Fantastic February Blog Post 2025
- eleanorshaw6
- Feb 10
- 11 min read
We have so much to tell you about what we've been up to since our last blog post, as well as some interesting projects and events happening this February!
Contents
What's been happening?
What's coming up?
Ongoing Services
Donations
We have had a some amazing contributions & donations made over the past few months! Here's a huge thank you to:
Ravenshead & Blidworth Rotary Club, Alka, Gothic Bikers, Gemma Greenhalgh, Pets at Home, Community Soup, Rachel Runel, Home Instead, Tracey Goodman, Rainworth Surgery, The Joseph Whitaker School, EMR, Mary, Pets at Home, Newark & Sherwood District Council, HAF, Nottinghamshire County Council, Walking Football Group, Ben Bartholomew, Kathy Keeton, Lewis Maskery, and annonymous donors
If you'd like to make a donation, please email info@socialactionhub.com or call 01623 490498
Little Ones Pop up shop
We opened our door's for a Festive Fun morning! 🥰 We had an hour of play with Donna, and then spent the rest of the session doing music and movement with Milly 🤩❤️. It coincided with our Little One’s Pop-up Shop!
Everything on our pop-up shop would've gone to landfill if it didn't get donated to us! This made it possible for parents to access cheap baby items to save money during the cost-of-living crisis.
Over 12s Trip to shadow
We had a spook-tacular time at Shadow! A group of us set up a murder mystery at Sherwood Forest (as a part of the amazing event Shadow) and stayed up overnight to support 70+ teams of young people attend and play the challenges of Shadow!
Well done to all of the groups for navigating their way in the dark around the woodland - you did brilliantly!
We finished the night with a sleepover at The Social Action Hub
Thanks for coming everyone
To see what else we do in Over 12's Sessions, click here
Christmas Market
On 30th November 2024, we had a festive Christmas Market and invited local businesses and stalls to sell products perfect for Christmas Gifts. We also held a stall showcasing our Revive Products from our Online Charity Shop! These are products that are saved from going to landfill and are as cheap as chips, and more than half of their retail price.
We raised more than £400 on this event, thanks to our amazing community! Thank you to everyone who came and contributed to our community:)
When is the next Carboot Sale? Click here to see our special events calendar
October Playscheme
We had a spook-tacular time during October Playscheme 🎃 The fun included making Halloween-themed animals 🐈⬛ and werewolf decorations 🐺, as well as carving pumpkins 🎃 that the kids took home. We played party games like hunted musical statues, scary musical chairs, and danced to spooky tunes. 🥳 On another day, the kids made toilet roll dragons 🐉 and clay models 🪨, then enjoyed outdoor play when the rain cleared. We also got into the Halloween spirit with a “spy pumpkin” scavenger hunt 🎃🔎 and lots of party games, dancing 🪩, and singing on the mic 🎤. It was a blast!
Forest School
What a fantastic time we had at Forest School in October 🤩 We did a spooky scavenger hunt in the woods, then foraged for mushrooms 🍄🟫 and made mushroom spore prints! All of us chopped some veggies to go in the chicken noodle soup which we cooked over the fire and tried a bit of 😋 Then we used the bowsaw and drill to make wooden spinning toys! The following week we made Wormerys, toasted Marshmallows, used Sparklers, Made Dens & DIY Forest Crowns
Trips
During October Playscheme we took 2 trips out! The first trip to cattows farm we saw lots of wonderful displays played on the park, did a spooky trick or treat street walk, got trick or treat bags and petted the animals. At Notts maze we carved pumpkins to take home, made scary masks, sparkly wands 🪄 and listened to spooky spell, Lastly we took a track around the maze, getting supper muddy! And discovering the letters and number of mini scarecrows. We all then enjoyed a Hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows.
Free Creative Crafts Course
Did you know we hold a FREE crafts course every Wednesday? It’s not too late to join!
Take a look at the brilliant crafts we’ve made in the past few months 😍 ⏰ 9am-12pm 📅 Wednesdays until 12th March (excluding school holidays)
Here's a few photos to show what we have made in the past few months:)
Course ran by ATTFE - please follow the instructions on the poster to join & use the course code below 👇
Looking for more courses? Follow our Community Learning Facebook Page
5 star Food Hygiene
We are super pleased to announce that we have been awarded our 5-star food hygiene! This covers all our services including The Social Supermarket, Cafe, Youth Community Fridge, the kitchen which we use during Playshceme for the children's meals, and much more!
SatARTdays
Open doors is currently running more FREE activities for young people! 🎨 Art & Creativity Themed Sessions 👥 Young people aged 12-18 🏆 Will receive a Bronze award in Trinity College London Arts - Level 1 👇
Unfortunately if you have not already booked, you cannot book half-way through.
Stay tuned for pictures of completed art workbooks!
Over all 6 sessions young people will get thier hands on experiences discovering and exploring new forms of art, creativity, artists and art organisations.
Held at The Social Action Hub, Kirklington Road, Rainworth, NG21 0JR
First Senior Youth Club Session in Blidworth
Our first over 12’s session at Blidworth was brilliant! We had some new faces & some of our returning young people who came today 😁 We had a few young people that tried out our blindfold sandwich challenge, to earn points& rewards ⭐️ We enjoyed some KFC from our youth community fridge 😋 Thanks for coming! See you again on 7th March 😆
To see what else we do in Over 12's Sessions, click here
Senior Youth club (Over 12's) in BLIDWORTH
On 7th March we will be having our second Senior Youth Club (Over 12’s) session in Blidworth at St Andrew’s Mission Hall!
Please note: session times are slightly different from Rainworth (see below) and is (at the moment) only one once a month. Starting this February!
The session content will be the same as Rainworth - including youth community fridge items & our points and rewards system
Come along to meet the team and to explore our new base for Blidworth Senior’s Youth Club!
All young people who join MUST be in Secondary School - if your child is in secondary school but not yet turned 12 and is no longer suited for our Junior Youth Club, we can make exceptions on a case-by-case basis - please get in touch with us with the details on the poster
Blidworth 6pm-8pm @ St Andrew’s Mission Hall on the first Friday of the month
Rainworth 5pm-7pm @ The Social Action Hub every Tuesday
To see what else we do in Over 12's Sessions, click here
February Playscheme
⭐️ Rainworth Juniors February Playscheme Timetable 2025 ⭐️ We have an amazing “all about” theme this Feb Playscheme, which covers topics like: Rainworth history, Community & Charity, connections, animals & education 🧠
If your child has an ECHP or any additional learning needs/support, please book in a meeting with us in advance so we can discuss ways we can support your child’s needs ❤️
👉🏻£10 (bring your own packed lunch)
👉🏻£13 with lunch provided (will be sandwiches and assorted fruit/snacks 🥪🍎)
👉🏻£5 half a day (morning or afternoon)
Sessions run from 10am-3pm, for ages 5-12
Come and join us!
Book below 👇
For more updates, please follow our Facebook page
FREE Cooking and Food Safety Skills Course
🥘 Cooking & Food Safety Skills 🥘
FREE weekly course that includes cooking activities and learning about food safety!
You will receive a Level 2 Award in Food Safety for Catering 💡 from ATTFE
🗓️ Wednesdays (excluding school holidays)
📅 Starting on 19th March 2025
⏰ 9am-12pm
📍 at The Social Action Hub, Kirklington Road, Rainworth, NG21 0JR
Please follow the instructions on the poster to sign up and use the course code 😊
Looking for more courses? Follow our Community Learning Facebook Page
FREE Community Engagement Training
The Social Action Hub, in collaboration with Nottinghamshire County Council are pleased to be offering this FREE training consisting of three sessions.
You will learn skills which support the Social Hub's mission of connecting people across Rainworth and Nottinghamshire, fostering active listening, and uniting communities to create a county where everyone has a voice and access to the resources they need to thrive.
Delivered by experienced Community Organising trainers with over 12 years of expertise, this workshop introduces the Heart, Head, Hands listening approach—a proven method for sparking meaningful community action, whether small or large.
Book Below!
Looking for more courses? Follow our Community Learning Facebook Page
Valentine's Day Hamper Raffle
Valentine’s Day Raffle ❤️ Tickets are just £1! Come and grab a ticket from any of our services (youth club, the social supermarket, the chatty cafe etc) or the office Monday-Friday 9am-4pm or Wednesdays 9am-7pm Couple’s Hampers value at around £40 each! ❤️
Will be announced on 13th February 2025 via Facebook live - make sure to tune in! Good luck everyone ❤️
Don't miss our announcement on Thursday! Follow our Facebook Page
The Chatty Cafe
Every Thursday during term time, the community gather for a free cuppa and a chat at The Chatty Cafe from 10am-12pm.
The Chatty Cafe aims to reduce loneliness and food waste.
Everyone is welcome!
"A simple conversation can make someone go from feeling invisible to visible"
The Social Supermarket
The Social Supermarket is a donation-based low cost food club open to everyone (no eligibility requirements), that tackles food poverty & prevents food waste.
It is £1 to become a member and you can chose between a £4.50 or a £6 basket.
New items in every week! Including: Pet Bank, Baby Bank & Revive items
A £6 shop is equivalent to £45 in Aldi (price matched Jan 2023), and provides food from a range of supermarkets such as M&S, Tesco, CO-OP, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsburrys, Nando's, KFC, and more!
How do I join?
Just come to The Social Supermarket and fill out a membership form, then you can shop and choose the items you would like!
Opening Hours: Monday 10am-2pm, Wednesday 12pm-3pm & 4pm-7pm, Thursday 10am-2pm
To see what's in store, and for general information/updates, join our Facebook Group
Youth Community Fridge
The Youth Community Fridge is a free service for young people accessing our Over 12's or Under 12's Youth Club that provides food & snacks, which can be accessed at any time during their youth club session.
The YCF provides food from a range of supermarkets such as M&S, Tesco, CO-OP, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsburrys, Nando's, KFC, and more!
Food includes sandwiches, pasta pots, wraps, ingredients for cooking, fresh fruit & vegetables and tasty pastries & treats.
The Youth Community Fridge co-insides with cooking activities within youth club sessions
Under 12's Youth Club & Playscheme
Youth Club
Youth Club sessions run every Monday & Wednesday during term time, providing children from ages 5-12 with FREE fun & educational themed sessions including different games, arts & crafts and activities every session.
Blidworth Youth Club: Mondays 4:30pm-6:30pm at Blidworth Oaks Primary School, FREE
Rainworth Youth Club: Wednesdays 4:30pm-4:30pm at The Social Action Hub, FREE
Playscheme
Youth-club-style sessions that run from 10am-3pm throughout the school holidays!
£13 All day with lunch provided
£10 All day with packed lunch
£5 Half a day
Free & discounted places for children in receipt of benefit related free school meals (or an EHCP) can be offered where funding is available
To see all upcoming timetables, pictures of previous Youth Club & Playscheme sessions, and general information & updates please click here and follow our Facebook page.
Forest School
On Thursdays during the school holidays, we offer an alternative option to go to Forest School.
What is Forest School?
Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth. It is a program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.
Would you like to take a look at upcoming/previous sessions? Click here to find out more.
Over 12's Youth Club
Over 12's Youth Club offers a fun, welcoming and safe environment for young people to have the choice of socialising with friend & playing games, relaxing, accessing 1-2-1 support, and/or participating in youth board projects for the community.
Lots of provision available such as football, movies, discos, cooking sessions, trips, pool, and more!
We have an open door policy, come and go as you please!
C-CARD
C-CARD registration, sexual health and relationship advice available during over 12's sessions. C-CARD Pick ups at any time.
To see what our over 12's have been up to, or for any more information/updates please click here and follow our Facebook Page.
DIY Party Packages
Did you know we hire our building & bouncy castle for parties?
We are offering silver or gold packages with additional 'extras' as a part of a DIY party. Please see poster below for a breakdown of what is included in each package.
£50 Refundable breakage deposit required.
Please note: Bouncy Castle is weather dependable and will not operate in wet weather.
Room Hire
We offer room hire for the whole building or just a room (well-being room, pictures are below) for multi-use purposes, as well as our Forest School Hub. Hires can be throughout the week or at the weekend - if the hire falls on a week day, then this would have to work around our current projects & services and would have staff present in the building during these times (however would not interfere with the hire)
Room Hire Rates: £15 per hour / £10 per hour for charity & good causes
£5 extra for kitchen use
If you are looking to hire, please email info@socialactionhub.com or call 01623 490498 to see availability.
Forest School Hub - Incudes 'The Treehouse' Outdoor well-being room
Animal Food Bin
To make our food go even further, we put all of the food no longer fit for human consumption in our 'animal food bins'.
The bins are clearly labelled with their contents 'Bread & Pastries' and 'Fruit & Vegetables'.
Anyone is free to collect food from the animal food bins at the collection times:
Monday - Friday 9am-4pm
The bins are located outside of The Social Supermarket in front of the grey gates.
Volunteering
We have a range of volunteering opportunities available to suit everyone's needs and availability. Roles can be in support of D of E, Work experience, or general volunteering. You could volunteer in areas such as:
The Chatty Cafe
The Social Supermarket - store assistant
The Social Supermarket - food collector
Youth Club & Playscheme
Community Events (litter picks, carboot sales, fundraising events)
Admin Support
To find out more about the requirements and responsibilities for each role, please contact info@socialactionhub.com or call 01623 490498 to have a discussion.
We are flexible, and will be able to find something that suits you!
Too Good To Waste - Pop Up Shop
On selected Fridays when we have excess food from The Social Supermarket (usually fruit & veg and bread & pastries), we hold a pop up shop.
It is £1 for as much as you like
Available from 9am - 11am
This service is a part of our FoodShare scheme, tackling food poverty and preventing food waste. We try to make all of our food go further, as it is 'too good to waste'!
As the pop up shop is only available on selected days, please join our Facebook Group for updates.
Thank you for reading!
During the months between our newsletters, we will post shorter blogs like this so we can share all of the great things our community has been up to recently.
Our next newsletter will be the 'Spring Newsletter' which will be posted march time.
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