Freshly Minted

Countdown to ChristmasCONTENTS

DaTES fOr yOur Diary Pg.1

NurSEry Pg.2 & 3

SHariNG iS CariNG PrOJECT Pg.3

faMiLy SuPPOrT Pg.4

TraiNiNG aND EMPLOyMENT Pg. 4

faCES Of COiN STrEET Pg. 5

EVENTS Pg. 5 & 6

Issue 16 | Nov 2016 Coin Street family and children’s centre newsletter

For a full programme of activities visit www.coinstreet.org, pick up a leaflet from the Coin Street neighbourhood centre or speak to a member of the Coin Street team.

The festive season is nearly upon us. At Coin Street,

celebrations officially start on 1 December, with a special late night Christmas shopping event at Oxo Tower Wharf (see the EVENTS section on page 5 for more information).

On Saturday 3 December, enjoy a magical day of free family fun at Gabriel’s Wharf’s Magical Christmas event, while also supporting Small Business Saturday. Expect craft sessions where children are able to make their own Christmas decorations, plus festive treats, live music and

a fun interactive quiz with the chance to win a £50 cash prize to spend at Gabriel’s Wharf.

Make a day of it browsing the eclectic mix of designer-maker shops for unique Christmas gift inspiration. You can warm up between activities at one of the cafes, restaurants and bars.

On 6 December we are hosting a willow Christmas decoration making session and a family Support Christmas party on 17 December. Join us to get in the festive spirit as we count down to Christmas.

DaTES fOr yOur Diary

26 November Mini Lego Workshop (registration required)

1 December Late Night Shopping at Oxo Tower Wharf

3 December Magical Christmas at Gabriel’s Wharf

6 December Willow Christmas

15 December Staff iNSET Day

17 December family Support Christmas Party

24 December - 2 January Nursery closed

Our Christmas tree is ready for the occasion at Gabriel’s Wharf.

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NurSEry

On Friday 28 October Explorers took part in their second immersive storytelling session. During these sessions the children are told a story that is brought to life through the use of props that the children can see, touch and hold. They then have access to a number of different resources and activities that allow them to continue to explore different aspects of the tale.

This time the book in question was We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael rosen.

The adventure began with the children and practitioners gathering in the sleep room to be taken on a ‘Bear Hunt’ by our Childcare Worker, Connie. As Connie read, the children stroked and cuddled teddy bears and explored sensory bags filled with soil, leaves or ice. The book is a firm nursery favourite and the older children didn’t hesitate to join in shouting “stumble-trip!”, “it’s a bear!” and “shut the door!”

Finally, the children headed to the crèche room to discover a number of ‘Bear Hunt’ themed activities made up of trays filled with soil, leaves, water, wood and toy bears. Explorers Eva and Jasper made Small World figurines walk in the mud, accompanied by a full range of squelching sound effects. The children seized the opportunity to splash around in the mud which had formed in the water trays.

Meanwhile, the intrepid Explorers found that a tunnel opened out into a ‘cave’ containing a ‘bear’. Sam, Tiffany, arlo and Bo transformed themselves into growling bears with the help of masks, which received a mixed reaction from the other children.

After a second successful immersive story telling session the Explorers team all agree that these sessions should become a more regular feature. If you have any ideas for stories, access to suitable props or are a budding story-teller keen to lead a session then please let the nursery know at nursery@coinstreet.org.

Explorers go on an immersive storytelling adventure

investigators have been reading Three Little Pigs and doing some story-based activities. Our Childcare Workers, Naomi and Sarita, acted out the story with puppets and the children put on an excellent show of huffing and puffing to match the wolf’s.

Investigators made the story come to life with Small World toy animals as well as a cardboard brick house and a building made out of foam bricks.

investigators read Three Little Pigs

Pictured above: Investigators fully absorbed by the storytelling

Pictured above and right: Explorers immersed in the ‘Bear Hunt’ adventure.

On 27 October, Discoverers travelled to Borough Market by bus in search of some pumpkins for Halloween. Once there, they visited different stalls around the market, noticing the different, shapes, sizes and colours of pumpkins.

Discoverers looked around at the other vegetables on sale, with the purple cauliflower proving to be the most popular item. They were adamant about buying the quail eggs - or “dinosaur eggs” in their eyes.

The children exchanged money with the stall holders and spent some time looking for numbers around the market. They were also happy to taste some of the food in the market, such as a variety of breads and cheese. They ended up buying some to bring back to the nursery and enjoy with their tea.

Finally, the children designed and helped to carve the pumpkins and ‘Cheffy’ Jo used the pumpkin ‘guts’ to make a delicious pumpkin soup.

Discoverers’ trip to Borough Market

SHariNG iS CariNG PrOJECT

After last year’s succes, Coin Street’s Community Vision and Values Group has launched the Sharing is Caring project for another year.

The aim with this initiative is to help support local people and to spread the Coin Street values of being Creative, Committed and Collaborative throughout our local community.

The group identified the key challenges faced by local people, including rising levels of child poverty, less access to emergency funding and a need for food and cleaning products.

The project is intended as an opportunity for people to donate items to provide some support over the festive season.

The shopping trolley will be making its way around the Coin Street neighbourhood centre on Fridays collecting different items. Remaining collections are scheduled for:

• 2 December, cleaning products and food items

• 9 December, food items

Thank you to nursery parents who have generously donated to the project.

For more information email communityvisionandvalues@coinstreet.org.

This brilliant initiative is back for another year

A huge thank you to everyone who voted for Coin Street’s family and children’s centre’s Garden

Project to be awarded the highest amount of funding from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative.

The results will be revealed in time for the next edition of Freshly Minted.

Thank you for voting for the f&CC’s Garden Project

Pictured above The Sharing is Caring trolley overflowing with goods

Pictured below: At Borough Market

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faMiLy SuPPOrT

On 25 October, during the autumn Half Term holidays, Coin Street’s family Support team organised a trip up the London

Eye. The trip was attended by several parents and children who live locally, and who visit Coin Street for the Family Support

sessions, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

a trip to the London Eye

Women at the Centre is an individualised employability programme organised by Asian Women’s Centre, Hopscotch, and delivered in partnership with refugee Women’s association.

The programme, which is expected to take two years, will take the participants through a structured journey of individualised, culturally sensitive and multi-lingual support.

• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Women, specifically Pakistani,

Bangladeshi, Arab, Black African, Chinese, other Asian (excluding Indian) and Gypsy or Irish Travellers.

• Women who are unemployed (out of work, available for work and actively seeking work; usually are registered as unemployed and may be in receipt of unemployment benefits, e.g. JSA)

• Or economically inactive (not in work and are either not seeking work or are not available to work)

• Resident of one of the central

area of London boroughs: Camden, Islington, City of London, Southwark, Lewisham, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster

• Legally resident in the UK and able to take paid employment.

For further information about the project and to find out how you can get involved, please contact Hopscotch BBO Women at the Centre team on 020 7388 8198.

TraiNiNG aND EMPLOyMENT

Women at the Centre

Pictured above: Group picture of everyone attending the London Eye trip

faCES Of COiN STrEET

Elizabeth had walked past the Coin Street neighbourhood centre lots of times but it was not until staff at her doctor’s surgery recommended the courses offered here that she decided to visit us. Since then she has attended many of our sessions and her children, Isaac and Naomi, attended the Coin Street nursery. She tells us:

“Now I am there [at Coin Street] all the time. I consider myself a champion and advocate of Coin Street. In fact, any time I see someone with a push chair and small children I ask them if they have heard of it and give them the brochure!

“I started coming to Milk Spot, the breastfeeding support group, and even when I didn’t really need any support myself I came to speak to other new parents, partly to chat but also to encourage them to keep going with the breast feeding. I

think this can be more effective coming from a parent than a health professional.

“I have done lots of courses; Play Patterns; Best Start for Toddlers, Strengthening Family and Community; Cook and Eat. The courses are great and I do not hesitate to book onto a course because the centre offers crèche facilities for parents with children.

“I think the two areas that Coin Street has a huge impact are the

following: providing a place

of support and guidance for parents and exposing children at an early age to lots of different things and giving them the confidence to do them.

“Coin Street offers a great space for parents of different backgrounds to socialise or just hang out and chat.”

Visit www.coinstreet.org/ community to find out more about the Family Support activities offered by Coin Street.

EVENTS

introducing Elizabeth frimpong-aboagye, former nursery parent and local resident

Pictured above: Elizabeth’s children, Naomi and Isaac

Get in the festive spirit on 1 December with a special late night shopping event at Oxo Tower Wharf, featuring live music from strolling band, The Busketeers, free festive treats and craft activites in some of the shops based at Oxo. This is the perfect opportunity to get your Christmas shopping done in a relaxed setting.

Late Night Shopping at Oxo Tower Wharf, Thursday 1 December, frEE, 5- 8pm

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Coin Street family and children’s centre was judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted during its last inspection.

Coin Street neighbourhood centre, 108 Stamford Street, South Bank, London SE1 9NH 020 7021 1600 helpdesk@coinstreet.org www.coinstreet.org facebook.com/CoinStreet @CoinStreet

Join us on Saturday 3 December at Gabriel’s Wharf for a daytime Christmas celebration with festive treats, Christmas carols, an interactive quiz with a chance to win a £50 cash prize to spend at Gabriel’s Wharf and craft activities for all the family.

Take the stress out of shopping and browse the independent design, craft and art shops at this creative enclave.

Visit www.coinstreet.org for more information. No need to book, just turn up.

Gabriel’s Wharf Magical Christmas, 3 December, frEE, 11am - 6pm

HaVE yOur Say

If you have any advice or suggestions you would like to share with other parents and carers, please send them to Jenny Deeks, j.deeks@coinstreet.org and we’ll try to include them in the next issue of freshly Minted.

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On Tuesday 6 December, get involved in our FREE Christmas-themed Gorgeous Gardens session to make a festive wreath for the door or centrepiece for your table with willow or other materials.

The session takes place at the Coin Street neighbourhood centre. Please book in advance calling 020 7021 1600 oremailing Natalie at n.mady@coinstreet.org

Gorgeous Gardens - Willow Christmas Decorations, 6 December, frEE, 5.30-7.30pm

With special thanks to Tiffany Baird, Joe Groves, Judith Osborn, Deborah Kukathas, Rebecca Kellehler, Hayley McGrane, Harjinder Nijjar and the Community Vision & Values Group for their contribution to this issue of Freshly Minted.