MORE than 1,500 people came together at the University of Worcester’s Lakeside Campus for this year’s Children and Families Festival.
The event, led by staff and students in the university’s Department for Children and Families in partnership with Nurture Families and Nurture Kindergarten, combines play activities with opportunities for families to meet local charities and support organisations.
Festivalgoers of all ages took part in kayaking, ziplining, up-close animal encounters, playing on inflatables, meeting pets as therapy dogs and much more.
Dr Emma Laurence, organiser and lecturer in the Department for Children and Families, said: “It was a brilliant day, and the weather was wonderful. What was really special is that we were hoping people would make new connections at the festival, and 75 per cent of respondents to our feedback survey said they’d made one they plan to follow up on.”
Now in its second year, the festival has grown rapidly, with capacity doubled after tickets for the previous event were fully booked.
The event was arranged by Early Childhood students at the university.
Dr Laurence added: “They did incredibly well. The energy they brought to the day was inspiring and unending, and we could see that they were so proud of themselves and in awe that they’d organised something of this scale.”
