Summer of Fun combined
Renfrewshire Council · 15 November 2023
Back to Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-committee — 15 November 2023 and its agenda
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-committee On: 15 November 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Further to previous presentations to the sub-committee, this paper provides an update to members on the initial findings gathered through evaluation work on the Summer of Fun programme which the sub-committee played a critical role in shaping the format of for Summer 2023. 1.2 As detailed in the paper and in the full report attached as Appendix 1, initial information indicates that the programme was successful in reaching low- income families, particularly those families who are in the child poverty priority groups who may be underserved by mainstream holiday programmes. The wide range of activities on offer ensured that children were able to try new experiences and visit new places. 1.3 Further discussion and engagement will now take place with the Lived Experience Panel to consider the initial evaluation information that is available. Officers are also contributing to national evaluation work being undertaken in relation to the Scottish Government funding provided. 1.4 Options for future holiday programmes will be developed going forward, informed by the views of members of the sub-committee. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members are invited to consider and discuss the content of the Evaluation of the Summer of Fun Programme report.
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_________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Work commenced in March 2023 to deliver a summer holiday programme in Renfrewshire. Core funding of £100,000 was initially allocated to support this programme through the Fairer Renfrewshire programme, with a focus on providing support over the holiday period to low-income families. £20,000 of funding was also allocated from the Future Paisley programme to enhance cultural experiences over the summer period for low-income households. 3.2 In late June 2023, £4m of funding was announced by the Scottish Government to enhance summer holiday and food provision nationally. Renfrewshire was allocated £120,655 for this purpose. This brought the total funding available to the programme to £240,655. 3.3 Initially it was agreed that £25,000 of the £100,000 Fairer Renfrewshire funding available, would be allocated to support a small grants fund pilot for local community groups and organisations to operate for Summer 2023. This was topped up to £55,000 once Scottish Government funding was confirmed. 3.4 The Scottish Government did not provide formal guidance for summer programming for 2023, instead, Local Authorities were asked to draw on the principles and policy intent from the 2022 guidance, namely targeted access to activities, childcare and food during the summer holiday period for school age children from low-income families. 3.5 Following engagement with the Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-Committee and specifically with the Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel, it was agreed that the summer 2023 programme should operate based on a set of key principles including: There should be a range of activities for children and families – a mixture of child only, family activities, free/chargeable and across several different communities in Renfrewshire; The Council will work with partners to promote the variety of activities that are available – making sure that families know what is on and where; The core focus of the funding will be to provide activities which support families from the child poverty priority groups and to target gaps in provision across localities; Any activities funded through Fairer Renfrewshire should be free at the point of access with free food or snacks available depending on the length of the activity. 3.6 Using these principles, a multi-faceted and diverse programme was developed to deliver a range of activities for children, families, and young people across
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Renfrewshire to access over the holidays. This was developed and co- ordinated jointly by the Community Learning and Development and Partnerships and Inequalities team within the Chief Executive’s service. This included: Summer camps organised by the Council’s Community Learning and Development Team Family activities provided by Community Learning and Development Teams. Activities and support for families with children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) Evening activities delivered by Street Stuff Activities in libraries provided by OneRen A programme of activities provided by community partners A communications campaign to promote all activities available over the summer in Renfrewshire. 3.7 The aim was to develop a programme of integrated provision to address the barriers and isolation faced by people in the most deprived areas, concentrating on the Scottish Government’s 6 main priority groups, who are especially vulnerable to falling into poverty: lone parent families, ethnic minority families, those with a disability, mothers under 25, those with a child under 1, those with more than 3 children. There was a strong focus on working closely with services such as Children’s Services Social Work, Education and other partners to identify families and young people within those groups and to signpost them towards and sign them up for universal activities. 4 Participation Outcomes 4.1 Each element of the programme will be fully evaluated to find out what worked well in terms of activities and to gain understanding of the impact of the programme. Initial information gathered indicates that very positive outcomes have been achieved in terms of participation and engagement of participants: 4,500 children attended the summer camps over the holiday period, and over 45% of children who attended were from lone parent families, over 42% were from large families and over a quarter were from families where a family member has a disability. 190 families were able to access support through the summer camp activities offered for young people with Additional Support Needs, with a further 14 young people from Mary Russell being supported on a weekly basis.
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There were 1858 attendances at Street Stuff activities provided over the summer across 7 locations. 47 families participated in summer family learning activities with the adult learning team. It is estimated that 739 adults and 1,921 children benefited from the Summer of Fun grant funded activities in the community. 412 children and 74 adults attended Future Paisley funded sessions. All three projects provided opportunities for children and young people to access the benefits of art, music and creativity without any financial barriers and were successful in attracting families within the child poverty priority groups. 4.2 Figures show that Summer of Fun funding contributed to increased footfall to Renfrewshire libraries, but it should be noted that this was not the only factor. An overall total of 56,824 physical attendances in the summer months of 2023 at all public libraries represents an increase of 65% from the same period in 2022, up from 34,461. The number of events increased by 74%, up from 448 to 779, while physical attendances at events by adults and children increased by 162% from 4,501 to 11,794. 4.3 Initial evidence and information collected indicates very positive feedback in terms of the variety and quality of the programme. Full detail is provided in Appendix 1 – however several quotes from participating children, families and organisations are provided below which clearly demonstrate the positive impact that participation has had: Both my kids love attending Street Stuff‐wouldn’t change anything! My kids have loved the introduction of hot lunches this year. We are very lucky to have this in our community thank you. Given me time with other adults and made the holidays less isolating (Johnstone mum) The kids came out of their shell, being with other families helped so much (Paisley mum) The programme was hugely successful for us. We were inundated and had a waiting list. All the families involved said that it helped their children’s confidence and boosted their interest in music. Many stated that they would love their child to attend regular classes if they were affordable. Some children who attended were from families who did not previously have access to music and could not afford music activities. 75% of the parents we support in Renfrewshire identify as having mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or perinatal mental health. We know that those
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we work with have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic... The increase in cost of living also affects the families we support unduly. Moving forward we anticipate an ongoing legacy of heightened anxiety over finances, increased loneliness, and poor self‐esteem. 5 Interim key findings 5.1 Appendix 1 provides detailed information that has been collected as part of the initial evaluation work on the programme. This has been analysed and key findings have been identified as follows: Access to free, inclusive and enjoyable activities alongside provision of a healthy snack or lunch contributed to a successful Summer of Fun programme. The wide range of activities on offer ensured that children were able to try new experiences and visit new places. The Summer of Fun programme provided children with the opportunity to learn new skills, make friends, be creative, gain confidence and make memories with their families. There is strong evidence that activities reached and benefited low-income families, in particular larger families, lone parents, families with disabilities and families with children aged under one year old. Apart from providing free fun activities that low-income families could access, benefits of the Summer of Fun programme included encouraging new people to engage with organisations and helping to reduce costs for families over the long summer holiday. Parents enjoyed being able to spend time playing together with their children without the pressure of having to come up with ideas to keep them entertained or having to consider any financial considerations. Their children benefited from having opportunities to mix with other children and to enjoy activities that they may not have been able to do at home, including trying new foods at lunchtime. Some participating organisations suggested that consideration should be given to providing additional and targeted funding to increase the capacity of organisations to deliver a wider range of activities for a longer period or on an ongoing basis. This was particular the case for some activities which children and young people had enjoyed and could continue further with. The importance of summer activity provision in maintaining continuity of support to families that are regularly working with local organisations was also
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highlighted as positive benefit and should also be considered for any future programmes. Early discussions with colleagues in Children’s Services Social Work and Education were crucial to ensuring that activities were targeted to those most vulnerable in Renfrewshire. This included dialogue with the Kinship Team and a referral process set up for families who were identified as unable to access the online booking system. This was a key positive and is something that could be built on further if future programmes were undertaken. 6 Next steps 6.1 The information gathered to date will be shared and discussed internally with the Fairer Renfrewshire Officer Group and has also been reported to the Communities and Housing Board given the important role played by the Community Learning and Development teams in delivering the programme. 6.2 As previously agreed by the sub-committee, the initial findings are also being presented to allow for further discussion with elected members on the potential delivery of future holiday programmes. Scottish Government funding has now formally ended in its current format, and it is unlikely that any future allocations made in relation to summer programmes will be at the level provided as part of COVID recovery funding. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – Funding to deliver the Summer of Fun programme was funded by Fairer Renfrewshire, Future Paisley, and Scottish Government. 2. HR & Organisational Development – none. 3. Community/Council Planning – The multi-agency, universal and targeted work developed and delivered across Renfrewshire throughout the summer holidays as part of the National summer holiday and activities initiative contributed to key areas of activity relevant to Community Planning priorities and Renfrewshire’s Council Plan strategic outcomes; outlined below. • Our Renfrewshire is well - Supporting the wellness and resilience of our citizens and communities. • Our Renfrewshire is fair - addressing the inequalities that limit life chances. • Reshaping our place, our economy, and our future - Promoting learning and skills for life. • Building strong, safe, and resilient communities - Empowering communities and Delivering community-based services.
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• Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all – Promoting skills and learning for life, Celebrating youth! Improving mental health and wellbeing; Addressing health inequalities; and promoting active lifestyles. 4. Legal – none. 5. Property/Assets - none. 6. Information Technology - none. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - none. 9. Procurement – none. 10. Risk - none. 11. Privacy Impact - none. 12. COSLA Policy Position –not applicable. 13. Climate Risk – not applicable. _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers None ___________________________________________________________________
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1 An evaluation of the Summer of Fun Programme This funding has played an important role in supporting our small charity so that we could provide fun and creative opportunities to children, young people and families in our community – thank you! Paisley YMCA
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 2 Contents 1. Executive Summary ...................................................................................... 3 2. About Summer of Fun .................................................................................. 6 3. Renfrewshire Summer of Fun Programme .............................................. 7 4. The Summer of Fun Small Grants Fund ................................................. 14 5. Evaluating the Summer of Fun programme .......................................... 18 How many people attended? ..................................................................................... 23 What difference did the Summer of Fun programme make? .............................. 25 What worked well? ....................................................................................................... 27 6. Conclusions .................................................................................................. 29 Appendix 1 – Organisations which provided Summer of Fun activities ...... 32 Appendix 2 – Case Studies ..................................................................................... 33
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 3 1. Executive Summary In March 2023 core funding of £100,000 was allocated through the Fairer Renfrewshire programme to support the development of a summer holiday programme, with a focus on providing support over the holiday period to low-income families. £20,000 of funding was also allocated from the Future Paisley programme to enhance cultural experiences for low-income households. The Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel played a key role in directing how this funding could be used and in addition it was agreed that the summer 2023 programme should operate based on a set of key principles including: There should be a range of activities for children and families – a mixture of child only, family activities, free/chargeable and across a number of different communities in Renfrewshire The Council will work with partners to promote the variety of activities that are available – making sure that families know what is on and where The core focus of the funding will be to provide activities which support families from the child poverty priority groups and to target gaps in provision across localities Any activities funded through Fairer Renfrewshire should be free at the point of access with free food or snacks available depending on the length of the activity. In late June 2023, Renfrewshire received £120,655 from the Scottish Government as part of their national programme to enhance summer holiday and food provision. This funding was targeted at providing access to activities, childcare and food during the summer holiday period for school age children from low-income families. The addititional money from Scottish Government allowed for funding of £240,655 to be available for the delivery of the Summer of Fun programme across Renfrewshire. A comprehensive programme was developed in partnership with services within the Council, partners and community groups and organisation, with the principles developed by the Lived Experience Panel, being core to everything that was planned and delivered. In some instances, there was continuation or enhancement of activities that have been provided in the past, but there were many different elements of the programme where something was trialled for the first time. Renfrewshire’s Community Learning and Development team developed a programme of activities for children and young people with the provision of a healthy meal and worked with partners to significantly extend planned provision across Renfrewshire. The funding was used to provide:
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 4 Summer camps, which had 4,500 attendees, and which over 45% of children who attended were from lone parent families, over 42% were from large families and over a quarter were from families where a family member has a disability Specific summer camps for young people with Additional Support Needs, with 190 families using this support Street Stuff activities for young people aged 8 – 14, which had 1,858 attendances across 7 locations An Adult and Family learning programme, targeted 47 families, of whom 15 were large families and 11 were ethnic minority families. £55,000 of the total funding available was allocated to support a new pilot for a small grants programme for local community groups and organisations to operate for Summer 2023. This programme aimed to deliver free activities over the summer holidays which could reach communities that might be underserved by mainstream activities, particularly low-income families. It is estimated that 739 adults and 1,921 children benefited from these Summer of Fun activities. These projects were also successful at reaching the child poverty priority groups: large families (94%), families with a child aged under one year old (88%), lone parents (88%) families where parents are under the age of 25 (81%). just over two thirds of organisations managed to reach black and minority ethnic families, families where someone in the house has a disability, and care experienced children and young people (69% each). OneRen was also allocated £9,910 to provide a programme of activities across all 12 Renfrewshire libraries, allowing coverage in areas where no other Summer of Fun activity was taking place, including the villages. The programme included Lego sessions, Marble Run Fun, Storytelling, including Sensory Storytelling, Mini Zoos and arts and crafts activities. All activities were well attended, with snacks and drinks provided for the children at as many activities as possible. Figures show that Summer of Fun funding contributed to increasing footfall to Renfrewshire libraries, but it should be noted that this was not the only factor. An overall total of 56,824 physical attendances in the summer months of 2023 at all public libraries represents an increase of 65% from the same period in 2022, up from 34,461. The number of events increased by 74%, up from 448 to 779, while physical attendances at events by adults and children increased by 162% from 4,501 to 11,794.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 5 The £20,000 Future Paisley funding was used to fund 3 arts based projects which ran throughout the summer holiday period. Activities included introduction to piano and ukelele, singing and percussion instruments, craft activities and arts workshops providing opportunities to paint, draw and make items to take home. In total 412 children and 74 adults attended these sessions. All three projects provided opportunities for children and young people to access the benefits of art, music and creativity without any financial barriers and were successful in attracting families within the child poverty priority groups. This report describes the multi-agency, universal and targeted work delivered across Renfrewshire throughout the summer holidays as part of the 2023 Summer Holiday Provision initiative. Each programme delivered as part of the initiative will be fully evaluated to find out what worked well in terms of activities and to gain understanding of the impact of the programme. Organisations that received small grants funding were asked to complete a feedback form and surveys have been sent out to participants. This information will help to shape future programmes of work. Initial findings from this evaluation work is provided below: Interim Key findings Access to free, inclusive and enjoyable activities alongside provision of a healthy snack or lunch contributed to a successful Summer of Fun programme. The wide range of activities on offer ensured that children were able to try new experiences and visit new places. The Summer of Fun programme provided children with the opportunity to learn new skills, make friends, be creative, gain confidence and make memories with their families. There is strong evidence that activities reached and benefited low-income families, in particular larger families, lone parents, families with disabilities and families with children aged under one year old. Apart from providing free fun activities that low-income families could access, benefits of the Summer of Fun programme included encouraging new people to engage with organisations and helping to reduce costs for families over the long summer holiday. Parents enjoyed being able to spend time playing together with their children without the pressure of having to come up with ideas to keep them entertained or having to consider any financial considerations. Their children benefited from having opportunities to mix with other children and to enjoy activities that they may not have been able to do at home, including trying new foods at lunchtime.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 6 Some participating organisations suggested that consideration should be given to providing additional and targeted funding to increase the capacity of organisations to deliver a wider range of activities for a longer period or on an ongoing basis. This was particular the case for some activities which children and young people had enjoyed and could continue further with. The importance of summer activity provision in maintaining continuity of support to families that are regularly working with local organisations was also highlighted as positive benefit and should also be considered for any future programmes. Early discussions with colleagues in Children’s Services Social Work and Education was crucial to ensure that activities were targeted to those most vulnerable in Renfrewshire. This included dialogue with the Kinship Team and a referral process set up for families who were idenfitied as unable to access the online booking system. This was key positive and is something that could be built on further if future programmes were undertaken. 2. About Summer of Fun Background In March 2023 core funding of £100,000 was allocated through the Fairer Renfrewshire programme to support the development of a summer holiday programme, with a focus on providing support over the holiday period to low-income families. £20,000 of funding was also allocated from the Future Paisley programme to enhance cultural experiences for low- income households. The Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel played a key role in directing how this funding could be used. In late June 2023, Renfrewshire received £120,655 from the Scottish Government as part of their national programme to enhance summer holiday and food provision. This funding was targeted at providing access to activities, childcare and food during the summer holiday period for school age children from low-income families. While initially it was agreed that £25,000 of the £100,000 Fairer Renfrewshire funding available would be allocated to support a small grants fund pilot for local community groups and organisations to operate for Summer 2023, the Scottish Government funding enabled this grants programme to be increased to £55,000. This aimed to deliver free
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 7 activities over the summer holidays which could reach communities that might be underserved by mainstream activities, particularly low-income families. 3. Renfrewshire Summer of Fun Programme A multi-faceted and diverse programme was developed to deliver a range of activities for children, families and young people to access over the holidays. This included: Summer camps organised by the Council’s Community Learning and Development Team Family activities provided by Community Learning and Development Teams. Activities and support for families with children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) Evening activities delivered by Street Stuff Activities in libraries provided by OneRen A programme of activities provided by community partners A communications campaign to promote all activities available over the summer in Renfrewshire The aim was to develop a programme of integrated provision to address the barriers and isolation faced by people in the most deprived areas, concentrating on the Scottish Government’s 6 main priority groups, who are especially vulnerable to falling into poverty: lone parent families, ethnic minority families, those with a disability, mothers under 25, those with a child under 1, those with more than 3 children. There was a strong focus on working closely with services such as Children’s Services Social Work, Education and other partners to identify families and young people within those groups and to signpost them towards and sign them up for universal activities. Summer Camps Building on the success of previous summer programmes and partnership working between services, Renfrewshire’s Community Learning and Development team decided to continue with a summer camp model offering places to children and young people. The holiday camps were held in 6 venues across Renfrewshire with a focus on reaching families most at need responding to the Scottish Government’s Childcare and activity programmes. This year we included the Gallowhill area following the recent child poverty data which highlighted increasing levels of child poverty in Gallowhill.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 8 Families that had applied for free school meal/clothing grants from the Council were proactively contacted to allow them to book activities before opening these to the wider public. This was trialled this year to make it easier to access bookings and also to reduce stigmas by not asking to provide evidence of low income. Camps for those aged 5 – 14 years were delivered throughout the summer holidays from Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 3pm twice per week in each of the following venues: Renfrew – St James’ Primary School Gallowhill – Gallowhill Primary School Ferguslie Park – Glencoats Primary School Linwood – Woodlands Primary School Foxbar – Gleniffer High School Johnstone – West Johnstone Shared Campus This year’s programme offered several activities along with a healthy meal targeted at children from low-income families. A wide range of activities was delivered including multi-sports and dance activities, samba drumming; outdoor play and games, arts and crafts, clay sculptures, mask making and screen printing as well as an end of summer party on the last week. This year also introduced the children and young people to the revised menus being delivered in the new school term which were well received. A Senior Social Worker working with care experienced young people and families advised that: ”Early notification of the activities being provided as part of the Summer of Fun programme this year was hugely beneficial for the care experienced families we work with. Having the ability to make referrals on to the Community Learning and Development service ensured the majority of our families were able to be included where possible. School holidays are a difficult time for our families and having these activities with the provision of a healthy meal certainly helped reduce the pressure they are under “ Over the summer holiday period around 4,500 attendances were recorded at the camps. Participants were asked their views on the Summer of Fun camps with a rating of 4.7 out of 5 saying they enjoyed it. Children and Young People were also asked which activities they enjoyed the most with the following results; Arts & Crafts 85%
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 9 Sport 82% Dance 54% Games 83% Parents had very positive comments about the activities provided. Wouldn’t change anything about it as my daughter loves it she made new friends and with cost of living crisis too we couldn’t go on holiday and this club has gave her something to look forward to and kept her off phone and gave her things to do. Camps have been great and my children have throughly enjoyed them! Both my kids love attending Street Stuff-wouldn’t change anything! My kids have loved the introduction of hot lunches this year. We are very lucky to have this in our community thank you. My daughter has loved it and it’s kept her in a routine and will make it easeir for going back to school. Parents also had some suggestions for future programmes which will be explored further: Adding gymnastics, playing with slime and baseball to the list of activities Adding the bus to every location so that everyone who attends has a chance to go on and play games Including computer games, for example, Roblox More arts and crafts Allowing children to have more choice in the activities they want to participate in Providing opportunities for children to attend more often Potential introduction of additional community venues The views of children, young people and their families will be used to further develop holiday childcare and activity programmes in the future.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 10 The table below details the the Scottish Government’s 6 main priority groups from the families who responded to the questions as part of the sign up process for the Summer Camps. Category Yes Responses % of Families Families with 3 or children or more 309 out of 725 42.6 Families with a child under 1 51 out of 724 7 Lone parent families 326 out of 719 45.3 Families with parents under 25 10 out of 725 1.4 Families with a disability 186 out of 726 25.6
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 11 Black and minority ethnic families 79 out of 710 11 Percentage of children attending from each age Aged 5 6.2 Aged 6 18.7 Aged 7 15.8 Aged 8 17.6 Aged 9 13.1 Aged 10 11.3 Aged 11 8.8 Aged 12 4.7 Aged 13 1.2 Aged 14 2 The overall total within the ‘Yes responses’ column is calculated by counting only those responses where an obvious straight ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response was provided, hence the differing totals for each category. The information provided shows the reach of families from the Scottish Government’s six main priority groups with the majority of children attending within the age 6 – 11 age range. ASN Provision This year’s camp continued to identify and respond to the need for provision for children and young people with an additional support need. £40,000 was allocated to Riverbrae ASN playscheme. 190 families took up the offer of support, and fun engaging activities and free play time was delivered throughout the summer holiday period which included: A nutritious meal and healthy snacks throughout the day Indoor and outdoor activities – including sports and creative arts Much needed social interaction with other young people Staff who could respond to each individual child’s needs Free transport for parents within Renfrewshire where required due to the location of the venue and to maximise opportunities and support for families during the summer holiday period.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 12 Early discussions with colleagues in Children’s Services Social Work and Education highlighted a gap in service provision for some children with additional support needs who were not eligible to participate in the summer programme being delivered at Riverbrae. To address this gap, CLAD Youth Services provided Print Screen Painting, General Arts and Crafts and Sports Activities for 14 young people from Mary Russell school one day per week throughout July. Providing programmes that are inclusive and accessible for all children and young people is an important part of the legacy of the Summer of Fun initiative. Street Stuff Street Stuff continued to deliver their core programme of activities in the evenings from Monday - Saturday for young people aged 8 – 16 throughout the summer holidays which also included the provision of healthy food funded through Fairer Renfrewshire. 1,858 attendances were recorded with activities including multi-sports and the games buses with ps4 games, Dj decks and having the ability to mix with friends and listen to music and play fun and interactive games. The Street Stuff activities were delivered at the following places: Linwood – Our Lady of Peace Foxbar – Morar Drive and Foxbar Youth Drop in Erskine - Bargarran Primary School Johnstone – McMaster Centre Shortroods – Beechwood Community Centre MUGA Gallowhill Community Centre Renfrew – Knockhill Park These activities allowed us to reach the older age group who did not attend the Summer Camps during the day. Adult and Family Learning Adult and Family Learning were working with a range of vulnerable families in the lead up to the summer holidays. Following discussions with Children’s Services Social Work and Education it was felt that stopping these during the holiday period could prove detrimental to the families with the positive impact the programme was having. A decision was made to continue working with these families. Adult and Family Learning delivered a weekly
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 13 programme throughout the month of July. This was delivered across 4 sites: Moorpark Learning Centre, Southend Action Centre, West Johnstone Shared Campus and the Tannahill Centre. The programme included fun activities, games, and lunch and attracted many families from the child poverty priority groups. Each venue organised its programme in consultation with the families, ensuring maximum participation and fun. Highlights included physical and outdoor play with sports, games and dancing, arts and crafts, storytelling and making and sharing lunch. In total 47 families participated in activities including 49 adults and 93 children. Priority Group Number of families who attended Larger Family (3 or more children) 15 Lone Parent Family 3 Minority Ethnic Family 11 Family with a disability 7 Care Experienced Family 7 Young Parent (under 25) 6 Family with a child under 1 3 Families appreciated the thought and planning that went into each session, the range and variety of activities and the dedication of the staff teams in ensuring everyone has a great experience. Parents identified the main benefits for themselves as being able to spend time playing together with their children without the pressure of having to come up with ideas to keep them entertained or having to consider any financial constraints. They also appreciated the support of the group environment for their own wellbeing. My daughter got more comfortable playing with different kids and it got me talking to new people and helped with my anxiety. (Paisley mum)
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 14 Given me time with other adults and made the holidays less isolating (Johnstone mum) Parents identified many benefits for their children including having opportunities to mix with other children and to enjoy activities that they may not have been able to do at home. Sharing lunch was also viewed as a benefit because it encouraged some children to try new foods. The children had the chance to meet new people and make friends, it helped them with their confidence (ESOL mum) The kids came out of their shell, being with other families helped so much (Paisley mum) Children enjoyed lunch and tried things they don’t eat at home (Paisley mum) Opportunity to try things he has never done before – like holding a newt (Johnstone mum) When asked what they might continue doing as a result of taking part in activities, parents identified a range of activities including visits to the park, reading, arts and crafts, and family fun days. No major improvements were highlighted, other than requests for longer sessions and more programme like this. 4. The Summer of Fun Small Grants Fund From the £55,000 allocated to this fund, local community and voluntary organisations could apply for small grants of up to £5,000 to cover costs of activities, including venues, activities, food, transport and sessional staff. Smaller awards of up to £500 were also available for organisations with existing activities over the summer to provide healthy snacks or food. Applications were considered for single events or programmes of activities, designed for whole families or for children and young people of a range of ages.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 15 All projects agreed to the following principles Activities must be free, with no hidden or additional costs Healthy snacks should be provided, or lunch if full day activities Activities should be inclusive, welcoming, respectful and safe Compliant with requirements around safeguarding, child protection and food hygiene as appropriate Able or willing to provide connections to other services and supports In order to ensure that this funding was distributed as quickly as possible, it was recommended that authority was delegated to the Head of Policy and Partnerships to award grants in line with the guidance, and information on awards was provided to the Leadership Board in September 2023. In total 28 organisations applied for funding. Applications were assessed by a panel consisting of officers from Renfrewshire Council, including from Youth Services and Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership, with the panel meeting regularly between mid June and mid July. The panel members were able to evaluate the Summer of Fun applications based on knowledge of other available support across localities, including those from the Council’s Community Learning and Development team. Overall 17 projects were funded through Summer of Fun, to a total of £53,841.60. In addition Future Paisley funded 3 projects which were arts based. The fund was very oversubscribed, and it was not possible to approve all applications received. Unsuccessful applicants were signposted to other support or information about sources of funding via Engage Renfrewshire. A list of the funded host organisations delivering Summer of Fun activities can be found in Appendix 1. A wide range of activities for children and young people of all ages were provided through the funding, along with healthy snacks/ lunches and drinks. Activities that were offered included: Toddler play sessions Summer playschemes offering free childcare Free outdoor activities in local parks Day trips to local visitor attractions to allow families to make memories together Arts and crafts and creative activities, such as pottery painting, jewellery making, sewing and baking
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 16 Sports activities such as football, Zumba dancing, scuba diving, snorkelling and water confidence STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Maths) Drama workshops Arts activities proved to be popular, with sessions at Outspoken Arts and RIG Arts being well attended. Both organisations ran classes led by professional, local artists. Outspoken Arts ran daily arts and craft classes lasting two hours, providing opportunities to paint, draw, and make prints and collages. We provided a variety of art workshops for primary school aged children. Each workshop had a theme led by an artist skilled in that particular area. Workshops included: Photography and Collage, Tote Bag Printing with Stencils, Clay Modelling, Rock Painting, Creating Volcanos from Mache and Flowing Lava, Making Suncatchers, Painting with Watercolours, Kite Making, and Painting with Light. RIG Arts Ralston Out of School Care ran a series of drama workshops involving 22 children, which culminated in a show for the parents and carers of the children who attended. Paisley YMCA delivered an exciting programme of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Maths) activities over 5 weeks. Every Wednesday they also worked with
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 17 local Ukrainian families providing arts and crafts and music based activities as well as an opportunity to meet each other, chat and relax with some snacks and teas/coffees. Renfrew YMCA provided young children with a variety of indoor and outdoor opportunities over a 5 week period. Upcycling and jewellery making workshops were combined with visits from animal trainers, pottery painting and tree top climbing in Loch Lomond. Paisley North Church of Scotland ran a very successful six day holiday club in Ferguslie Park which they are hoping to repeat next year. Libraries ran a programme which included Lego sessions, Marble Run Fun, Storytelling, including Sensory Storytelling, Mini Zoos and arts and crafts activities. Case studies are provided at Appendix 2. Future Paisley Funded activities Future Paisley funded 3 activities: Brick Lane Music Academy’s Mini Music Makers Summer Fun Project delivered two weeks of music making activities for ages 3-6 years from 11am to 2 pm each Monday and Wednesday. Activities included musical games, introduction to piano and ukulele, singing and percussion instruments, craft activities and lunch. In total 24 adults and 24 children attended. Outspoken Arts’s Summer Art Camp provided two hourly creative arts workshops in Paisley town centre aimed at young people, families, and new Scots. Participants were able to draw, paint, print and create artworks to take away. The workshops were led by professional artists and 50 adults and 356 children attended. RIG Arts ran summer sessions for primary school aged children at Seedhill Community Art Space, facilitating three workshops per week over the summer holidays. Workshops were delivered by professional artists and supported positive mental health and wellbeing through creativity, culture, and community. 8 – 10 children attended each session. All three projects provided opportunities for children and young people to access the benefits of art, music and creativity without any financial barriers and were successful in attracting families within the child poverty priority groups.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 18 OneRen activities OneRen was allocated £9,910 to provide a programme of activities across all 12 Renfrewshire libraries, allowing coverage in areas where no Summer of Fun activity was proposed. Activities included: Giant games Lego Marble runs Campfire and sensory storytelling (16 sessions) Mini zoos (2 sessions) Petting zoo (2 sessions) The figures in the table below show that Summer of Fun funding contributed to increasing footfall to Renfrewshire libraries, but it should be noted that this was not the only factor. Overall physical attendances in the summer months of 2023 at all public libraries increased by 65% from the same period in 2022. The number of events increased by 74%, while physical attendances at events by adults and children increased by 162%. Funding for tea, coffee and juice and snacks for children was a very significant contributory factor in attracting people in, and in encouraging them to stay. July & August 2022 July & August 2023 Overall Physical Attendances at all Renfrewshire Public Libraries 34,461 56,824 Number of Physical Events at all Renfrewshire Public Libraries 448 779 Physical Attendances at all Events (Both Adult and Children) 4,501 11,794 Some events were ticketed to control numbers, for example the Animal Man visits, which were the most popular. Storytelling and mini-zoos were all over subscribed and, although Ferguslie Library delivered activities on a drop in basis, it attracted over 300 visitors in one afternoon. Many families signed up to library membership and the Summer Reading Challenge, and engaged in other activities while they waited to see the animals.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 19 The toys purchased with funding were also very popular, especially giant fishing, football and Lego and Duplo and continue to be used. Libraries now host several ongoing Lego clubs and Duplo sessions for the under fives. Snacks and drinks , such as popcorn and flavoured water were provided for the children at as many activities as possible. 5. Evaluating the Summer of Fun Small Grants Programme In late August a feedback form was sent out to every organisation that had delivered activities as part of the Summer of Fun programme to ask about their experience of delivering activities and to gain understanding of the difference that it had made for those who participated. Out of 20 funded projects, 16 feedback forms were returned. Feedback from organisations included photographs of activities, some of which are included in this report. Promoting Activities Renfrewshire Council’s Communications and Marketing team promoted the Summer of Fun programme widely through social media. In line with input from the Fairer Renfrewshire Panel, all free activites, whether Summer of Fun grant funded, through Community Learrning and Development, or through Libraries, were listed on one web page. This included the Skoobmobile programme. Organisations who received small grants funding were asked how people found out about the activities they were offering. Three quarters of those who responded stated that people had found out about their project mainly through social media, while just over half reported that word of mouth (53%) was a key factor in promoting their activity. Almost half of respondents related that people found out because they were already attending other activities that the organisation delivered, while a third cited referrals from other organisations. How did people find out about your Summer of Fun project? Method of information % Social media 75 Word of mouth 53
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 20 Attending other activities 47 Referral from another organisation 33 Posters 20 Partners 20 WhatsApp group used by the organisation 13 Organisation’s Facebook page 13 Database of contacts 13 Council website 7 Church notice 7 Note: All respondents provided more than one answer to this question RIG Arts promoted activities through their WhatsApp group which notifies parents about children’s activities and put a poster up on their community notice board. Organisations also promoted activities through other channels. Paisley North Church of Scotland already had a lot of contact with local families which resulted in their activity being fully booked before it has even started. The majority of organisations funded already receive referrals from statutory agencies in health and social work and it was encouraging to find that organisations were referring between themselves too. For example, Mossvale Community Church asked Serve 2020 and Migrant Help to share information about their activities with their service users. Around half of organisations that used referral pathways had received referrals from health visitors, social workers, nurseries, local primary schools, Engage Renfrewshire and other local groups such as mother and toddler, karate, out of school care, Finding Your Feet and Active Communities. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverlcyde invited families to attend their summer trip through their Family Support Co-ordinator who supports families that work with the organisations, while Renfrew YMCA received referrals from the local schools and health visitors. KLAS Care contacted all the children on their own register and also offered spaces to families that could not attend activities offered by Community Learning Support.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 21 How successful were the activity sessions? The variety of activities delivered as part of the Summer of Fun programme, ranging from music and art to science and football, resulted in a successful programme that provided opportunities for children to have fun, try new activities and make friends. Parents had the option to stay with children and meet other parents or, at Brick Lane Music Academy, they could take advantage of the creche facility to get some time to catch up on other tasks. Families who were unable to afford to pay for any extracurricular activities for their children through the summer benefited from the activities being free and inclusive of a healthy snack or lunch. The workshops were particularly enjoyable as the children were of mixed ages and abilities and all mixed well. The atmosphere of the Art Department was relaxed and fun and everyone appreciated the gentle coaching and encouragement. The activities were easy to engage with and parents joined in where it interested them or could enjoy our lounge area and have free snacks and drinks. Outspoken Arts All organisations provided inclusive activities which were enjoyed by children of all ages. Staff at KLAS Care were able to provide an environment where children with a neurodiverse sibling could be in the same place, allowing parents to have peace of mind and some respite. Their activities enabled children to learn new skills that they could transfer to school or home. Providing a range of different activities that were designed to suit all levels of ability led to a successful programme of creative activities at RIG Arts. The organisation used local artists with different skills to keep their workshops interesting and found that children worked well together. Although some children knew each other from school, others made new friendships. Through their STEAM activities, Paisley YMCA offered opportunities for young people to build, create and be hands on and this worked well, while Mossvale Community Church found that the physical activities they provided, such as Zumba and limbo were very popular. Children and their parents/carers also had opportunities to go on day trips to visit local attractions, visiting places they had never been to and experiencing the excitement of a day out, especially important for those without access to transport.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 22 The chosen destination, about an hour away by coach, offered an exciting summer adventure for many who were unable to afford to go away over the summer. Funding helped us cover the costs of transportation, entrance fees, packed lunch and attraction rides. The trip was carefully planned, and risk assessed to ensure it was accessible, safe and inclusive for families wanting to attend. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde The healthy food provision also helped to encourage children to attend and contributed to the success of the programme, supporting parents of nursery age children who were not entitled to financial support over the summer. Having healthy food available worked really well. Due to some allergies, and it being summer, we mainly provided fruit as snacks. It was great to see some of the children explore different fruits that they said they didn’t recognise or tried before, such as apricots. The children did ask for sweets and crisps but when we said we could only provide healthy snacks the children accepted that first time. RIG Arts Renfrewshire Rainbow Buddies found that parental engagement was high and bringing activities to communities rather than asking people to travel to activities was a great benefit to many parents and carers. Some organisations found that children and young people enjoyed activities that families could do together and that having a relaxing space helped to build up confidence and keep children engaged in activities. RIG Arts also found that, because a couple of the artists delivering activities were from the local area, children were able to connect with them easily. The programme was hugely successful for us. We were inundated and had a waiting list. All the families involved said that it helped their children’s confidence and boosted their interest in music. Many stated that they would love their child to attend regular classes if they were affordable. Some children who attended were from families who did not previously have access to music and could not afford music activities. Brick Lane Music Academy Sewing2gether All Nations at Mossvale Community Church Welcome Café provided activities, conversational English lessons and health food. All activities were open to the refugee community, encouraging family attendance and participation. At our final Welcome Café, when the children had returned to school, parents
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 23 led our staff and volunteers in a special cookery session making varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings) which was a lovely finale to our summer. Sewing2gether All Nations at Mossvale Community Church Food table at Sewing Together All Nations How many people attended? Organisations were asked about the number of people who attended their activities. We did not ask organisations to keep track of numbers while delivering activities, but some did, and others provided an estimate. The average number of people attending each session was 12 adults and 30 children (from 14 project responses). Not all projects had adults participating. For example, at RIG Arts adults were welcome to stay but all the adults chose to drop their children off and pick them up after the workshop. Sessions which attracted the most children were activities for toddlers, football camp, inflatables and programmes with varied activities each week that combined a day trip. Paisley North Community Council attracted 100 adults and 150 children to their Sports Packs in the Park Fun Day. Renfrewshire Rainbow Buddies took 128 people on a trip to the zoo and Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde provided a family trip to Almond Valley Visitor Centre which attracted 74 adults and 83 children. Not all projects ran for a full six
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 24 weeks but an estimated figure from 16 project responses suggests that around 739 adults and 1,921 children benefited from Summer of Fun activities. The aim of the Summer of Fun programme was to provide a range of activities that would be accessible to low-income families across Renfrewshire, in particular supporting families in the six child poverty priority groups, who are at higher risk of living on a low-income as well as Care Experienced young people. All 16 projects that provided feedback responded that they had managed to reach these families through their activities. A majority (94%) of projects were able to reach families in four or more of the priority groups. Just under a third of projects (31%) managed to reach six of the seven priority groups while a quarter of projects were able to reach families in all of the child poverty priority groups and those with care experience. Projects were most successful at reaching the following families: families with three or more children (94%) families with a child aged under one year old (88%) lone parents (88%) families where parents are under the age of 25 (81%) Just over two thirds of organisations managed to reach black and minority ethnic families, families where someone in the house has a disability and care experienced children and young people (69% each). When asked how they were able to reach these families whilst some organisations received referrals, most of the organisations responded that they are based in areas with a high level of low-income families and are already working with many of these families. The summer programme offered an opportunity to provide additional support to families over the summer break. 75% of the parents we support in Renfrewshire identify as having mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or perinatal mental health. We know that those we work with have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic... The increase in cost of living also affects the families we support unduly. Moving forward we anticipate an ongoing legacy of heightened anxiety over finances, increased loneliness, and poor self-esteem. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde KLAS Care asked parents and carers a series of questions to ensure that the free activities would benefit those families who needed them most. Questions related to supporting with household finances, improving the child’s health and wellbeing by having access to
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 25 outdoor play, improving family health and wellbeing and supporting parents/carers to ncrease hours of employment or take up employment. Paisley North Community Council limited their event to residents from the Paisley North area to ensure that they could supply every child in the area with a sports pack, while Thorn Athletic Community Trust advertised directly to low-income families first using their existing network before opening up their football camp to the wider community. 31 of the 40 children who attended Paisley North Church of Scotland’s Ferguslie Park Holiday Club came from Ferguslie Park via direct contact with the holiday club. Registration forms were dropped off at homes by the team who made personal contact with each family. Outspoken Arts took block bookings from local family care groups who were familiar with the organisation. Who attended your Summer of Fun project? Number of projects % Families with 3 or more children 15 94 Families with a child aged under one year old 14 88 Lone Parents 14 88 Families where parents are under the age of 25 13 81 Families where someone in the house has a disability 11 69 Black and minority ethnic families 11 69 Care experienced children and young people 11 69 What difference did the Summer of Fun programme make? Feedback from organisations about the impact of the programme was overwhelmingly positive. All the organisations agreed that there were several benefits for families who attended activities. They highlighted the opportunity for low-income families to access fun activities and to engage with projects and organisations they had not been aware of previously.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 26 Most respondents (94%) reported that activities had also helped to reduce financial costs for families. Other perceived benefits were helping people to learn about a new service in their local area (81% of respondents) and providing access to information and advice (69% each). Benefit to people attending activities Number of responses % Providing fun activities that low-income families could access 16 100 Encouraging new people to engage with the project / organisation 16 100 Reducing financial costs for families 15 94 Helping people to learn about a new service in their local area 13 81 Providing access to information / advice 11 69 For many of our families this a chance to enjoy a fun, safe and supported trip that they would not undertake themselves due to lack of confidence and financial restraints. Volunteers and Family Coordinators are known to the families and have an established relationship, giving the families confidence to be part of the adventure which might otherwise be a source of anxiety. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde For families with limited options for places to go, the programme enabled them to enjoy activities with their children, and some parents noticed an increase in confidence in their child, particularly those who attended music and drama activities. In addition to free activities, children also had access to healthy lunches and snacks, while parents could benefit from signposting to other sources of support, such as local food pantries and advice on financial support. Some participants enjoyed the programme so much that they have joined groups on a longer-term basis. The parents gave us lots of positive feedback that the children enjoyed the activities and that the parents appreciated healthy snacks being provided. The parents also said that it was
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 27 great to see these activities in the local area as the town centre, although very close geographically, can be difficult to access for some parents. RIG Arts Scuba Diving with Just Dive in Some organisations, such as KLAS Care, already had an established activity programme which many of their client base were happy to pay for. Summer of Fun funding enabled them to offer activities to families who would find cost a barrier to participation, benefiting both parent and child, as demonstrated in the following feeback from a parent who attended Renfrew YMCA activities. B has really enjoyed his time at YMCA over the summer. We are new to the area and with this B has faced big changes - new house and school. B has ADHD…and it has allowed B to participate and experience lots of things I would otherwise have struggled to afford to do. And that I would have struggled to manage to do it on my own. We are very grateful for your service and staff. Renfrew YMCA What worked well? Organisations commented on the ease of application and feedback process as well as the flexibility regarding activities proposed. The programme elicited a positive response from attendees and in some areas activities were over subscribed by twice the amount of people, demonstrating an appetite for free activities over the summer period. Prompt responses
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 28 from council staff were appreciated particularly given that funding was awarded very close to the start of the summer holidays and organisations needed to get activities up and running quickly. I found the correspondence, the application process and the support and follow up process easy and helpful which meant we could focus on bringing the event into reality. We honestly wouldn’t have been able to host our event, offer the activities during it without the support of the “Summer of Fun” programme. Paisley North Church of Scotland This worked well as the funding goes to local people who know what the needs within local areas are and people know our group and know events are free to everyone so there’s no stigma or embarrassment when taking part. Stronger Communities Glenburn When asked for suggestions to improve the Summer of Fun programme, organisations reported that additional funding would enable them to increase capacity, increase the number of days of provision and the range of activities. The limited amount of funding meant that, in some cases, organisations received partial funding for trips and had to allocate funds from elsewhere within their organisation to cover the shortfall. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde emphasised the importance of maintaining connections over the summer holidays with the families they support to ensure continuity of support. Further funding would allow us to fund further activities over the summer such as our Summer Park Days which get our families out and about to parks and amenities in the local area. We know that during summer holiday periods isolation is increased for the families we support as they are limited for social experiences due to nurseries and schools being closed. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Although organisations were positive about communication with council officers and the speed of payments, the timescales between being awarded funding and delivering the programme of activities was challenging. Several organisations suggested that providing information about the Summer of Fun programme and awarding funding earlier would have given them more time to plan and advertise activities and to liaise with partner organisations, including schools, nurseries and health visitors to reach families that would benefit most.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 29 I would have liked the funding earlier so we could have liaised with school for any families that needed the support from the practitioners. Just for the funding to be available earlier, even an indication on what has been agreed as an organisation with a very unrestricted budget we could not approach parents and partner organisations until the money was secured. KLAS Care Another challenge highlighted by Thorn Athletic Community Trust was taking into consideration different food allergies and dietary requirements when providing over 500 snack lunches. Some organisations found that childminders were accessing a lot of the free activities and summer camps, taking up spaces that could go to families that would benefit more. An issue for future consideration would be whether it would be possible or practical to limit the number of spaces that childminders can access. Mossvale Community Church suggested considering smaller programmes for other holiday periods and contributing to the local circular economy by getting best prices from local food providers / discounts from supermarkets and creating a food network. RIG Arts would like to organise ‘relaxed workshops’ where the maximum number would be 5 children. These would be aimed at children who may be overwhelmed by the noise and buzz of a regular workshop and who prefer a more relaxed environment. In addition to the feedback from organisations, no organisation applied for a smaller grant for food only, so consideration should be given to whether this offer is made in future programmes. 6. Conclusions Overall The Summer of Fun programme aimed to deliver activities over the summer holidays which could reach communities that might be underserved by mainstream activities, particularly low-income families. Feedback suggests that the programme was able to reach these families, particularly those families who are in the child poverty priority groups. Feedback also suggest that the programme benefited children and families by providing opportunities to make memories together, by increasing confidence and access to a wide range of activities.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 30 There is evidence that the programme provided free fun activities that low-income families could access, encouraged young people to try new activities, encouraged engagement with services, both public and third sector and helped to reduce costs for families over the long summer holiday. Parents who participated in Community Learning and Development led activities identified many benefits for themselves and their children. Parents enjoyed being able to spend time playing together with their children without the pressure of having to come up with ideas to keep them entertained or having to consider any financial constraints. Their children benefited from having opportunities to mix with other children and to enjoy activities that they may not have been able to do at home. Sharing lunch was also viewed as a benefit because it encouraged some children to try new foods. Many parents were encouraged to continue some activities because of participating, including visits to the park, reading, arts and crafts, and family fun days. Whilst the programme was successful, it is important to take into account the feedback above if a similar programme is to be delivered in future. Organisations should have adequate notice of funding opportunities to enable them to develop a detailed programme of activity and to work with partners to promote this to families who will benefit most from the programme. It will also be important to consider the role of summer activities in maintaining continuity of support to families that are regularly working with local organisations during term time and in encouraging families to join groups that they may not have been previously aware of. Additional funding would increase the capacity of organisations to deliver a wider range of activities for longer, including activities aimed at children with sensory challenges. Further targeting of resources could also provide opportunities for children from low-income families to access art or music classes on a regular basis. There is considerable organisation that goes into an event of this nature, not only the operation planning but also the support given to families to help them reach the level of confidence and trust to attend. It is a great opportunity for families, volunteers and staff to be out and about socialising with the wider circle of Home-Start. Seeing the families all together with the children having so much fun plus the feedback from families makes it very rewarding for all involved. Without the Summer of Fun funding the event would not have been possible. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 31
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 32 7. Appendix 1 – Organisations which provided Summer of Fun activities Brick Lane Music Academy Friends of Knockhill Park Home-Start Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Johnstone Castle Learning Centre Johnstone Out of School Service Just Dive in CIC KLAS Care CIC Mossvale Community Church Outspoken Arts Ltd Paisley North Church of Scotland Paisley North Community Council Paisley YMCA Ralston Out of School Care Renfrewshire Effort to Empower Minorities (REEM) Renfrew YMCA Renfrewshire Rainbow Buddies RIG Arts Stronger Communities Glenburn and Glenburn Resource Centre Thorn Athletic Community Trust Twist and Hit Cheerleaders
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 33 8. Appendix 2 – Case Studies RALSTON PRIMARY OUT OF SCHOOL CARE SUMMER DRAMA GROUP Ralston OSC provided drama workshops that were open to all children. Some of the children who participated are registered with the summer play scheme but not the OSC and others have never been part of the service. They engaged Stacey from Upbeat Theatre Company to run the programme and allocated one of their staff to support it. Upbeats Theatre Company are extremely professional and provided costumes, extra staff, facepainting, scenery, lighting, pictures and video. Stacey was very popular with the children who enjoyed working with her. There were 6 rehearsals before the show on the last day of the summer holidays. 22 children participated in the show and over 50 parents, friends and family attended. As part of the funding Ralston also provided children with healthy snacks. Feedback from parents and children was very positive, with parents praising the professionalism and quality of the produced show and children saying they enjoyed saying their lines, singing, dressing up and getting their faces painted. Feedback from children: I liked acting and getting face paint and costumes I liked the makeup and practicing the songs Feedback from parents: The show was absolutely fantastic! With such a short space of time to rehearse and prepare the children did an amazing job- Thank you to all the leaders and teachers who helped them learn the songs, lines and dances. On a personal note, it was excellent to see my daughter coming out of her shell and overcoming her anxieties to perform today. She was very nervous but your encouragement and support gave her the courage and confidence. Keep up the good work! Such a brilliant thing to do. Great for the kids confidence and so much fun to watch. Please do it again. 9.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 34 PAISLEY NORTH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND FERGUSLIE PARK HOLIDAY CLUB Paisley North Church of Scotland ran a six-day holiday club with parachute games, messy challenges, and Baker Ross craft activities. Their theme for the week was “Seaside Rock”. During the week they provided 20 hours of activities aimed at primary aged children in P1 to P6, bringing children together to explore faith and life learning. Parents and carers were invited to join in activities and share a meal on one of the days and staff from the local Employability service, Invest in Renfrewshire also visited. Younger children spent time at the Community Circus, learning how to spin plates, walk and balance on a low tight rope, spin hoops and ride a unicycle. Older children from P4-6 went on a trip to the SU Gowanbank Outdoor centre in Darvel. They enjoyed tree climbing led by trained staff as well as an outdoor barbeque and exploring some teamwork through guided crate climbing. An event on the Sunday attracted 21 people (children/parents/carers) who attended the end of week catch up exploring some of the week’s programme and seeing the finale of the drama, enjoying games, crafts, and some refreshments together with the team.
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 35 Chief Executive’s Service Renfrewshire Council Renfrewshire House Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1BR