The children and young people’s theatre company were awarded a generous grant from The Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust earlier this year to create the packs for children living locally. The money received enabled Theatr Iolo to create and give away 350 packs containing craft materials aimed at children aged 5-11, to families who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford them.
The Cardiff based company teamed up with Naz Syed from Ziba Creative to create the packs that included paper, scissors, glue, paints and pens, as well as lots of ideas, instructions and templates to inspire children. The packs were then distributed through local partners including The Riverfront in Newport, Cardiff Food Bank, Grange Pavilion and Splott Community Volunteers.
Sarah Gilbert. Communications and Engagement Manager, Theatr Iolo, said, “Creativity and play are essential for children to develop new skills and use their imaginations, as well as offering them new ways to explore the world around them. But the reality is that many families simply can’t afford to spend money on craft supplies such as scissors and glue. These items aren’t the everyday essential items that families with children need the most, but we don’t want them to remain a luxury either. The grant from The Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust has enabled us to reach hundreds of families and has hopefully brought a lot of joy those who have received the play packs.”
Theatr Iolo hope to create more creative play packs in the future and have recently been selected as a recipient of a Tesco Community Grants. Shoppers in a number of stores in Cardiff can now vote for Theatr Iolo using the tokens provided in store. The charity with the most votes will receive £1500 towards their project.