Wolves Play Cafe was founded in 2018 by mum and daughter Helen and Lisa
with a passion for play and Wolverhampton!
Meet our team of passionate people below
Wolves Play Cafe's mission is to help create a safe, supportive and fun city for children of Wolverhampton to grow up in.
We do this by delivering play across the city in partnership with other great organisations who share the same values such as other CICs and charities, community centres, gardening and allotment groups and schools and nurseries , creating and delivering Pay As You Feel stay and play sessions and distributing Play at Home Packs to families across the city.
Our exploratory play opportunities are unique in the city and aim to empower parents and caregivers with ideas, skills, take-home resources and confidence to continue play and support development long after our sessions. Our aims:- To facilitate varied, open-ended and carefully scaffolded play opportunities to support development and independence of children under 7 and primarily those under 5, in our city - To create a caring and cohesive community in our hometown - helping reduce feelings of isolation of caregivers of young children by providing safe, friendly, welcoming and diverse opportunities to enable valuable stories to be shared - To empower caregivers of young children to support their knowledge of children’s development to help create lifelong impacts for little ones’ lives in our city 2019 We began playing in pilot play sessions in February 2019, talking with caregivers and listening to what’s important for play for young children in Wolverhampton. We continue to listen and share stories by delivering a range of carefully developed early years stay and play sessions in community locations and schools across the city. Spaces have included Gatis Community Space, The Light House, Wednesfield Community Centre and All Saints Community Centre. Wherever possible, sessions are Pay As You Feel or subsidised by funding to create accessible play opportunities. 2020 We became a Community Interest Company in July 2020 and opened our online shop with Play at Home resources and gifts to help strengthen the organisation and further our investment into accessible play across the city, particularly in this challenging time. Our Covid-19 response has included Play at Home Packs Project and outdoor play sessions in parks and community gardens throughout Wolverhampton. 2021 In May 2021 we made our first new additions to the team since establishing, recruiting to two new Play Explorer roles to support administration and play sessions. Reflecting our organisation’s ethos, both Play Explorers, Louise and Marie, are local beneficiaries who attended sessions and are now contributing new expertise to the development of Wolves Play Café while building on skills in early years development and business management. Since May 2021 we are also now supported by our community of volunteer Play Tester Families, a team of local beneficiaries who help shape our future activities and direction through evaluation of current and planned sessions and products. 2022 and beyond! We are working towards a permanent home for Wolves Play Cafe and want to learn along the way with everyone so we can keep creating a fun and friendly place for children and caregivers of Wolverhampton to enjoy. If you have any ideas or would like to support and help build the organisation in any way please get in touch, we'd love to talk to you! |
Get in touch
We're always looking to hear from people who share our passion!
Email: info@wolvesplaycafe.org Call: 07487546416 |
Wolves Play Cafe is so grateful of our funders and partners who are also passionate about play!
With thanks to:
The Light House
Gatis Community Space Boundary Way Project All Saints Action Network Wolverhampton for Everyone Low Hill Nursery School |
Midlands School of Social Entrepreneurs
Rotary Club of Wolverhampton Millennium Point Charitable Trust Grantham Yorke Trust City of Wolverhampton Council and local Councillors |
Wolves Play Cafe is a not-for-profit organisation, all funds are invested into supporting young children and their caregivers in our city.