It was Thursday afternoon on one of those damp, dismal days in November, with the Manor trying very hard to look its best, but not altogether succeeding. I went down to Temple Park Centre in the middle of the afternoon and joined a group of MASKK playworkers preparing to fetch children from five local primary schools – Emmaus Primary School, Prince Edwards Community Primary School, St Theresa’s RC School, Stradbroke Primary, and Woodthorpe Community Primary School – for after-school play until 6 pm. There was a cheerful atmosphere among the playworker led by Kirsty, and I instantly forgot about the dreary scene outside.
After a while, I set off with Sophie, an apprentice playworker, along Harborough Avenue, to collect children from St Theresa’s RC School. Sophie told me that she enjoys working at MASKK: as well as the playwork she also does regular hours of training with Sheffield City Council. Young herself, Sophie can find balancing freedom with safety for the children quite a challenge, but she gets good support from the experienced playworkers.
We got to St Theresa’s at a little after 3, and before long children were bursting out through the doors, some to their family members, and one girl and three boys, to us – Sophie, Alicia (who had joined us) and me. They were happy to see us and told us they had been doing history ‘about the Stone Age’ and it was ‘boring’, but they remembered that it had happened a long time before Jesus, even 14,000 years ago!
We set off back to Temple Park Centre and instantly joined up with Wes and Holly with six children from Prince Edward School, and the whole gaggle bubbled across Prince of Wales Road and up Queen Mary Road, the children running and jumping, chattering and joking with each other, plainly glad to be let out from the order and discipline of school.
We came to the Pocket Park on Fretson Road and stopped to let the children play for twenty minutes – to work off a bit more spare energy! – before continuing to Temple Park Centre. Here the children rushed in as though to somewhere friendly and fun, and were soon busy jumping in the ball pool, creating dens with tables and drapes, making Christmas lanterns, playing badminton, and havng a host of other toys and activities to choose from.
After a while Lilly served the children with pancakes, carrot and cucumber, biscuits and drinks, and they all sat to have this before continuing to play. I sat with Olivia, Isla and Amber who were enjoying a nice quiet table; they said they liked coming to the centre a lot, and through it Amber and Isla had become best friends. Meanwhile, when I said my name to Jayden, he said I must be Nearly Headless Nick (Harry Potter)! I tried to explain what I was to some children, but the notion of a trustee was a bit of a stretch.
One child struggled to regulate their emotions, but Kirsty and the staff were able to cope with this.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience of the after-school play run, not only because of the exuberance of the children, but also to see with what care all the workers looked after them and how much it was all enjoyed and appreciated.
What dull November afternoon?!
Nick Jowett
Trustee
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