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 restrictions on going outside the home, but recent changes mean if you stick to the two metre rule with anyone who isn’t part of your household, you can exercise outdoors as often as you like, drive to open spaces for the day and meet up in groups of up to six with people who aren’t members of your household outside or in a private garden. Playgrounds are still closed, but facilities like multi use outdoor sports courts and tennis courts are reopening. You can find out more about tennis and golf here. You can see more information about the new government advice here.
Compass Card Partners with open space like Weald and Downland Living Museum near Chichester are currently closed, but we’ll let you know when this changes and you can keep up to date by checking social media for these organisations. 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 Walled Garden Cafe are closed, Tilgate Park in Crawley is also still open. Sussex Wildlife Trust’s reserves across the county remain open. Some council-owned car parks on the sites remain closed, along with visitor centres, information offices, bird hides and toilet facilities. The organisation 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.
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 more about the eLibrary Service here. To join up as a new member, click here. Keep in touch with West Sussex libraries via their Facebook page.
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
