MIDSOMER NORTON LIFE
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BATH RUGBY SUMMER SCHOOL M
idsomer Norton families have been able to enjoy a Summer of free sustenance and activities, courtesy of Bath Rugby Foundation and Welton Rovers Football Club's ‘Summer Break Out’ programme. Running through July and August, the camps, which also took place in Bath and Keynsham, were put in place with the intention of helping young people break free from isolation at the end of lockdown restrictions. Ahead of the event kicking off, Bath Rugby Foundation CEO, Lynne Fernquest, acknowledged the difficulty that some families were facing due to Coronavirus, saying: “We know that, with one in five children living in poverty, there were already huge problems for young people to overcome". It was this concern that led to the idea for Summer Break Out, with the purpose of helping youngsters towards their return to normality.
including fresh fruit and vegetables, from the onsite food bank. Welton Rovers vice-chairperson, Gareth Paisey, said the club were overjoyed to be a part of the Summer camps. He continued, “We have a fantastic facility right in the heart of our town, and to be able to use it to engage and support our local community and help in the fantastic work carried out by Bath Rugby Foundation has been a real pleasure". With the camps having now concluded, all the remaining groceries have been donated to Somer Valley Foodbank, allowing the Summer Break Out's good work to continue to benefit the wider Midsomer Norton area.
What followed was a cornucopia of entertainment for children, including provision from Bath Rugby and Bath City football coaches, plus representatives from the Bath Area Play Project who provided craft based play for the more artistically inclined children. At the end of each session all participants, and their parents, were provided with a warm, freshly cooked meal and encouraged to help themselves to groceries,
After what's been a huge success, there are already plans afoot to bring further regular provision for free activities to Midsomer Norton, with Welton Rovers and Bath Rugby Foundation planning to work on similar initiatives in the near future.
