Children’s Festival

Thousands gather for 11th annual Children’s Festival

Almost 2,500 people gathered in the centre of town recently for the 11th annual Frome Children’s Festival.

The day-long ‘celebration of childhood’ organised by family charity Purple Elephant, hosted over 30 activities with entrance tickets being free to all.

Activities this year included scrap crafting, wood whittling, den-building, BMX skills, professional recording studio music-making, storytelling, a sensory room, giant loom-weaving, theatre shows, a graffiti wall, balloon modelling and a fairy trail.

Purple Elephant’s service manager, Sue Willis, said, “This year’s festival-goers, young and old, declared the whole day a success, with many keen to express how much they loved the animal petting, complete with baby goats and miniature horses, as well as, according to one audience member, being ‘transfixed’ by the two dance companies who visited the festival this year for the first time.

“To provide so much, over such a large site, not to mention the work that goes into planning, setting up and clearing away, would be literally impossible without the most incredible time, energy, goodwill, creative talent, skills and money gifted by so many.

“The day is made possible by funders and supporters, including Dennis Maps, Fair Frome, Frome Town Council, the National Lottery, the combined Frome Rotary Clubs and Inner Wheel, the Cheese and Grain, Mogers Drewett Solicitors and Heidelberg Materials.

“We would also be unable to run without the extraordinary Frome people who turned out to volunteer all day long, starting at an hour when most other people are fast asleep.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of organisations like ours. I would also like to make particular mention to our ‘young trainees’ who always pull out all the stops on the day. Their biscuit-decorating stall this year was an absolute triumph – there really should be an award for energy, laughter and just being fabulous.”

The charity team will now spend the summer providing a series of family holiday activities, as they do during each school break, continuing throughout the summer with its twice-weekly Stay-and-Play toddler groups and lending service, plus beginning preparations to re-open other services, such as the Youth Club at the Key Centre, restarting its new term in September.

Purple Elephant, which works to provide support for local families facing disadvantage, offers vital services all year round for those with children of all ages from babies to teenagers.

The core work of the charity includes early-intervention, early-years parenting support, an adult-to-child befriending service, pre-school play sessions, an inclusive and neuro divergent-friendly youth club, a toy-lending service and holiday activities for referred families. The team look on the Frome Children’s Festival as being the flag-ship event, welcoming everyone.

The Children’s Festival works each year to make activities as accessible as possible, with such offerings as wheelchair and seated sports, onsite professional support-workers, fast-passes for those with additional needs and, of course, free entry, free participation and access to free food.

If you are a local resident looking for volunteer opportunities, or a business keen to provide corporate sponsorship, Purple Elephant Family Support would love to hear from you. For information and contact details, see their website www.purpleelephant.org.uk

Pictures by Steve Creffield