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BAPP Services

 

Bath Area Play Project (B.A.P.P)

is a local voluntary organisation and registered charity. It was set up in 1979 to provide and promote quality play opportunities for school age children during school holidays.

 

Since we began, thousands of children have attended and enjoyed one of our open-access holiday playschemes. They have exercised their right to play and their development has been enhanced and enriched by the unique play experience BAPP offers.

 

We have employed 1,255 people, mainly local people but also students who have gone on to work with children because of the positive experience.

 

We have run 1,319 weeks of holiday playschemes in a variety of locations throughout Bath

 

Provided 19,950 children with a day trip during the playschemes to farms, seasides, adventure playgrounds and Victoria Park

 

Providing 389,200 child places across the city which is an average of 9,500 places every year all for a cost of just under 18p per child per day!

 

Every year, children aged 5 – 16 years of age attend BAPP open-access holiday playschemes. They come to the schemes during the school summer holidays and are free to come and go as they please; just over 70% of children using playschemes are 10+ years old with a 50/50 split of girls and boys.

 

After extensive feedback

and consultation with children and young people during the Summer of 2005 and Easter 2006, the decision was made to trial playschemes with a reduced age range from 5 - 12 years with a separate programme for 12+. This was piloted in Summer 2006 as SOFA06 (Summer Of Fun Activities) as an inclusive programme for all young people aged 12+. Positive evaluations have proved that there is a need for this type of programme and we are seeking funding so it can continue.

 

Playschemes are provided in the more deprived areas of the authority where there is little access to children’s activities. Each BAPP playscheme aims to provide children and young people with somewhere safe to play and meet their friends. Much play is initiated by the children themselves; the staff are there to ensure that any risks are reduced and also to provide a friendly adult to interact with as well as ideas for play development and activities.

 

We endeavour to provide a range of extra activities for children to get involved with if they choose. These often offer more excitement or a new challenge or experience for the children. Past workshops have included photography, batik, screen printing, circus skills, pottery, candle making, drama, huge inflatables, D-Jing, digital music sampling, break dancing, archery and trampolining.

 

Play is every child’s right

and the natural activity of children. BAPP believe that every child should be able to play safely close to their home.

Children who attend BAPP playschemes come because they want to:

 

• Have a go at something they can’t do at home or something new

• Meet with friends and have a drink and chat

• Make up games in a safe environment

• Play where they know there are adults if they need them

• Socialise with a wider group of people including adults

• Access equipment and resources they might not have at home

• Do things on a bigger or messier scale than at home or school

 

Without the continuation of funding from B&NES and other funders, this unique play experience will be lost to the next generation of children due to increased fears from parents of traffic, strangers and crime.

 

 

BAPP recognises and promotes

the importance of play in relation to child development and children's rights.
 

We are committed to providing a range of inclusive and accessible play opportunities for children in their own communities.

 

Under the U.N Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to play in their own community. BAPP is striving to continue this provision to maintain a stable base for children in their own community.

 

We are committed to offering all children a choice of venue and activities, and fully support and promote inclusion. All of our services are open to all children and the playscheme at the Hut has become an inclusive setting where disabled and non-disabled children can play together. Staff manage the space and encourage all children to get the most out of all of the play opportunities.
 

All our Playworkers undertake a full weeks training in play and related issues; health and safety, equal opportunities, communication including Makaton and basic sign language, practical play ideas including adapting games and activities, child protection and issues surrounding disablities. All playschemes are fully registered with OFSTED

 

 

We provide:

 

• Open-access holiday playschemes run in the Spring and Summer school holidays at Southside, Odd Down, Foxhill and Weston.
  Closed access inclusive holiday playscheme at Twerton during Spring and Summer school holidays. Transport may be provided to enable disabled children to access this setting.

 

• Teenage Rampage - a weekly club for disabled teenagers aged 13 - 19 years from 7-9pm every Tuesday evening. Young people make decisions about what they do at the sessions and are supported by qualified and experienced staff.

 

• Crèche at The Hut runs term time only from 9am - 3pm Monday to Friday and is open to all children from birth to school age. Parents/carers should register children in advance.

 

• We also run daily crèches during term time, that run from 9am to 3pm for those who live in the Twerton area.

 

• The TURTLE Toy Library at The Hut allows you and your child aged 0-16 to borrow toys for up to two weeks. Huge range of toys and equipment including dressing up, sports and camping equipment and karaoke machine. Open to settings who work with children in B&NES including out of school clubs, nurseries and childminders.

 

• We host the Play Network which provides playworkers with regular training and support through network sessions held across B&NES 8 times a year.
  Previous Networks have covered subjects such as Games without equipment, Winter crafts, Celebrating diversity and Working with older children. The Network is also trying to establish a Staff Swop where playworkers will have the opportunity to  volunteer in a different setting to their own whilst still being paid by their employer. For further details see the Support section: Play Inclusion Support.

 

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Download the latest Diary of Activities and Events - here

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The Hut Playcentre

 

 

The Hut, formerly a Health Clinic, was acquired for Twerton Play Forum in 1989 from the local authority. Many years of hard work were put into developing the facility by local volunteers all concerned about the lack of play facilities for their children.

The Hut has been used for Bingo, Birthday parties, public meetings, youth clubs, after school clubs, holiday playschemes, parent and toddle groups, as a local polling station and for a variety of training courses and regular groups.

 

In 1996 BAPP joined forces with the Twerton Play Forum to develop the facility formerly used by the Youth Club into a venue suitable for a playscheme for disabled children with funding from the National Lottery. Alterations were made to the structure of the building plus the design and installation of a Soft Play Room (formerly a room used for pool tables) and a Sensory Room (formerly used as a TV room).

 

In 2003/4 work was completed outside to develop the space into a garden using children’s ideas and suggestions which include spaces to hide, somewhere to ride bikes and trikes, lots of nice plants and plenty of water. Tim Robertson from Earthwise and Steve Phillips from Gardens by Hand started an exciting design incorporating a maze, bridge and giant concrete animals after Easter that year. We had a few problems including smashing a water main when the digger was trying to dig deep enough to bury the giant concrete pipe for the tunnel. Projects took longer than expected but HUGE thanks must go to Tim Robertson, who gave up so much time to ensure that the garden was ready for the grand opening by the Mayor of Bath in July.

 

 

The Hut is a well used community resource

which is welcoming and child-friendly and here to stay! It is only a temporary building designed to last 20 years and is into it’s 40’s so we regularly consider the future including a dream purpose built Playcentre... SO watch this space!

 

The Hut is available for hire by families, organisations and individuals. There are a variety of different combinations of space depending on what you need.
For training we recommend the middle room which has toilets and kitchen.
For birthday parties for children we recommend the end room which has toilets and kitchen as well as access to the Soft Play room and garden.
The whole building can be used with the exception of the Crèche room which is unavailable for hire.
Charges vary and we are flexible, so please enquire.
For birthday parties, weekends get booked up well in advance so please ring to reserve a date before sending in a booking form. Hut telephone number is 01225 400018.

 

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Download the booking form for hiring the Hut here

Download the form for for practical arrangements here

Download the set of Hut usage guidelines here

Download the set of terms and conditions here

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