Our Emotional Wellbeing Team work with a whole range of people, supporting those who are socially isolated, have low level and moderate mental health, and people with Dementia and their carers. The team runs groups and social cafes across North Sheffield. Our Helen also delivers free Healthy Holidays activities in Shiregreen for local kids - read on to see what she gets up to on a Healthy Holidays day!
Sheffield Healthy Holidays (HAF) is a citywide programme provides free, fun activities and food for families eligible for means-tested free school meals, over the holidays.
Helen's day starts at 5.30am with a cup of tea and making the bed so the first task of the day is complete! She walks the dog to make up for all the treats her dad gives him when he makes those puppy-dog eyes (Hugo, not her dad!). Then a second cup of tea while catching up on emails. Ready to go - today is a HAF day!
What's a typical morning look like?
I drive to work thinking 'will the kids be well-behaved today and enjoy the session I've planned?!'. I'm straight to The Learning Zone for 8am to pick up the equipment and say hello to Carl. Then off to Asda for ingredients and food for today's session - feeling like I'm on Supermarket Sweep bombing around with my trolley like my life depends on it!
Once I get to Shiregreen Neighbourhood Centre I open the building and set up the tables and workstations for 15 children. At 9.30am they start to arrive, one dressed as Spiderman, all greeting me with a smile and a hug. All the kids are checked in and waving bye to their parents who sprint out of the door faster than Usain Bolt, ready for a child-free day! Breakfast is served and we're ready for action.
Today is American pancake making, and my staff helpers and volunteers do a sterling job supervising each station. Then it's close to lunchtime and hungry kids are hangry!
We all sat down together with Nic, one of SOAR's Communities Team, who asks the kids what they enjoy doing in the holidays and what kind of activities we do together.
Lunchtime!
Then it's a wash of hands and a lunch of pasta, sandwiches, fruit and veg, yogurts and flapjacks. Fine dining with the children and the first sit-down of the day! I've done 10,000+ steps already and it's only noon.
What's the rest of the afternoon look like?
After lunch we go outside to let off some steam and have a run-around. Then it's 1pm already and parents arrive to pick up their kids. Little Brodie likes to help sweep the floor so I let him! Each child is signed out and given a treat to take home as a thank you for being good.
Paperwork and registers are the most challenging part of my job - things I know I have to do but need to stay on top of!
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