Fun and games at Street Feast celebrations
COUNTY COUNCIL AND SPORTS PARTNERSHIP PROVIDING PLAY PACKS TO ORGANISERS
WICKLOW County Council and the Wicklow Local Sports Partnership are again lending their support to the Street Feast movement as part of National Play Day.
Last year, the council and the sports partnership came together and got behind Street Feast, as they aimed to promote play and encourage communities to organise energetic and fun play activities in neighbourhoods across the county.
Ten groups took part in 2017, with over 250 children getting active in their community. These groups were encouraged to keep their play equipment, so they could continue to host active play sessions on a regular basis.
Street Feast is back again this year and any group hosting an event is invited to collect a bag of play equipment worth €50 to encourage fun and active play within their community.
‘No time is spent better than helping your community to become a better place. Your community was born to play,’ Denise O’Shea, the Sports Development Officer from Wicklow Local Sports Partnership. ‘Having the freedom to step outside your own front door and kick a ball around, skip or play a game of tag is nothing new. But most kids now have far less freedom to play outside than their parents or grandparents did. And although the world may have changed for today’s kids, their need for play has not.’
Ms O’Shea pointed out that the act of play allows children to use their creativity while developing imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. As more and more studies shed light on this fundamental element to healthy childhood development, she hopes we will all find ways to make our communities more child- and play-friendly.
Street Feast is a day of local lunches across Ireland hosted by local communities and neighbours. Events can be anywhere - out on the street, in a local park or in a front garden. The play element for children is incorporated into Street Feast.
To get involved contact wicklowlsp@wicklowcoco.ie. AS part of Entitlements Awareness Week, the Citizens Information Bus has been bringing a mobile information and advice service into the heart of local communities around County Wicklow.
The bus allows Citizens Information to reach out to people who may not normally have easy access to information services. Anybody can board the bus to get free and confidential information and advice on their rights and entitlements from skilled information providers from Bray Citizens Information Centre and staff from Bray Area Partnership’s Local Employment Service.
‘Because of ongoing changes to services and schemes it’s vital that people can get information on their rights and entitlements,’ said Martina Cronin from County Wicklow Citizens Information Service. ‘People’s needs have become more complex in areas such as personal finance, debt, employment rights, unemployment and access to services, so we hope as many people as possible will take advantage of this opportunity.’
The bus hit the road last Friday and has already stopped at Lidl in Bray and Greystones, Tesco in Greystones, and Doyle’s pub in Kilcoole.
Today (Wednesday, May 16), it will be at the playground in Rathnew from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. while tomorrow (Thursday, May 17) it will be at the civic centre in Bray from 9.30 a.m. to noon.