Project summary

The Family Building Club delivers a programme of family learning sessions at community halls in Mumbles, Penlan and Brynhyfryd in Swansea. All activities are designed for, and open to, the general public.

The community aim of the project is to help and encourage different family members to work more closely together, in a relaxed and enjoyable community setting.

The educational aim of the programme is to help both children and adults to better understand their local urban environment, by making models of local buildings and local infrastructure.

At each session, families complete an hour-long project, working together to build a model related to the local built environment, such as: a house, a shop, a bridge, a tower, a railway station and train, a bus station and bus, a leisure centre, a public park, a school, an airport and plane, a factory, a recycling plant, a bicycle and bicycle stand, a children's playground, docks and a ship.

The design and building of such models generates considerable discussion between family members as to the features required in each model, which increase awareness of, and consideration for, the local built environment.

In the first year, we developed a programme of 8 projects, and deliver them on eight different dates in each of the three locations. In each of the second and third years, we will develop a programme of 16 projects, and deliver them on different dates in each of the three locations. The number of projects will be lower in the first year, because of the time it will take to recruit staff, and then develop and fine-tune the first programme of projects.

Delivery will take place each year from September to May, on Saturdays, and/or on Sundays and/or on weekdays during school holidays. The Club will be open from 5 or 6 hours each day, eg 11am to 5pm or 12 noon to 5pm. Families will be able to drop in at any time during the opening hours, and will stay for about an hour as they complete the project on offer that day.

The projects will make use of a mixture of:

a) Project equipment that, once purchased, can be used throughout the three year period (eg wooden building blocks).

b) Project materials that are consumable, and will need replenishing each time a particular activity is delivered (eg cardboard).

Where possible, we will use recycled materials for b) above, eg waste packaging materials from a local shop or factory.