Family Fun Sessions - Burgess Hill Town Council

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The Family Fun Sessions return on Wednesday 30 October!

At the next Family Fun Sessions, for families of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), families can expect the ever-popular inflatable disco dome to return, as well as Trainmaster Sussex with their never-ending train track!

Julie Alison McDonald will also be returning to share one of her books, and there will be plenty of other activities and crafts to get involved with, including sand art with Burgess Hill Youth!

Reaching Families, West Sussex County Council (WSCC) Early Help, and West Sussex Libraries will all be available to offer information and support to families, with more to be confirmed.

The sessions will run at 10-11.30am and 12.30-2pm, at The King’s Church. They are free to attend but spaces must be booked in advance. The sessions are aimed at ages 3-18, with priority given to those living in Burgess Hill and the surrounding villages.

To book visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/burgesshilltowncouncil or contact the Help Point on 01444 247726 or visit in person at 96 Church Walk, from 30 September.

Please note under 16’s must be accompanied by a parent or carer at all times. Anyone over 16 who is able to attend the event space without the need of parent or carer support may do so, but a responsible adult must remain onsite for the duration of the event. We are unfortunately unable to provide any individuals with independent support at the event

If you would like to be informed about future dates for Family Fun Sessions, please sign up to the mailing list by visiting; https://www.burgesshill.gov.uk/town-community/town-events/events-mailing-list/

Previous Events

2024

August
Over 50 families attended our Family Fun sessions, on Thursday 9 August!

The event was sponsored by The Budding Foundation who kindly donated materials for our planting activity, stones to paint and the herbs to touch and smell! Our thanks also goes to the brilliant volunteers at The King’s Church for their support with the event, and all the groups that attended to provide information and support.

April

The Family Fun Sessions returned on Thursday 4th April for the first two sessions of 2024. Author Julie Alison McDonald led story time sessions, whilst Jenny Fisher provided Makaton alongside, and West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service attended the first session with a fire engine. There were also crafts, circus equipment, an inflatable disco dome and much more, to keep families entertained.

Carers Support West Sussex, WSCC Early Help, Kangaroos, SENDias and West Sussex Libraries, to name a few, were all on hand to offer information and support to families.

The event was kindly funded by The Budding Foundation.

2023
August
On Tuesday 8 August Burgess Hill Town Council and The Kings Church partnered together to deliver two Family Fun Sessions, for 40 families of children with SEND (special education needs and disabilities). There was a whole range of FREE activities on offer to families as well as organizations providing support.

The King’s Church supplied a number of activities which were ran by their volunteers, from straw rockets to keyring making! Burgess Hill Youth provided their ever-popular sand art activity and Circus Allstars set up a circus area including as tightrope. There was also an inflatable disco dome with lights and music, providing great sensory experience.

The Budding Foundation sponsored the event and also donated seeds, pot and compost for a salad seed planting activity. Carers Support, Jenny Makaton, Early Help, Barnardo’s and West Sussex Library all attended to provide support and information to the families. The library also provided a sensory story time supported by Makaton by Jenny.

‘It’s a Kids World’ attended the second session will a selection of sensory and fidget toys available to purchase, check their collection out at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093583620973

April
On Tuesday 4 April 2023, we welcomed thirty families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to the ‘Family Fun Sessions’ at The King’s Church.

The King’s Church organised a selection of arts and crafts, and sensory tables. With activities including bulb planting, circus equipment and a giant train track, there was plenty to keep the whole family occupied! The library provided a sensory story time to attendees, with Jenny Fisher teaching Makaton alongside. Staff from the Early Help team and West Sussex Libraries provided advice and support to the parents and carers.

The event was funded by The Budding Foundation (who also donated bulbs, pots and compost for the bulb planting activity), and was supported by The King’s Church.

2022
On Tuesday 9 August we invited families of children with SEND aged 3-10 to attend the Family Fun morning from 10am-12pm.

There was a bouncy castle and inflatable play park, Burgess Hill Youth provided sand art, with The King’s Church and Kangaroos also providing craft activities. The Sensory Shine Shop came along with an array of sensory toys available to purchase. Sensory tables with an ice tray and one with a shredded paper tray, as well as a Lego table were set up by The King’s Church and they also had a bubble machine and soft tunnels to crawl through.

In a separate room there was quiet space with a variety of toys, soft matting and tepees to give children a space to be calm and settle down if they were overwhelmed.

Author Anna Emilia, brought some of her books to offer to children free of charge, which are written in an easy-to-read format to help build confidence. Julie Alison McDonald shared her story ‘Say Hello to Hedgy’ with parents and children, which is endorsed by Aspens and encourages conversations about different ways of thinking, feeling and behaving.

There were a number of informational services in attendance including Aspens, Carers Support, WSCC Early Help Team and SENDias.

The event was kindly funded by Burgess Hill and District Rotary Club.

Event feedback
A great time was had by all, with amazing feedback from attendees including;
“So much to do and so engaging for all, all ages have been thought of.”
“Large open space with well thought out activities and lots of helpers”
“The entire event was amazing. Well organised, friendly and comfortable”
“Disco bouncing tent was ace. Good information stalls.”
“It was great! The kids had a lovely time and great to go somewhere where there was no judgement from other parents and my child could be himself and have fun. He especially loved the trains and the ball pit and bubbles.”
“Was very well set out with lovely activities that were achievable for most participants. It was spacious with lots of friendly people. A great variety of calming and active activities.”
“It was great! So many great activities and fun things to do.”
“My son loved this session. His favourite was the plant pot decorating and bulb planting. It was very well thought out and catered very well for children with additional needs”
“Was very well set out with lovely activities that were achievable for most participants.
It was spacious with lots of friendly people. A great variety of calming and active activities.”
“It was great! So many great activities and fun things to do.”
‘My son loved all the activities! It was so nice to be in a safe environment where you don’t feel judged. It was brilliant having all the resources and information in one room. It was a brilliant event.’
‘The activities were fantastic and varied. There weren’t too many people so didn’t feel overwhelming. Was a fantastic morning. Everyone was so friendly.’
‘Very well organised, lots to do but not over stimulating and a space to calm if it became too much. Loved the Hedgy book, going to enjoy reading to my boys!’
‘Lots of fun activities for a wide range of children. Well supported by local organisations’