Christa Emmett, our Project and Volunteer Coordinator and Ash Greening joined ten families supported by the National Autistic Society Surrey Family Support Team at Clandon Woods on Monday 22nd August.
There were lots of fun activities for the 19 children who attended including the ‘Where do I live’ magnetic board game supplied by Christa and Ash.
It was a day to explore nature in the reserve and the children were set the ‘matchbox challenge’ (no matches were used!) to find items of interest that they could bring back and share with others. Some of the finds were beautiful including a heart shaped stone.
The children enjoyed watching the wildlife on the ponds and the various insects and animals nestling alongside the planting and hedgerow. The children were fascinated by the bird life including a couple of birds of prey in the sky above.
The children could then occupy themselves back at the spacious Pavilion with panoramic views of the reserve. They could make Pom Pom sensory balls, Salt Jars, stone painting and friendship bracelets. The Surrey Hills Society provided colouring pages of animals and a guide book of what is available in the Surrey Hills.
All the parents commented on how relaxed and happy the children were in this peaceful environment. It was also lovely to see how the siblings worked together harmoniously. The parents were able to relax, talk to other parents and drink coffee. It was a positive experience all round.
Simon Ferrar from Clandon Wood told us how much he enjoyed seeing the families enjoying the facilities and the nature reserve. It fits perfectly with the ethos of encouraging families and young people to enjoy all that Surrey has to offer!
NAS and their families hope to visit again soon and would be happy to visit any other great facilities in Surrey. If you are interested, you may contact them at surrey.familysupport@nas.org,uk.
Mandy Elton
Family Support Coordinator, National Autistic Society