At the end of March, nearly 500 people across Paulsgrove enjoyed a fully-funded Easter Family Fun Day, hosted at The Victory Primary School.
The event was organised by the Paulsgrove Community Cluster – part of United Communities and made up of Beacon View Primary Academy, The Victory Primary School and Castle View Academy – and was kindly funded by the Holiday Activities and Food programme.
As part of the day, families joined together to enjoy a wide range of exciting and free-of-charge activities including ‘Pin the tail on the donkey’, egg decorating, face painting and a scavenger hunt. Children were also able to take part in an inflatable assault course, enjoy bouncy castles, participate in boot camp trials and engage in fire pit and tool use sessions at the Forest School.
The event was generously supported by a host of local organisations who ran a number of activities, stalls and services. This included Seekers Create and BH Live who showcased traditional games, for example ‘Stuck in the mud’, to help Paulsgrove prepare for the inaugural Pompey Games. Several organisations with a focus on promoting health and wellbeing were also in attendance, including representatives from The YOU Trust charity, the NHS and local group Paulsgrove ARK (Acts of Random Kindness).
Throughout the day, the Rapid Relief Team were also on hand to provide delicious food to attendees, serving over 450 meals. At the end of the event, all children received a chocolate Easter egg to enjoy.
One attendee said:
“It was a lovely day and the children really enjoyed themselves!”
Another attendee added:
“This is a brilliant idea for the community.”
Clair Martin, Founder, Director at Seekers Create, said:
“The Easter Family Fun Day in Paulsgrove was full of energy from start to finish. Families, children and local organisations all took part and really made the day their own.
“You could feel it across the whole space. Children leading the play, families staying longer, people laughing, connecting, and getting involved in everything on offer. The event had a real sense of pride and togetherness.
“A huge thank you to United Communities and the Paulsgrove community for making such a brilliant day happen.”
Vikki Gidney, Community Development Lead at the Paulsgrove Community Cluster, said:
“It was brilliant to work with the Paulsgrove community to develop the Easter Family Fun Day — a great example of asset-based community development in action. Local community groups came together to support a day filled with laughter, fun activities and great food. Events like this are all about creating lasting memories and strengthening the spirit of togetherness that makes our community so special. Thank you to everyone involved!”
Sally Hodgson, Senior Development Lead at United Communities and Chair of Governors at The Victory Primary School, said:
“What an amazing event! It was an absolute privilege to be able to support the day and hear from so many local residents, both young and old, about how much they enjoyed themselves. It was particularly fantastic to see the local community join together and enjoy the sun.”