## Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee Annual Report 2021 – 2022 Registered Charity No: 1172048 


## **Why Dovecote Children & Families Project is Important** 

There are very few initiatives engaging with families in Greater Leys. The Dovecote centre is based in the centre of the estate is the only provider of out of school play facilities for young children and children with disabilities aged 4 to 14 years old, 



along with being the only provider of these schemes for children aged 4 to 8 across the Leys estate with an estimated population of 1153 within this age range. 

As a community owned and run project, we have been fortunate to have the ability to flex in order to meet the needs of the Leys community. We provide holistic services that meet the multiple-needs of local residents, build trusting relationships, provide low-cost services and attract people that are highly committed to making their community a better place to live. 

- Good quality play experiences, supporting children and young people to achieve good physical and mental health. 

- Inclusive, safe play opportunities where children and young people develop self-confidence and life skills preparing them for a creative and positive adulthood. 

- Families, young children and children with disabilities are supported to overcome social exclusions and isolation 

- Training and assistance for volunteers to support current provision, and initiate and develop new projects 

- User involvement in design, delivery and management of services to meet locally identified need rather than externally perceived needs. 

- Skilling up and local capacity building, sign posting local families to access training, support and resources to learn new skills, gain self-esteem and confidence and increase wellbeing. 

## **Achievements to Date** 

The guiding principle underlying all our work is consultation with, and involvement of children, young people and families. A key aim is to maximise the use of the Dovecote a valuable community resource. For Dovecote to be vibrant, fun, local community resource owned by the community in which it seeks to serve – whose lives it enhances. 

Focus of our project is providing young children including children with disabilities, young people and families’ access to affordable good quality, safe, secure play and social opportunities and experiences not normally accessible and access to them. When the new estate was established, consultation took place with local residents. The need for stay and play sessions and out of school play facilities was identified along with family social and parenting support groups. The outcome of the consultation was the creation of the Dovecote Voluntary Parent Management Committee made up of local parents who developed the Dovecote project, which has been successfully running for 22 years working with over 1000 families. 

With the commitment and dedication of the Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee, volunteers and staff currently we have achieved the following project developments in the 23 years we have been operating: 

- An afterschool club three sessions per week, 16 children per session, including children with disabilities aged 4 to 12 years old 

- Easter and summer playschemes for up to 40 children including children with disabilities per session 

- Half term playschemes (subject to funding) for up to 16 children 



- Twice weekly Stay & Play sessions for young mums and dads with young children 

- Purpose built sensory room for children with disabilities and their families 

- Strong partnership work with a wide range of voluntary and statutory organisations supporting vulnerable children and families 

- Strong partnership work with Mable Pritchard Special Needs School to support young children with disabilities experiencing exclusion to accessing local services to participate in our afterschool club and schemes. 

- Setting up Leys News a free community newsletter distributed to every household in Blackbird Leys. Today the Leys news is an independent community newspaper reach 5000 household every month 

- Development of Dovecote Afloat – narrow boat project bringing the magic of canals and nature to young people from the Leys (Sadly due to funding this project came to an end in August 2016) _Sadly due to funding this project is no longer running_ 

- Purpose built sensory rainbow garden 

- Provide support, training and volunteering opportunities 

- Extension of centre garden providing a larger outside play area 

- Awarded Outstanding Grade by Ofsted 2009 

- Finalist Groundwork Community Award – Best Community Project on a Social Housing Estate 2018 

- Finalist Children & Young People’s Award 2016 

Volunteers play a vital part role in the running of our project. Without their help and commitment there would not be a Dovecote project. All activities are offered to families at below cost to ensure accessibility and affordability to all young children and families living in the Leys. It is encouraging to see young children develop; many have gone on to become volunteers helping in our project. Several have been supported to access training to become qualified play workers working in our schemes before pursuing a career in child care. Our current board of trustees consists of two young men, former users of the Dovecote from the age of 4 years old along with helping deliver services on a volunteer basis for several years. 

Click on the following link to view a video of Dovecote project; = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v ai_I5Lg34BY 

## **Project Management** 

We the Dovecote Voluntary Parent management committee receive regular reports and updates from the Children & Families Services Manager Carol Richards. We hold up to six business meeting per year along with training and informal meetings taking place when required. Committee is elected at our AGM.  Unfortunately, due to the pandemic our meetings have been limited this year. Accounts are prepared by a qualified accountant and signed off at our AGM. Day to day activities of the project is managed and developed in consultation with the committee by Carol. Children and young people play a lead role in planning and development of project. 



We also employ two part-time afterschool club play workers and have a good bank of regular seasonal play staff. Stay and play sessions are delivered by our wonderful volunteer Alison Logan, supported by Carol. We also have a very good network of parents/carers and supporters who are always willing to help when they can. 

## **Vision, Mission and Values** 

_**OUR VISION** – A world where all children and young people are equal_ 

_**OUR MISSION** – provide services, support and opportunities that support the_ 

_Improvement of the descending spiral of deprivation and_ 

_inequality, setting a path for lasting growth_ 

_**OUR VALUES** – We pride ourselves in giving a safe and_ 

_welcoming environment in order to give our_ 

_users the ability to development themselves_ 

_and break the cycle of undesirable peer_ 

_pressure._ 

We support children and young people in their personal development and to build positive relationships. Together we enable children and young people to reach their full potential and realise their ambitions. We are ambitious for the lives of the children and young people we work with. The services we provide to families and children aspire to better lives. We have built trusting relationships within the community over many years. We have maintained this trust by being dependable and consistent in our delivery of services and support. 

## **Our Contact Details** 

Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee, Registered Charity number 1172048, Dovecote Centre, Nightingale Avenue, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, OX4 7BU Tel: 01865 712299 Mobile: 07974234661 E-mail: leysdvpc@hotmail.com Website; www.dovecoteproject.com facebook:leysdvpc 

## **Ofce Hours** 

Current office hours vary 



## **Trustees** 

Rachel Partlett – Chairperson; Amie Prior – Secretary; Jacob Brain, Tara Collier, Craig Logan, Hilary Miles and Dwayne John 

## **Dovecote Team** 

Carol Richards: Children & Families Services Co-ordinator Sharon Bishop Play Assistant Amanda Mackenzie Former afterschool club Leader Along with a range of seasonal staff throughout the year 

## **Volunteers** 

Alison Logan 

_Mr Peter J Stevenson, MA FCA, has independently examined our accounts_ 

## **Chairs Report** 

I am pleased to present our annual report for 2020-21 and to say express my relief that there is a light at the end of this pandemic storm. It is clear the impact of the pandemic has been felt by all. I am pleased to say that the past twelve months have been much better than the previous twelve months when the pandemic was at its worse. We have been able to resume delivery of our vital services i.e., stay and play and afterschool club sessions and playschemes 

I am also pleased to report that we have been reassured by Amy Eckersley, Catalyst new Community Facilities Coordinator that we will have use of the Dovecote under the same terms and agreement as we currently have for the foreseeable future. Amy and Carol held a zoom call earlier in March to discuss the changes that may take place when the merger with Catalyst and Peabody Housing is complete later this year. Apart from a new organisation Asylum Children together using the upstairs office there will not be any other changes in the users of Dovecote. In the future It is hoped that a pre-school can be found to make use of the purpose-built pre-school room. 

I would like to say a huge thank you to all Trustees who continue to serve, support and scrutinise the Charity’s work. Without their dedication and commitment which is very much valued and appreciated, there would not be a Dovecote project. 

2021 has shown itself to be challenging and uncompromising. So are we in building a society that works better for all disadvantage children and families. 

## **Treasurers Report** 

2021/22 financial accounts have been prepared by our long-standing accountant Peter J Stevenson MA FCA 

Covid-19 has provided challenges to us financially as it has to everyone. We are fortune with the support of the Government furlough scheme to have secured enough funds to continue delivering Dovecote Children & Families project until March 2023. 



I would like to thank Carol for all her hard work and dedication in raising the funds needed to secure the delivery of the project for the coming year 

## **Secretary** 

I would like to extend a warm welcome to everyone here tonight attending Annual General Meeting tonight. The goal of my report is to outline the activities, achievements and development of our project and future vision and aspirations going forward 

The world is changing fast. Life is more uncertain than ever before. More challenging. More complex. Covid-19 brought an extraordinary sting to the year’s tail, turning vulnerable children’s and parents lives upside down in ways we had never imagined. 

Working directly with children, young and families remains central to our approach. Using what we learn from our direct practice means we can find solutions to the bigger, universal problems disadvantage children, young people and families face on a daily basis 

## **Easter & Summer Playschemes** 

Unlike April 2021 we were able to deliver our Easter playscheme. The was delivered for one week. Due to covid restrictions we were only able to support 10 children to attend 

Again, unlike the summer of 2021 our summer scheme was able to run as usual this year, i.e., first four weeks of the school holiday period. We had a total of 26 children attend weeks one and two and 23 children attend weeks three and four. Our themes for this year’s scheme were bugs life, jungle, sport and dinosaurs and fun week. 

Children had the opportunity to enjoy a variety of activities, opportunities and experiences; a variety of art and crafts, cooking, sensory play, outside creative play, team games, sports games, colouring competitions, sand art, making slime, making bracelets, bouncy castle fun, parachute games and much more 

End of the scheme was celebrated with a family, carer and staff day trip to Bournemouth. It was decided under the current circumstances to have a trip to beach out in the open with no queuing and close contact with lots of other people. For some the trip was the only opportunity for them to escape from the challenges of living in one of Europe’s largest housing estates especially after almost eighteen months of lockdown. 19 adults and 28 children participated having lots of fun and quality family time together. Despite the weather being rather disappointing, overcast everyone who attended had a fantastic day out. 

Holiday playschemes benefit disadvantaged children by enabling them to connect with friends and sympathetic adults, have experiences that broaden their horizons and give them memories to embrace and share. 

Our schemes provide critical access to cultural events, recreational spaces, and entertainment for children and their families living in a nationally recognised area of disadvantage. 

New research reveals what we already know is that holiday playschemes have a wider impact on child health and well-being than previously believed. The research 



was carried out by Northumbria University in Newcastle, the research, which claims to be the ‘largest-ever’ study into holiday clubs in England, finds that holiday provision benefits children and their parents beyond combating hunger. Holiday playschemes provide a number of social and health benefits including providing children a safe place to play. 

For further information on the above research follow the link below; https://newsroom.northumbria.ac.uk/pressreleases/holiday-clubs-provide-far-morebenefts-beyond-just-providing-food-study-reveals-2524327 

## **Afterschool Club** 

Despite the challenges faced during the pandemic our afterschool club has gone from strength to strength. We have had many new children joining us in the past year along with our regular attendees. Attendance each session is almost at full capacity 

Benefits of afterschool club activities 

- Sociable, confident kids. Mixing with existing friends in a new environment helps children learn to share and appreciate each other's talents and abilities. ... 

- Smarter kids. After-school activities can play a huge part in supporting academic learning. ... 

- Safer, happier kids. 

Why are after school clubs important? 

- Joining after school activities gives children the opportunity to make new friends and socialise with other children outside their school. They learn how to act in different situations, play more fairly, and focus on working as a team rather than for themselves. 

Taking part in after-school clubs can give primary school children from poorer families a boost in academic performance and provide them with important social skills. According to published by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies and funded by the Nuffield Foundation, after-school clubs stood out among a wide range of out of school activities as having positive benefits for young children, making the case for ongoing investment in these clubs as a way to help close the education gap 

The research found that attending after-school clubs was associated with positive outcomes for disadvantaged children. On average, they achieved a two-point higher total score in their end of primary school assessments in English, maths and science than their peers who did not attend such groups. 

For further information on the above research follow the link below: https://theconversation.com/after-school-clubs-help-poorer-primary-pupils-getahead-57851#:~:text=With%20disadvantaged%20children%20missing %20out,through%20promoting%20positive%20social%20skills. 

## **Stay & Play** 

We were very fortunate to restart our stay and play sessions September 2022. Both sessions Monday and Wednesdays are extremely busy. We have been blessed to have had the opportunity support new mums and many lockdown babies to 



socialise, learn new skills, access new opportunities, be less afraid of trying new things and meeting new people, overcome the feeling of loneliness, isolation and much more. 

Stay & play sessions offer the following; 

- a. Group leaders ensure a smooth-running of our sessions where your child will be able to explore and play safely. 

- b. Children learn best when they are having fun and our groups offer a widerange of play activities and educational toys to assist your child’s developmental needs. 

- c. A choice of activities are offered depending on seasons and the interests of the children in the group. 

- d. Our sessions offer fun outdoor play experience and exploring outside is keenly encouraged 

- e. Sessions include free-play, messy play, arts and crafts, healthy snack and sensory play in our purpose-built sensory room. These opportunities and experiences will help your child by; encouraging speech and language, encouraging sharing and turn-taking and exploring new and exciting activities. 




## **Aim of Stay and Play sessions** 

**Be Healthy-** Much of the play, especially for the older children, is physically active at sessions helping develop physical health. Additionally, there is a very strong ethos of promoting healthy eating, with snack time consisting of only fruit, which develops a healthy lifestyle and encourages the parents to support the children to follow a healthy lifestyle. Through playing, learning and developing in a supportive environment, where parents are helped to promote these activities, children are nurtured and remain mentally and emotionally healthy. 

**Stay Safe -** Through playing with their children and enjoying time with other parents, parents’ bond better with their children and develop support networks to help them cope with parenthood and learn new skills, which will reduce the occurrences of maltreatment, neglect and violence. 

**Enjoy & Achieve -** Through both structured and unstructured, children become more socially independent and socially able making them ready to engage fully in school when they are old enough. Through these same process’s children are able to develop personally and socially while enjoying recreation. 



**Make a Positive Contribution -** Stay and Plays are social environments where children are encouraged to develop positive relationships with other children and behave appropriately in play. Through play children are encouraged to be more independent which helps them develop self-confidence. 

## **Funding** 

See attached 2020/2021 financial report prepared by Peter Stevens, MA FCA 

## **Equal Opportunities** 

We are fully committed to caring for children in a multi-cultural/racial community. We give the following undertaking and declare that: 

We will treat the children in our care with equal concern and without prejudice to their religious persuasion, racial origin, cultural background, gender, disability or special needs. 

The Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee is committed to taking positive and proactive steps to ensure that we provide a safe and caring environment, free from discrimination for everyone in our community; we provide facilities that promote and reflect cultural and social diversity and are equally accessible to all. 

We are proud of our record of success in including children with various specific physical intellectual or behavioural needs in our activities and we are fortunate to have a very good partnership with the Parasol Project.  Parasol is based on the belief that children with disabilities are children first.  With the help of enablers provided by Parasol, we are able to better meet the needs of children with disabilities in our playschemes. 

## **Acknowledgements:** 

We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to all the people, groups and organisations who have contributed to the continued success of the Dovecote projects over the past year.  Without your help and support the Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee would not have succeeded in continuing to deliver good quality, low-cost play experiences and opportunities for the children, including children with disabilities, young people and families living in one of Europe’s largest social housing estates Blackbird Leys. 

## **Finally** 

A huge thanks to all our staff for the great job they do providing a fun, happy, friendly, welcoming, secure, challenging and stimulating environment for the children, young people and families of the Leys! 

## _**ALSO BIG THANKS TO:**_ 

## The Trustees and Members of the Management Committee 

## Our wonderful volunteer; Alison Logan 

## **Catalyst Housing Group** 



**Oxford City Council National Lottery Community Fund Oxford Food Hub Woodward Charitable Trust Greensquare Housing All Souls College Doris Field Charitable Trust** 

_**All our funders for their valuable support** Peter Stevenson for examining the accounts All parents and carers of our users and children and young people who make it all worthwhile!!!!!_ 






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