every child to take home, provided by Dorset Library Service.

Chairman of the Playgarden group, Clare Sutton, said: “This has been an extremely difficult 18 months for children and young people and it was so wonderful to be out having fun with them and their families or carers. I cannot thank committee members and other volunteers enough for all the work they have put into making these three events such a success.

“I also need to say a huge thank you to Holy Trinity Church for another extremely generous donation to Chapelhay Playgarden Association, which enabled these events to take place, and to Dorset Council for their help and support, particularly in relation to the ‘Stop Holiday Hunger’ campaign.

Vicar of Holy Trinity Canon Andrew Gough said: “We work closely with the local community and continue to support this group in particular because what they do is so important to local children and families. We are delighted that they use our donations to pay for bouncy castles, which Clare tells me make a massive difference, circus skills equipment and other fun things which they use at their events, and also contribute to the boring stuff like their Public Liability Insurance.”

Clare Sutton added: “Our next event, during autumn half term, will feature more fun, food and surprises. Please do get in touch, especially if you’d like to help.”

  •  For further information or to get involved, email clare.sutton@zen.co.uk