Exploring the otherlands
SEND friendly Creative Social Walk for Gloucestershire Families
MON 28th october 2024
12 - 3PM
CITY BANK NATURE RESERVE, CIRENCESTER
Join us this Autumn half term for a picnic, play and an adventure around City Bank Nature Reserve!
Experience City Bank in a way you’ve never seen it before as author, Steve Skinley, leads us on a magical journey through nature.
With a map and storytelling, you’ll be guided to explore the nature reserve, hearing all about the characters from Steve’s book ‘The Otherlands’ along the way.
Laugh, play and maybe even get messy! A wonderful adventure for the whole family!
- Enjoy time together as a family exploring the outdoors & being creative
- Share a tasty picnic (free with the event)
- Meet and connect with other local families
- Delivered by artists with years of experience in SEND friendly arts
Recommended for children aged 4-8 years – older and younger siblings are welcome to join too.
Watch this video to get an idea of what you can expect at our events!
RECENT FEEDBACK FROM FAMILIES
“Lovely to be outside as a family. We enjoyed changing positions with the woodland objects and the mobile. Thank you.”
“This was the most fun day ever!”
“I liked when we made the habitat because I got to be creative.”
MEET THE AUTHOR
Steve is an illustrator, musician and performer now based in Stroud. He was born in Cirencester in 1971 and spent his childhood days playing with friends, along the old railway line and in the river at City Bank meadow.
As he turned 50 he decided it was time to write down his memories and recollections from this time in his life.
As soon as he started writing about the places where he and his friends would play and explore, the characters and creatures that he’d imagined lived there, came back to him.
The story of The Otherlands is a magical fantasy, set in Cirencester in the summer of 1979, where beings born inside a child’s imagination are brought to life and set free into a world that exists just outside our own.
VENUE & pRACTICAL DETAILS
General info
- Monday 28th October, 12-3pm
- Choose the amount you pay to take part from £10 per family
- Bursaries available to take part for free and/or to support with travel costs
- This is a follow up event from our SEND family workshops in the summer – returning and new families are welcome to join this special event.
Meeting point and picnic
- Meeting point is Cirencester Opportunity Group where we’ll enjoy a picnic in the forest school.
- The address is Beeches Road, GL7 1BW.
- Free on-site parking and local bus stops
- Wide entry gates to the venue. Access to the forest school is across grass.
- The are some narrow passing points in forest school area. Expect mixed levels and terrains.
- New compost toilet facility in the forest forest school: there is a narrow slope upwards to access, no handrails in the toilet.
Exploring The Otherlands
- The main creative walk and storytelling event takes place at City Bank Nature Reserve.
- We will walk there as a group from Cirencester Opportunity Group. This will take about 20 minutes with some stops along the way.
- We will cross two roads on our journey to City Bank. We’ll also stop by a bridge which has river Churn running underneath.
- The terrain is a mixture of gravel, grass and concrete.
- The storytelling adventure at City Bank is accessible for wheelchair users and buggies. There is another bridge and section of the river Churn there.
- We may see other people while at City Bank, including dogs which are allowed off lead.
- There will be time for a run around and play at the end before we head back to Cirencester Opportunity Group.
- The event will finish at Cirencester Opportunity Group at 3pm.
how to get involved
If you and your family are interested, please complete a booking form. We’ll be in touch with more details ahead of the event.
If you’d like to talk to us before booking, contact Louise:
Phone: 07876 773775
Email: hello@HoookAndLoop.org.uk
We look forward to meeting you!
These sessions are part of Active Impact’s Of Course We Can programme and are supported by funding from Gloucestershire County Council.
Cover image credit: The Otherlands by Steve Skinley book illustration by Crumps Barn Studio.
this project is supported by
