AFTER more than a year of social isolation for many young people, and financial worries for many families, local organisations from Newport teamed up with National Trust Cymru at Tredegar House to provide free events for National Play Day.

The events gave children and families the opportunity to socialise and have fun while reconnecting with nature.

Duffryn Community Link, Woodland Routes to Wellbeing, the Living Levels Landscape Partnership and Newport City Council worked with the conservation charity to run four days of free activities in the parkland at Tredegar House.

Each day, a variety of different activities have been available for children to drop by and join in with, including bee-themed obstacle courses, campfires, craft and music workshops. These sessions were kept free and flexible to ensure that everyone who wanted to join in could do so without financial or time restrictions.

On Saturday, Jayne Bryant, MS for Newport West, visited to show her support for the events and find out more about how these local partnerships have benefitted children from both the Newport area and further afield.

MORE NEWS:

Ms Bryant said: “The work the National Trust team have done to organise varied, accessible, and fun sessions, alongside some of Newport’s most dedicated community groups, charities, and Newport City Council, is really impressive.

“Young people have faced extraordinary challenges over the last 18 months, so to see children having the chance to play, learn and socialise together again is really encouraging, especially in the wonderful surroundings of Tredegar House’s parkland.

“I’d really encourage families across Newport West – and further afield – to try out some of the other activities on at Tredegar House before September, to make sure 2021 can be the summer of fun that all children deserve.”

Emma Wilson, programming and partnerships officer for Tredegar House, had the initial idea for the events and worked with local organisations to make them a reality.

Ms Wilson said: “After a really tough year for many people, particularly young people, we wanted to provide opportunities for children and families to let off steam, relax and get active while enjoying the outdoors.

“We frequently work with a number of local partners and saw Play Day as the perfect time to use these partnerships to provide this opportunity, alongside our other summer holiday activities.

“It was also important to us that these sessions were free and accessible for everyone, so that anyone could join in and have some fun – no matter how the past year has affected them.

“Luckily, our partner organisations couldn’t have been more supportive, and the events have been a great success.”

The events have taken place at the peak of National Trust Cymru’s summer holiday programming, and a number of other activities are running at Tredegar House until September, including a summer trail in the gardens, free toys to borrow in the parkland and free activity cards to encourage self-led adventures in nature. The site will also be hosting the Living Levels Landscape Partnership’s Big Skies 3 event.

More information about Tredegar House’s partnership work and upcoming events can be found on the National Trust’s website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tredegar-house