Book Places Now: Sizzling Summer Holiday Free Entertainment Lined Up For Cumbernauld Children

Giant Games, Creative Kids and Family Discos are returning to Cornerstone House during the school holidays this July and August courtesy of Cumbernauld Family Hub, with parents and caregivers encouraged to book places as soon as possible to ensure their children don’t miss out on the free summer fun.

The innovative Giant Games Session, providing a unique experience for children which has to be seen to be believed, will take place on Wednesday 19 July 2023 from 11.00am-2.00pm at Cornerstone House (1 Esk Walk, Cumbernauld, G67 1BZ). This fun and informal gathering will enable children and families to play enormous versions of household games together, including a range of classics such as snakes and ladders, Connect Four, Ludo and skittles.

If getting messy and using imagination is more your child’s forte, Creative Kids taking place at the same venue on Wednesday 26 July 2023 from 11.30am-1.00pm could be right up your street. This encourages children and parents / caregivers to bond through getting creative together in a supported and safe and friendly environment.

Attending children will have the opportunity to be assisted to make a range of decorative items on the day. All necessary materials and resources will be provided by session facilitators, with other general arts activities such as colouring-in and painting also available.

As the school holidays draw to a close, children and families have the opportunity to squeeze in a final bit of excitement by dancing their way to a lively Summer Family Disco being delivered by popular local DJ Steven Murray on Wednesday 9 August 2023 from 1.00pm-2.30pm at Cornerstone House. Characters In The Community, a Cumbernauld family entertainment service which provides fun and friendly dressed up characters to meet local children, will also be present on the day.  

The summer entertainment doesn’t stop there, with some Cornerstone Family Movie Days also being planned for the school holidays and to be announced later this month. These will be screened on the large state-of-the-art contemporary digital cinema projection screen that was recently fitted within Cornerstone House, helping to recreate an authentic cinema experience for local families.

So, with rainy weather forecast for much of the school holidays, why not let your family join the fun by participating in the Cumbernauld Family Hub events over the coming week? An open invitation is extended to all, including those who have never previously attended events at Cornerstone House.

All activities are completely free of charge, although places must be booked in advance by contacting Cornerstone House Centre on 01236 739220 or by emailing familyhub@cornerstone-house.org.uk. Bookings can also be made through completing this direct Contact Form.

Measures remain in place for those still feeling cautious following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These include clear instructions for safe walking routes around the premises, the installation of several hand sanitising stations and Perspex screens at reception and other areas where Centre staff and volunteers are operating.

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WHAT IS CUMBERNAULD FAMILY HUB AND HOW CAN MY FAMILY GET INVOLVED?

In 2017, an innovative Cumbernauld Family Hub project was established by social enterprise charity Cornerstone House Centre. The initiative was developed as a new type of local family support resource that mixes activities which strengthen positive parent-child bonds with informal and non-formal learning to enhance skills and create resilient families.

Supported by The National Lottery Community Fund, the free service seeks to tackle inequalities, reduce poverty and increase opportunities for family members of all ages within Cumbernauld, a multitude of aims and objectives were targeted during each of the three years of the second project.

Regular activities include school holiday programmes for children and families, coordination of weekly Bookbug and Stay and Play sessions, facilitation of the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based personal development course Living Life to the Full, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and other activities focusing on physical activity, creative play, education, social interaction and health and wellbeing.

As part of Cumbernauld Family Hub, optional Individual Family Development Plans can be created together with and for each family participant, with a view to ensuring that each beneficiary receives the optimum support and outcomes from their involvement.

A new Evaluation Report published this month has evidenced that the Family Hub has initiated a range of positive impacts over the past three years, including improving quality of life for families experiencing poverty and hardship, notable health and wellbeing benefits for children and parents, and increased quality in parent-child bonding.  

Another noteworthy aspect is that Cumbernauld Family Hub has been lauded both in North Lanarkshire and nationally by esteemed partners and colleagues as one of Scotland’s most innovative projects in relation to improving family life for local people. It has been held up as a model for good practice in this respect, with voluntary sector organisations in other areas expressing interest in replicating a similar structure.

Local citizens can stay informed about the latest news, events and activities of Cumbernauld Family Hub by following Cornerstone House Centre on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.