Annual report
Home Education Wales 6[th] April 2022 to 5[th] April 2023
Registered Charity 1154036
HEW is a charity that provides free or low cost, accessible opportunities to home educating families across South Wales.
We have over 75 families who access our weekly or monthly program and around 100 families who access our spirit of home Ed events,
Due to increasing numbers, in September 2022 we left our small YMCA venue and launched in a new venue to over 100 ppl- at the Grange Pavilion in Cardiff.
We initially capped numbers to 90 people a week over Autumn as we needed extra funding, help and space. In January 2023 we got the space and help to remove the cap along with introducing a small nominal weekly subscription for attending families to try and meet the extra costs.
We received funding towards rent, printing, circus, tutors, books, sewing, tablets, crafts and gardening, from the National lottery, magic little grants.
Over the course of the year Home Education Wales also merged with two small home ed groups from the vale and Caerphilly, growing our expertise, volunteer space and membership also sharing resources and facilitating the smaller groups.
The sessions we have set up to help families this year include-
Geek Retreat Cardiff sessions:-
Set up pathfinder kids taught sessions at geek in 6 weekly blocks for age 8- 12.
Set up DND (dungeons and dragons) teens sessions fortnightly.
These sessions are funded by parents.
At the Grange pavilion we have run:-
An arts award block giving over 25 children a certificate,
Set up a circus block for 8 weeks giving new skills and well-being support to 50 children a week.
We set up single workshops in YouTube, living history pirates, drama, dinosaurs, music band, dog trust, crystals, spark lab, sport and dance fit, crystals, mandala art, the mabinogion. These had at least 50 children a week accessing.
Set up ENWC nature curriculum sessions weekly for 8 months with 20-30 children a week.
Set up under 8 welsh music sessions for around 15 children.
Set up a block of ukelele sessions for 10 children.
Set up a block of taekwondo Sessions for 50 children.
Set up a teen space that has been much needed and is growing steadily from 5-20 teens weekly.
Co worked on Harmony corner- a funded permanent play space at the grange providing a natural play and children gardening area.
Facilitated space for a monthly story club for 10 children.
Set up events for Diwali, Halloween, day of dead, xmas, Candlemas, ostara, Easter, Chinese New Year, EID, Mayday for up to 200 people.
The weekly space at the Grange also provides crafts, play space, toys, books, games, soup, tea, coffee and squash for on average 30 families.
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- Trips
Set up trips to cadw, pumpkin picking, pizza express, Xmas tree decorating, panto, Rhondda heritage, kidzania and shrek London, multiple theatre trips , See monster exhibition, techniquest, chapter arts, ponty lido, cosmeston medieval village, skills academy teen tour, Alton towers.
We access school or education rates for trips. Some were free and some paid.
Set up regular trips to bowling, quasar, ninja warrior, climbing in Cardiff at education rates.
In the Vale -
Set up a new lodge venue in the Vale for a monthly meet up with arts, crafts, food and play for around 25 families.
Set up a new weekly garden project in the Vale for 15 families.
Set up a new teen space in the Vale for around 10-20 teens.
Ran a sports day for around 30 families.
Spirit of home education (shew )
is a project set up to help normalise home education.
We set up ‘shew’ events for summer and autumn fayre and a 5 days bluestone family break and a week long spring camp and and parade. Families had a small nominal fee for the fayre and we sourced low pricing for bluestone and the camp. We are in the Planning phase of workshops
and info pop ups. The events attract around 400 people and the holidays around 50-80 families.
Caerphilly-
Set up Funtastic play and nature club in Caerphilly fortnightly for 10-25 families.
Set up coding for 3 months weekly for 25 children.
. Sports day for 25 families
Cardiff-
Story museum in Cardiff -monthly museum sessions for 6 Months for 20 children.
The year has seen rising costs especially with rent, crafts and sessions. We rely on funding to help bridge these costs as the economy is affecting families ability to access education opportunities. Many of our families are
low income with neurodiverse children. We are accessible to all. Over the autumn and winter we co provided food with a local initiative to make sure families had a warm meal to take home.
We have also volunteered at the Grange with local children and families helping them to reach those who could benefit.
We look forward to next year.
Finances
6[th] April 2022 to 5th April 2023
Opening Balance 512.26 Income Grants £10250 Donations £7501.40 Expenditure £15031.96 Closing Balance £3,231.70
Breakdown
Magic little grants 5[th] August 2022 £500 Awards for all grant 26[TH] August 2022 £8500 Vale Council Garden 25[th] October £200
22[nd] November 2022 £200
UNBOXED 15[TH] November £850 See Monster FESTIVAL
Committee Members
- current Chair Person and Ianna Melody Violet a home educator of 14+ years with many years experience running groups and managing grants.
– trustee who has been a Donna Heyler Rapley home educator for 14+ years runs the Vale group and community garden and has experience managing grants.
Aimee Conway – trustee who has many years experience as a youth worker and now runs the Caerphilly group and educates her 3 youngest children.
Jayne Palmer – trustee and founder of the charity as well as being an active home educator for 14+ years during which time she has gained many years experience running groups and managing grants and is currently acting treasurer.