We know these are challenging times for *Compass Card families, so we’re gathering useful information to help you find things to do while Covid 19/Coronavirus is restricting our movements. We’ll be updating this page regularly as new information comes in.
*The Compass Card is a free leisure discount card run by the Sussex-based charity Amaze for disabled 0 to 25s living or going to school in Brighton & Hove or West Sussex. To find out more about the card and how to apply, click here. To find out more about Amaze, click here.
The Compass Team is still processing Compass Cards! Find out more here.
There are still restrictions in place, but you can get outdoors as often as you like, drive to open spaces and meet up in groups of up to six people who aren’t members of your household outside or in a private garden. If you live alone or if your household has just one adult, you can form a ‘support bubble’ with another household and socialise outdoors or indoors with them. You need to stick to the two metre rule with anyone who isn’t part of your household or your support bubble. There’s more information about the government advice here.
Playgrounds are now reopening and facilities like multi use outdoor sports courts and tennis courts are open. Quite a few Compass Card Partners with open space are open now, including Weald and Downland Living Museum near Chichester, Bocketts Farm, Borde Hill Gardens, Godstone Farm, Marwell Zoo, Paradise Park and Sussex Prairie Garden. You can see a full list of Compass Card Partners that are open or partially open here. The National Trust is gradually opening its gardens and parklands at places where social distancing rules can be observed and you’ll need to book entry in advance as well as booking car parking in advance in some places. Find out more here. Although Tilgate Nature Centre (see their Facebook page for fun learning challenges!) and the playground and outdoor gym at Tilgate Park are closed, the park itself and the Walled Garden Cafe are open. Sussex Wildlife Trust’s reserves across the county are open, although some council-owned car parks on the sites remain closed, along with visitor centres, information offices, bird hides and toilet facilities. The trust is providing regular updates on its Facebook page and there are lots of nature-based activities here if you’re staying in.
If you’re not familiar with local parks, click this link for more information about spaces in Brighton & Hove, this link for East Sussex and this link for information about spaces in West Sussex.
You may just feel like turning the TV on, streaming a movie and getting the popcorn out – but if you want more ideas, we’ve got plenty!
First, breathe…
Creating calm in a crisis. UK children’s charity Childline has created ‘Calm Zone’, a really useful online toolbox that’s designed to help children cope with the current crisis. It includes ways to cope videos, breathing exercises, activities and tools, yoga videos, games and more. Find out more here. Relax Kids, a company that specialises in child relaxation training, has produced a free ‘Calm Pack’ which includes relaxation exercise cards, affirmation cards and activities. You’ll find the Calm Pack here.
You might also find this free online book from Nosy Crow useful in explaining Coronavirus to children. Illustrated by Axel Scheffler who’s famous for The Gruffalo illustrations, ‘Coronavirus: A book for Children’, you can print it off or read it online here.
‘The Book of Hopes‘, a free online book, is awash with hopeful stories, poems and illustrations designed to entertain children at home during the current crisis.
If you’re not a member of Brighton & Hove or West Sussex library services, now’s the time to join! Libraries may be closed currently, but they have a wealth of online resources. Joining online is simple and membership will give you access to e-books, e-comics, e-audiobooks and more.
The annual Summer Reading Challenge has started and you are invited to join ‘The Silly Squad’. For more information visit the Summer Reading Challenge website.
Brighton & Hove: see what the online library service offers here. To join the library service as a new member, click here. The library service is also starting to run online storytelling – the best way to keep in the loop about that is to follow them on Facebook.
East Sussex: find out what’s available online here. Click here to join as a new member. You can follow the library service on Facebook here.
West Sussex: you can find out about all the library services you can access from home here. To join up as a new member, click here. Keep in touch with West Sussex libraries via their usual Facebook page, as well as their new Family Corner Facebook group. West Sussex libraries have joined the ‘Silly Squad’ and they want you to join them too! Once you’ve joined the Silly Squad reading challenge you can borrow and download eBooks and eAudiobooks from the eLibrary. You may be able to choose something from your school library, read a book you’ve got at home, or reread an old favourite that you really enjoy. And this year there is no minimum number of books to read as you can set your own target. To find out how to get involved just click here. West Sussex libraries are also running a ‘select and collect‘ service where you can reserve physical books or choose from a list and then collect them at the door of your local library.
There’s so much you can do online and off!
If you want to encourage children and young people to learn at home, there are absolutely loads of free resources. See above for online services from local library services.
And there’s more. Ok, breathe. If you’re up for it, this US mum’s website reckons they’ve got a list of all the education companies offering free subscriptions while schools are closed. There certainly are a lot here – and there’s some fun stuff at the end too. Click here for more info.
Other educational resources we’ve found
This list, which came from an education professional via the excellent Facebook group Brighton Covid 19 Mutual Aid, is described as ‘a non-exhaustive list that might help those affected by school closures, compiled by home educators’. Thank you to Ruthanne Mofidi Croall Garrett who shared it!
Amaze has put together some useful resources for families in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex. There’s information on health, mental health, education, support from Amaze, social care, appointments and meetings, money and more. Find out more here. In West Sussex, the West Sussex Parent Carer Form and Reaching Families have joined forces to provide information on care, education, health, wellbeing and more here.
Amaze
Registered Charity No 1078094
