Cassiltoun summer programme alleviates extra costs of school holiday

While many children eagerly anticipate the school holidays, families on low incomes face additional financial pressures over the holiday period including struggling to pay for childcare, extra food, summer clothes and shoes and can also find it challenging to occupy children on a tight budget.

As part of its community engagement programme Cassiltoun Housing Association has been running a series of activities over the school summer holidays that provide free food and entertainment for children and their parents/carers.

This has included:

  • Make it Mondays – an arts and creative workshop for older children/young adults
  • Wednesday afternoon events including ‘Wild in the City’ with Glasgow City Council, Cassiltoun Family Fun Day and Doggy Day
  • Wild Thursdays with Operation Play Outdoors where children get to take part in activities like den building and bush craft
  • Weekend Festival of Games and Art
  • Outings for children and their families to Edinburgh Zoo and a youth trip to Wiston Lodge
  • ‘10 days of fun’ – With funding from the Voluntary Action Fund and Glasgow City Council and working with Ardenglen Housing Association, Castlemilk New Parish Church and other members of Castlemilk food justice network over two weeks to provide children a space to play and entertainment but also free nutritious food.
  • Anna Stuart MBE, chair at Cassiltoun Housing Association, said: “Providing these activities helps to ease the additional pressure that most families feel over the long summer holidays. It is also a great way for us to engage with local people and get their views on the services we provide and what aspirations they have for Castlemilk.”

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