Now more than ever, young carers are in need of the magical sparkle that Honeypot always succeeds to deliver. Whether it be laughter, social opportunities or the chance to unwind, Honeypot has always been there to provide valuable respite to those that need it most.

In response to this year’s challenges, we have endeavoured to develop a digital outreach platform accessible to Honeypot children across the country. Each virtual workshop gives children the opportunity to catch up with those they’ve met on previous respite breaks, as well as making countless new friends. So far, we have delivered sessions involving arts and crafts, baking, games and quizzes and also a daily afterschool Swarm! They have all received huge interest and overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Kirsty, one of our team leaders in Hampshire, told us about an art workshop she recently organised as part of our new digital offering…

“Every workshop starts with children and staff introducing themselves, often with a simple ‘getting to know me’ statement, which gives children the opportunity to gain confidence and feel more comfortable among the group. In this session we all revealed our favourite chocolate bar, because…who doesn’t love chocolate?!

In preparation for the workshop, all participants were asked to collect some autumn leaves. We started by discussing what we noticed about the colours, textures and patterns. We explored patterns by leaf rubbing, using pencil and leaf printing with paint; the effort and focus during this task was wonderful. We then spent the remaining time creating and painting our own autumn masterpieces. As a result, we saw some lovely 3D trees, colourful paintings and leaf animals. The session was very relaxed and sociable, with children chatting and laughing throughout. We even had numerous pets make an appearance, including a chicken, a bearded dragon, a rescue hedgehog and a puppy. It is amazing what magical atmosphere can be created through a computer screen, more so, what wonderful work can be produced! Staff and children are always looking forward to what is to come from the next workshop. All children clearly had a passion for art and engaged well in every aspect.”