HOPS

Archive for the ‘2014’ Category

The 2014 AGM and Volunteer Awards were held on the 12th November, with 38 volunteers, parents, invited guests and trustees in attendance.

The awards are HOPS way of recognising the hard work our volunteers do throughout the summer. This year a total of 2476 hours were contributed.

This year HOPS presented a new award called the Sue Woolmer Award, in memory of a very dear member of the team who sadly passed away in 2014. The Sue Woolmer Award is given to a volunteer who has overcome personal adversity or difficulties. We were pleased that Adam Woolmer, Sue’s son, and Julie Copping, Sue’s sister, were able to present this new award to Bethany Barratt.

The Bett Barnard Shield for most promising new volunteer went to Sophie Goddard, and the award for the most improved returning volunteer was presented to Ellie Dickinson.

Both Bethany Alliston and Paige Turbidy were given Special Recognition Awards for their outstanding contribution during the summer of 2014.

The Chair thanked the volunteers for their continued hard work, and all volunteers in attendance were presented with recognition certificates.

Please consider voting for us – it would mean a great deal!

At the end of September, HOPS received a generous donation from Thorntree Lunch Club.

The Stowmarket based group sadly closed last year, two days after the fortieth anniversary of its opening. It provided a supportive and sociable environment for local elderly people to enjoy a hot meal.

As a wonderful last gesture, Thorntree Lunch Club’s remaining funds were split and gifted to several local charities.

We would like to say a huge thank you to the committee members for thinking of us.

Find your brainiest friends and get studying!

Join us for a great night out at our quiz night and chip supper at The Hub.

We are hiring!

If you have a childcare qualification and experience of working with children with additional needs, then please get in contact. We are looking for Assistant Play Workers to join us.

For more information on the job role, click here – Job Vacancies at HOPS

Well, we have now come to the end of a fun filled summer. The last week of the scheme saw the return of Kimmy’s Zoo and some more craft, music and clown workshops.

So summer is over and we are now back to school, but we still have our Saturday clubs to look forward to. The dates for these are:

We are really pleased with the Ofsted report from our recent inspection. There were some brilliantly positive comments, especially about how the ‘children make good progress from their starting points, particularly with regard to confidence, behaviour and social skills.’

The inspector recognised that our playscheme is ‘fun’, ‘sociable’ and ‘relaxed’, and the ‘children are offered an inviting and stimulating play environment’.

Our hardworking management, staff and volunteers were mentioned throughout the report. Both ‘spontaneous opportunities to enhance the play experiences and learning’ and the planned activities ‘cover all seven areas of learning in imaginative ways that meet the needs of all children’.

The report acknowledges the importance we place on keeping the children ‘safeguarded and well cared for’ through ‘stringent procedures [which] are followed, to ensure children’s welfare at all times’.

You can read the full report here: HOPS Ofsted report 2014