Here at Charter Savings Bank, we’re committed to working with charitable organisations to help towards their success, so we’re delighted to support the amazing work being done by Wolves Play Café.

Founded by mother and daughter duo Helen and Lisa Stallard, their mission has been to help create various safe and interactive spaces throughout the city of Wolverhampton to encourage more children and caregivers to experience diverse and collaborative play together. Some of their play sessions include Wolves in the Woods, Nature Play and Heuristic Play where children can explore the world around them in purposeful and stimulating ways to embolden them to be more curious and inquisitive.

Charter Savings Bank Project: 2022-2023

As we recognise the important and necessary work Wolves Play Café is striving towards, Charter Savings Bank wanted to help fund vital systems so the Play Café could extend their staff capacity and digital resources. With the help of this support, they were able to recruit three new members of staff, invest in new uniforms, expand their play sessions to seven different locations in the city and provide engaging play for 917 under sevens (along with 831 caregivers). They were also able to implement new induction training, including safeguarding, introduction to early years facilitation, DBS disclosure services and first aid, ensuring the sessions are delivered safely. This means more children and caregivers can socialise and learn important ways to make play more beneficial for those involved and the community as a whole.

Working to support those in need

Wolves Play Café has also partnered with another charitable organisation that Charter Savings Bank has supported in the past - The Haven Women’s Refuge, in Wolverhampton With the Play Café’s support, The Haven has been able to provide play opportunities for families accessing their services, meaning that children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to use certain resources are still able to enjoy amazing new experiences and learn new skills.

With the cost-of-living, many families may find themselves in situations where they are struggling to find constructive and worthwhile activities for their younger children without breaking the bank. Throughout 2022-2023, Wolves Play Café has delivered many accessible early years play opportunities and social spaces across Wolverhampton in areas within the top 10% of most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK. Organisations such as the Play Café endeavour to support families and children to create a safe and meaningful network of other families in their community that will help their young ones develop and flourish in a tumultuous time for the nation.

Charter Savings Bank volunteering days

Wolves Play Café are doing exciting, valuable and vital work and we at Charter Savings Bank recognise this and want to help even further. Some of our colleagues have recently volunteered some time to help support with the fantastic work the team at the Play Café are doing. They helped with the maintenance of their community garden by ensuring the pathways were safe for the children to use. They also helped with creating a more comfortable space for their reading area. This will ensure they have a welcoming safe space for the little ones to play in a way that gets them enjoying the outdoors with others in their community.

Director and Co-Founder Lisa Stallard said: “We’re so grateful to Charter Savings Bank for helping support under-sevens and their caregivers in Wolverhampton through play and friendly spaces to come together. The funding received will support vital staff costs and systems to ensure we can offer accessible early years play opportunities across the city as Pay As You Feel to over 1,000 under-sevens and 850 of their caregivers a year.

“We‘re also thankful of the team volunteering scheme which will help support maintenance of our Boundary Way Allotments Community Garden site. This work makes a difference not only to the groups of little ones and their caregivers who attend our weekly outdoor play sessions, but also the wider community groups who use this space and of course the amazing biodiversity on site!”

You can find more about the Wolves Play Café on their website www.wolvesplaycafe.org and social media at Wolves Play Cafe.