September Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Welcome to all our after school club members, staff, volunteers and workshop leaders as the new term begins. We hope that you have all had a restful and exciting summer and we are looking forward to getting stuck into lots more creative activities as the school year starts up again.
In July’s newsletter, I was introduced as the new Intern at Little Green Pig, looking at how we can reduce and track our carbon footprint as an organisation. My name is Ella and I am now in my final week at Little Green Pig. I am taking over the newsletter for this month, before bidding a sad farewell to the team and the wonderful young people I have met.
Monday Club members looking through the work they created last term at Whitehawk Community Hub and Library.
Worthing Transitions
At Durrington High School in Worthing just before the summer holidays began, a group of Year 6 pupils from The Laurels Primary School attended our Transitions workshops, to help prepare them for the transition to secondary school. The young people finished their Happy Hack Zines, which were brimming with wisdom and imagination, to accompany them into a new chapter of their lives. They also envisaged the secondary school of their dreams, which they mapped onto floor plans of the school. Lifts were replaced by ‘Space Rockets’, libraries were transformed into ‘Book Forests’ and bistros became ‘Burger Kings’. We want to wish all of the new Year 7s the best of luck as they settle into their new school, before we see them again in October to find out how they have been getting along.
The Farm Trip
Over the summer, children who attend Little Green Pig's Brighton After School Clubs were invited on an exciting farm trip. Led by writer Julia Gillick and supported by our wonderful volunteer story mentors, the children explored their senses, listening closely to the chewing and chomping of the pigs, feasting on fresh fruit and vegetables and carefully observing colours from the objects around the farm. They also had the opportunity to complete a brilliant cyanotype workshop with the photographer, Moose Azim, in which they created bookmarks that were dyed cyan blue by the sun.
Photograph of the finished cyanotype bookmarks.
The day ended with the children gathering under a big beech tree. They learned about its history and whispered wishes to the leaves, which they then wrote into their very own book of wishes. One of the trip’s attendees was lucky enough to find their wish - to see the farm’s chickens and horses - come true, just before they boarded the coach home! The day proved hugely intriguing and inspiring for the children and we are so thankful to Emma and Ben for having us on their farm, and to our story mentors, Natalie, Angelica, Chrissie, Sheena and Sally for all their help and support on the day.
One of the children on the farm trip.
Volunteer Callout
We want to give a special welcome back to our brilliant volunteer story mentors, who help keep our clubs running, and who made last year’s clubs feel so dynamic and supported. We are always looking for more volunteers to support our after school clubs and one-off workshops. At the moment we are especially in need of volunteers at our Wednesday Worthing Club at the Laurels Primary School in West Durrington. If you, or someone you know, is interested in volunteering at one of our clubs, let us know by emailing gemma@littlegreenpig.org.uk, visiting our Volunteer Page, or contacting us via social media.
Farewells
Whilst new beginnings seem to be the theme of this month and this newsletter, these rarely happen without some more, bittersweet endings. Having worked as our Development & Partnerships Manager for over two years, we are sad to be saying goodbye to Abigail Allt. We will miss Abigail’s creativity, writing skills (and foraging knowledge!), although we are excited for all that this new stage of her life has to offer.
Farewell to our Development and Partnerships Manager Abigail!
The final goodbye of this newsletter comes from me. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such caring, wise and open people. I am thrilled that I have also had the chance to meet many of the wonderful club attendees before the clubs finished for the summer. From Abigail, myself and the rest of the team, we are signing off this newsletter’s many beginnings and endings and wishing you all a wonderful month.
Farewell to our Audience Outreach and Development Intern Ella!