Category: Kids

Beavers, Cubs and Scouts – Are Thriving

 

Beavers, Cubs and Scouts – Are Thriving

1st Wenvoe

I am pleased to let you know that all three sections – Beavers, Cubs and Scouts – are currently thriving in Wenvoe. We have some new Leaders to join those who have been part of the group for a while. Of course, we can always use new volunteers both to work with the young people and to support the group and we do need a Treasurer to oversee the finances from our current incumbent.

In the summer we had a recap of the year and all the amazing things that the young people had done from hiking and outback cooking through to crafts and games. Outings included bouldering and visits to the Fire Station and Airport. The Scouts visited the Fish and Chip shops to find out which had the best chips and earned a Fish Supper from the winning group. All this, while learning new skills developing teamwork, getting badges and having fun.

As there are limited clubs or activities offered to the boys and girls locally, I am pleased that we have not had to suspend any of the sections due to a lack of volunteers. The beauty of Scouting is that it offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities that the young people and the volunteers can enjoy and adopt for their own interests.

I know that I, as a Beaver Leader for 20 years, learnt a lot from the experience. Yes, some of the sessions were challenging, but those where few and far between; the joy on the young faces and the friendship of the other leaders made it worthwhile.

I know my own children also enjoyed the experiences offered. They still enjoy camping holidays, following their experiences particularly in Scouts, under the leadership of Skip, Ian Moody. Sadly, Ian died recently after a short illness. He had been involved in the Wenvoe Scouts for over 40 years, and the Group owes him a huge thank you.

Let me know if you are interested in getting involved in the Wenvoe Group.

Jane Fenton-May, President

jfm@fenton-may.org

 

Operating For Over 50 Years

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

The Playgroup has been operating from the Village Hall for over 50 Years. We are registered both as a Charity and with Care Inspectorate Wales to care for 30 Children at any one-time from the age of 2 years. We open from 9am until 1pm Monday to Friday and on Wednesday and Thursday we offer care until 3:15pm. Wrap around care for those attending Gwenfo Nursery School

We collect nursery age children from the Early Risers breakfast club at 08:50am and bring them across to Playgroup. We then take children across to afternoon nursery class for 1pm where they attend until 3:30pm. This allows care from 07:50am until 3:30pm Monday to Friday. Great for working families.

We collect children daily at 11:20am from Gwenfo Nursery and on into our lunch club until 1pm. On Wednesday and Thursday children may stay until 3:15pm. Ideal for those working part-time!

30 Hour Funded Childcare Offer Children from Cardiff and The Vale are benefitting from this offer. 12.5 hours are used for LEA Nursery and 17.5 hours per week can be allocated to time with us here at Playgroup. This offer is for children the term after their 3rd Birthday. To find out more, please visit our website:

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

Tax Free Childcare: We accept payment via the Government’s Tax Free Childcare. Currently, many families use this method to pay fees for all ages, or use alongside the 30 Hour Childcare Offer to top up extra hours and/or transition fees. Families set up a Tax-Free Childcare account and for example; every £8 the family pay in; Welsh Government pay in £2. For further information go to www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare.

Further information can be found on our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk along with photos of our group in the gallery.

Our Statement of purpose and Admissions Policy & Procedure can be found in ‘DOCUMENTS’ on our website, which may be useful for times and prices. However; if you want to know more, please email or phone. All contacts are on our website.

Should you wish to be added to our list for 2025 or 2026 please email wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com.

We are holding an open morning on Wednesday 3rd September, from 09:15am to 11:15am. Please come along and view our group. We look forward to meeting you

We would like to thank all those who volunteer to keep the Playgroup operating successfully and wish you all a lovely summer break. We close on Friday 18th July, until our open morning on Wednesday 3rd September

 

The Ice Cream Van Visited

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

 

Well, what a lovely treat for the Playgroup children! The Ice Cream Van visited our Easter concert, with a special treat of a free ice cream for all children and the staff of course! Peppa Pig also visited with an Easter Egg for all the children and a fun day was had by all.

We would like to thank all our families and friends who made this possible. The Easter eggs were provided by the Tesco support team at Culverhouse Cross. They sell second-hand books and with monies raised, they donate to local charities. Thank you for this. If anyone has any good quality, unwanted books, then please, contact us and we can pass them on for you. Our way of saying thank you as a community playgroup.

For all those on our waiting lists for September, we will be contacting you sometime in May, to invite you to an open afternoon in June.

If you are thinking of joining us from September 2025, then please email us and we can add you to our waiting lists for 2025 – 2026.

Many thanks to all those in our community who continue to support the Playgroup behind the scene, to ensure we continue to offer this service for the surrounding area.

Contact us at wenvoeplaygroup@ btinternet.com or on 07859 907976. Why not view our website: www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk and view our gallery to see what we have been up to!

Wenvoe Scouts Need Your Help!

 

Wenvoe Scouts Need Your Help!

 

We are still looking for volunteers. Fortunately, we have found a new Cub Leader, but he needs 1 or 2 Assistants to help him or long term the Group will not be able to function. Support and training is available and, from experience, working with the young people is very rewarding.

Cubs are boys and girls aged 8 to 10 ½ years. They learn new skills, whilst having fun enjoying indoor and outdoor activities and earning badges. We also need a new Treasurer as part of our Trustee Board, which oversees the governance of the Group. More information about volunteering is available on the Scout Association website.

Celebration of Wenvoe Scouting: On 1st April we held a well attended Celebration of Wenvoe Scouting. The Cubs excelled at serving us all refreshments. We saw photos and heard about the year’s activities. During the meeting Community Councillor Paul Freeman presented the Group with Nature/Wildlife packs from the Vale Nature Partnership as seen in the photo. These will be used by all sections to learn more about wildlife locally and they plan to work in areas set up by the Wildlife group in the School and the Community Orchard

We are grateful to the Vale Nature Partnership for the donation and to Paul for organising it.

 

Scout Fete, Sat 5 July Romilly Park and Unwanted Crockery: Save this and let me know if you have any donations for our fund-raising Smash a Dish Stall

Group Council AGM Monday 19 May 6.30 Community Centre: Come and meet us and find out more about Wenvoe Scout Group.

Jane Fenton-May, Chair 1st Wenvoe Scout Group.

 

jfm@fenton-may.org

Celebration of Wenvoe Scouting

 

Celebration of Wenvoe Scouting and Review of Last 12 Months
7pm Tuesday 1st April Wenvoe Community Centre

g https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or email me for a chat.

Waiting list contact

1stwenvoe.join@penarthanddistrict.org.uk

 

Community members, scout parents, family and carers are invited to join us in the Hall to learn more about the fun that our young people enjoy during meetings and activities. We have had a thriving group thanks to the adult volunteers, who support the group.

We do however need more volunteers both to work with the young people and to act as Trustees to support the group, overseeing the group’s governance and finance. Trustee meetings are once per term and last about 2 hours plus an AGM. Meetings last about 2 hours and are held in the evenings. Working with the youngsters is fun and is very rewarding. There is easy on-line training. Leaders training is mainly on-line and forms part of recognised Youth Training. Sadly due to increased other commitments our current Cub Leaders have to stand down and we will have to suspend Cubs after Easter until we have re-placements. Would you be prepared to try and help? Come and meet us and find out. More information on the website https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or contact me for a chat.

Barry Scout Fete Saturday 5 July. Save the date for this exciting event. We run a popular Smash the China Stall. If you have any crockery you wish to dispose of please let me know.

 

Jane Fenton-May

Chair 1st Wenvoe Scouts jfm@fenton-may.org

 

Many Thanks To All From Playgroup

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

Firstly, we would like to thank some of our local businesses, and fundraisers for supporting our Christmas fundraising events. They are;-

The Wenvoe Arms – Sunday lunch for two.

Springfield stores – Chocolates,

Bluebird Care Culverhouse cross – A Hamper of Christmas prosecco & treats.

Tesco Culverhouse cross – Selection box for each child.

The Tuckers – A lovely Christmas throw & more

It is good to know that local businesses & charity fundraisers support their local charity, so thank you all.

We would like to thank S.R. Davis Ltd – Poultry Wholesaler in Barry for their donation of 2 turkey breasts and Weddel Swift Distribution Ltd. for meat donations.

We would also like to express our thanks to the Ivy Cardiff, who donated a three-course meal with wine voucher and Pasture Restaurant Cardiff, who donated a fifty-pound food voucher. These raffle prizes were sourced for us through J.T. Morgan Butchers Cardiff, who purchase from the wholesalers and supply the two restaurants. Many thanks to all from Playgroup.

Latest news

Moving forward from January 2025, Playgroup will be enrolling children from the age of 2 years. We will be working through our waiting lists, to fill our few remaining places to the end of summer term 2025. Should you be thinking of joining the Playgroup, then please do email us a.s.a.p. We have waiting lists up to January 2026. Even if your circumstances change nearer the time you wish to start, it is worth adding your child’s name to the waiting list, especially for September 2025.

We have just received news, that we have been successful in a grant application, made to the Vale of Glamorgan Early years. Monies have been made available to upgrade and refresh part of the ladies’ toilets at the Village Hall. We have also been successful in obtaining monies to update the garden area and furniture within the playroom.

We have received over £30,000 in the past three years to support Playgroup operation. In-turn, the improvements made, also support all who hire and use the Village Hall. We are extremely grateful to the Early Years Childcare Grant panel for supporting us, to ensure we meet the needs of the children. These grants will allow us to operate successfully from the Village Hall, by achieving the National Minimum Standards set by Welsh Government, Care Inspectorate Wales.

I understand that we are one of the very few Playgroups remaining in the Vale, surviving these challenging times, so thanks to everyone, who continues to support the group.

For further information, please visit our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk where you will find more about us. Please view our Statement of Purpose, Admissions policy, and Operational plan, along with many more policies and procedures.

Remembrance Service and Parade

 

1st WENVOE SCOUTS

Remembrance Service and Parade

I was so proud of our young people and leaders, who turned out to the Remembrance Service and Parade. They did our village proud.

The Governance of the group is seriously in danger and we urgently need support from adults in the village to ensure that the Group continues to thrive. The Trustee Board needs a new Chair and Treasurer by our AGM in March. The work is not difficult and the meetings (about 2 hours) are limited to one per term plus the AGM

The Chair is responsible for the Group and ensuring that the meetings are in order and keep to the point. The Treasurer looks after the finances and ensures the subscriptions are paid and pays the bills, plus organising the accounts and budgets. Neither job is arduous and the current incumbents are prepared to help. There is easy training and more information on the website https://www.scouts.org.uk

In July, despite the stormy weather the Group had a great time at the Barry Scout Show in Romilly Park. The popular Smash the China Stall was a great success, so if you have any crockery you wish to dispose of please let me know.

Finally, Christmas is a time for giving. Sadly the Cardiff and Vale Scout Post is not happening again and if you would like to donate to Wenvoe Scouts you can do this via https://www.scouts.org.uk

Have a Happy Christmas and a wonderful 2025.

Jane Fenton-May

Chair 1st Wenvoe Scouts jfm@fenton-may.org

More information about Scouting and volunteering https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or email me for a chat.

Waiting list contact

1stwenvoe.join@penarthanddistrict.org.uk

Jane Fenton-May   Group President jfm@fentonmay. org

 

A Very Busy, Fast, Autumn Term.

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

It has been some time since we have written via the What’s On, due to a very busy, fast, Autumn Term.

There are many people in the community who support the Playgroup behind the scenes, to ensure it operates smoothly. We would like to thank you all for the support you have shown this past year.

In the Summer months, residents kindly donated their left over fence panels and wooden posts, to allow Dave Pritchard to erect a new fence in the children’s garden. The fence was a health and safety risk, so we would like to thank everyone who supported us in our time of need and thank Dave for giving up his time.

We would like to thank our good friend Mike Tucker, who has helped us, by removing waste from the rear of the Playgroup and on occasions, taken in parcels for us!

Time is one of the most important gifts you can give to anyone, so thank you all so much.

All that remains for us at this time, is to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and we hope that you have a restful, peaceful break.

With much appreciation from everyone at Playgroup.

Sandra Morgan

About the Playgroup

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

The Playgroup operates from the Village Hall and has been operating for over 50 Years. We are registered with Care Inspectorate Wales to care for 30 children at any one-time from the age of 2 years 4 months. We open 9:00am until 1:00pm Monday to Friday and on Wednesday and Thursday we offer care until 3:15pm.

Wrap around care: We collect children daily at 11:20am from Gwenfo Nursery and on into lunch club until 1:00pm and on Wednesday and Thursday until 3:15pm. We also support children across from our morning sessions to afternoon Nursery at 1:00pm daily.

30 Hour Funded Childcare Offer: Children from Cardiff and the Vale are benefitting from this offer. 12.5 hours are used for LEA Nursery and 17.5 hours per week can be allocated to time with us here at Playgroup. This offer is for children the term after their 3rd Birthday. To find out more, please visit our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

Tax Free Childcare: We accept payment via the Governments Tax Free Childcare. Many parents at this time use this method to pay fees for all ages or use alongside the 30 Hour Funded Childcare to top up their extra hours/transition fees. Families set up a Tax-Free Childcare account and for example, for every £8 the family pay in, Welsh Government pay in £2. For further information go to www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

Our Statement of purpose and Admissions Policy & Procedure can be found in ‘DOCUMENTS’ on our website, which may be useful for times and prices. However, if you want to know more, please email or phone. All contacts are on our website.

We have many children staying for the morning session 9:00am until 1:00pm in September 2024 and a waiting list for January 2025. Should you wish to be added to our list for 2024 or 2025 please email wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com.

We Have Had A Very Busy Year

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

 

As you are reading this, we are probably very busy planning our end of term events and getting ready for our end of term party.

We have had a very busy year with 44 children on our books. I can’t believe how quickly time is passing by. It only feels like yesterday we were singing our Christmas and Easter concerts!

We were lucky enough to obtain a large grant to extend our garden in the Spring term. This was given by the Early Years Grants panel at the Vale of Glamorgan. We now have a large safe space in which to plan and play, which also benefits the Village Hall.

We have been planting our outside space planters in the garden and the planters at the front of the Village Hall, to make the front a little attractive as you approach the front doors. However, we would now like to incorporate more fun play in the garden to enhance this. If there is anyone out there who can supply some spare guttering, to make water play walls, using wooden pallets already donated, then please let us know by emailing us and we will collect.

The group closes on Friday 19th July at 1pm for the Summer holidays and will re-open on Tuesday 3rd September for a stay and play from 9:15am until 11:45am. We will also be taking contracts for those who wish to join us up until April 2025.

Our children will return on Wednesday 4th September from 9am, when we will operate mornings only for the remainder of the week.

Our full services resume with the afternoon and all day care from Monday 9th September at 9am.

If you would be interested in our wrap around care to Gwenfo Nursery in September, then please email your interest. Although closed through the holidays, I will be popping in and out of email to check on messages.

Please view our website, www.wenvoeplaygroup. co.uk where you will find useful information and our photo gallery of the children at play over the past year. You will also find links to the 30 Hour Childcare Offer and Tax Free Child Care Offer on our site.

Many children (the term after their 3rd Birthday) are attending 17.5 hours a week funded by; The Childcare offer for Wales at the Playgroup. For further information contact the Childcare offer for Wales helpline to get up to 30 Hours funded childcare Tel: 03000 628628

Many families are setting up Tax Free Child Care accounts to pay their fees. This is where you can set up an account and pay money in and the Government will contribute. For example; for every £8 you put in, the Government will pay in £2. Many children under 3 are paying for their fees this way and many families who take up the Childcare offer for 30 hours

of funded care, may pay any extra fees such as transition or top up fees outside of the funded hours.

The Vale of Glamorgan Family Information Service is most helpful with information on the above;. Call: 01446704704 or email fis@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk for further information.

Many thanks to our Committee for their support over the past year and to the staff who make the Playgroup the safe, welcoming place it is.

Thanks to all those who have supported the Playgroup by attending the events and donating your valuable time from the community. Your support is very much appreciated

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