Just a couple of weeks after starting their new play sessions for children from birth to five, the team behind WyePlay are delighted with how it is going.

At the first session in the Venue in Hill Street, there were 24 families taking part in play activities. The Trustees hope that this will settle to a regular amount of about 15 families, taking into account hot weather etc.

Children can use the soft play equipment, play with toys and take part in craft activities,and then they come together for some singing or to play with the parachute.

There are six Trustees running WyePlay, and Chair of the Trustees, Susannah Jones said it has been a steep learning curve to set up a new charity and it had involved a lot of hard work. She said: “We all have young families and some work full or part time as well.”

When Jump Start, a Ross-based charity had to fold, a group of parents decided to set up a new organisation providing an opportunity for parents to get together for a chat and a place where young children could play together safely.

Susannah explained that at the same time that Jump Start had to shut down the children’s play sessions organised at the Children’s Centre in the Ryefield Centre finished, there was a lack of anywhere in the local area for families with young children to come together. There was a need for a place where children under the age of five could play safely while their parents, grandparents, and child minderscould also make friends. Susannah said that it took a while to get WyePlay up and running started but it was wonderful to open the doors for the first sessions.

Wye Play was born in October 2017 and it has taken until June to get everything in place ready to start sessions. Susannah told the Ross Gazette that Jump Start bequeathed their equipment and van and a very useful donation. There is a charge for sessions, £4 per child, and £1.50 for each additional child, and there are two professional members of staff who lead the sessions, Louise and Steph.

There are sessions on Mondays at Tudorville, on Tuesdays at Much Marcle, Wednesdays at The Venue in Ross-on-Wye and on Thursdays at Bishopswood Village Hall.

Susannah told the Ross Gazette that one of the reasons she thinks parents enjoy it so much is because it gives them a chance to really concentrate on playing with their children, She said at home it is easy to get distracted by housework but at WyePlay, you just play.

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