One Activity

Through Bright Sparks our desire is that the children are empowered to fully engage with all educational opportunities afforded them, increasing the child’s educational potential and develop positive attitudes to learning. As the parents and children work together the adult-child bond is strengthened as is the respect from the child to their parent. During the sessions, relationships develop both intra and inter the families who participate, building social capitol.

What we offer is unique to the families in Brighton and Hove; when the parents were asked:
‘Outside of Fresh Start do you know of any other opportunities, like Bright Sparks, to attend family focused activities within a charitable organisation?’  There was a 100% response that they did NOT know of any other opportunities. 

​We looked at the following subjects:

• What is the Commonwealth and what does it mean to be a Commonwealth country?
• Who is the head of the Commonwealth?
• How many countries make up the Commonwealth and which countries are they?
• We studied the following Commonwealth countries and discovered what it would be like to live in that country; Australia, India, Nigeria, Canada.
• We made craft items that were representative of the country being studied
• People native to these countries came to talk to the families about the differences between living in England and living in their native country.

Many Participants

​Bright Sparks took place over 6 weeks during the Spring term of 2019 providing opportunities for parents/carers to engage with the children in a variety of activities. Each week has a theme which the activities encompass whether it is in literacy, numeracy, computer studies, craft or cooking. We followed the theme of the Commonwealth.
 
If the families require help, the volunteers sensitively empower the parent to help their child. A meal is provided each week for the participants. There is provision for younger siblings, with age-appropriate activities.
 
The following observations were made as to the effectiveness of the session with the volunteers at the weekly evaluations:
 
The parents were increasingly supporting and encouraging of each other, they became more secure as they shared their experiences, frustrations and difficulties. There were positive changes in how the families worked together.  Parents took increased responsibility within and for their families.  Some of the children were beginning to make connections between their choices and consequences, both positive and negative.  It became a place where children and parents shared in the celebrations of each other’s successes and achievements. These outcomes are in line with the aims and objectives of all that we do at Fresh Start.
 
33 individuals attended this course made up of 8 parents/carers, 15 children from 6 families plus 10 volunteers and the Project Manager.
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Our response to Covid-19

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions we have been unable to run this project.

Feedback

Children were asked - Please tell me what was good and what you enjoyed the most.

• "Bright Sparks can't be improved because it is already proved. Making my box.🙂"
• "My favourite activities were making the chocolate chip muffins and making new things/being pioneers!!! Thank you!"
• "Doing all the activities with new people and making food."
• "I enjoyed more arty crafts!!!"
• "I like doing computing with Paddy."
• "I really enjoyed it, I really liked doing the righting and I also liked everyone helping me."

Adults were asked - Any other comments; what worked well, what didn’t work so well?

• "My children have grown in confidence and made friends and talked to people. The volunteer students were lovely. 
• "Loved coming as a family. We can't wait to be able to come again. Thank you all for making it so special!!"
• "The children and myself have thoroughly enjoyed all the activities. Lots of creative things to do with the children, cooking, measuring, design and more opportunities to work as a team too. Great 6 weeks. Thanks all!!"​
• "I am grateful to Bright Sparks and appreciate all the support. Thank you."
• "It was lovely having this regular time to work with all the children. Especially having the support of the other volunteers, so that I could give my attention while the baby was watched. The children enjoyed all the activities, they were paced well and varied. They also really loved the students from the university, who were very patient and caring and have helped the children to see that this (university) could be part of their learning journey too."
• "Having young adults to help the children is a great energy and I could see they got a lot from being around the children.  So it was beneficial both ways."