March has been a month of lively sessions at the Sanctuary in Chichester drop-ins. We’ve seen a steady attendance, with a mix of beneficiaries, children, volunteers, and staff coming together to create a supportive space.
Attendees have included families from the hotel and new asylum-seeking families who are placed in the community. As usual, the children’s corner has been a hub of creativity, with activities ranging from Uno to vibrant, colourful art projects. Notably, the start of Ramadan brought thoughtful consideration for those observing the fast, with plans for an Eid celebration in April.
University Collaboration
Our collaboration with the University of Chichester has continued to grow. Students visited to undertake projects on integration for their sociology studies and on assisting pupil-school liaison for their education degree courses.
Whilst we have decided not to hold a drop-in session over Easter, we were excited to celebrate the start of Easter Week with hot cross buns and share this tradition with our beneficiaries.
Art Club and Cooking Project Developments
A new art club, led by renowned local sculptor Kate Viner, is allowing six older children interested in art to explore their talents through different processes, techniques and approaches. Kate is bringing other professional artists to the project, which she expects to run for a year, culminating in a group project. This is great news for these young people, as they have outgrown the craft table at the drop-in and it will enable them to start their own portfolios. Asked how the club is going so far, Kate said, “It’s joyous! I’m loving it! And it’s making me think outside the box”. We’ll have more on this in coming weeks, including why Kate’s needed to approach these classes a bit differently, the techniques the children have been working on so far, plus we’ll hear from the children about how they are finding the project.
Additionally, we’ve found premises for a new cooking project, set to begin after Easter we hope. This will offer the community – and particularly those living at the hotel with no access to cooking facilities – a fortnightly culinary session of cooking and eating together. It will complement the existing project, Food for Friends, run by Transition Chichester, that operates on alternate weeks. We look forward to sharing delicious meals from around the world!
Looking Ahead
As we move into April, we’re planning a series of events and workshops, including a volunteer wellbeing afternoon, volunteers’ training session, and West Sussex Mind Mental Health Awareness support. We’re taking a brief pause next week for Easter, and then as Ramadan continues, we anticipate a quieter couple of weeks until Eid..
As we look forward to resuming after Easter, the promise of longer days and warmer weather beckons. We’re excited about the prospect of outdoor play for the children and the potential for picnics and outings, bringing more joy and community spirit to our gatherings.