St Chad’s Sanctuary celebrates end of term with a party for ESOL students
Abi Martin of St Chad’s Sanctuary writes:
At the end of July we had the most wonderful celebration with our ESOL students and tutors.
We hired the space at the beautiful Martineau Gardens just off the Pershore Road, which is an oasis of calm in a busy city. We welcomed the guests with tea, coffee, and biscuits in the Pavilion where we sheltered from the drizzle. The space was brightened up by bunting that we created with our service users during distribution time earlier in the week. As the drizzle cleared up, we moved to the play area where a group of exceptionally talented musicians played a variety of classic English music as we chatted, explored the grounds, or played giant Jenga and Connect Four. Our competitive streaks were definitively on show!
We then feasted on a lunch of pizza, samosas, and nibbles, followed by cake and ice creams. To work off the lunch, Teacher Jim led us in some favourite games such as the classic Fizz Buzz during which there was much laughter and hilarity! We finished with a group photo and gifts for all the students.
As they left, the students told me that they were so grateful for their teachers and the Sanctuary; one told me that the Sanctuary was like their family.
Everyone said they had an enjoyable time. It was a wonderful way to finish the academic year and a great reminder to us of why we do what we do – to enrich the lives of those we are lucky enough to meet on their journey of life in the UK.