The directors of Purple Elephant, one of Frome's most well-loved Community Interest Companies, are looking for expressions of interest from potential sponsors.

The directors of Purple Elephant are delighted to have been awarded a grant of £6,000 from Frome Town Council, allowing the vital work of the organisation, established in 2015, to continue in the town.

Originally founded to offer the day-long, annual, free Frome Children's Festival, Purple Elephant has now expanded to offer a number of year-round services, including:

-'Toy Library' lending service with weekly play and learn sessions where families can access basic parenting advice

- 'Small Steps' - a new early years, early-intervention service, giving targeted parenting support to families with pre-school children

-'Befriending' service which offers support for children aged between 5 and 12 years. Initially set up and run via Zoom during lockdown, the support is now transitioning to face to face sessions

The impact of Covid19 clearly revealed a great need for support for disadvantaged and vulnerable families in Frome and local villages. Initially focusing on offering at-home activities for children, Purple Elephant gifted free resources of craft materials, books, games and toys, via schools and Fair Frome, to families on free school meals. As Covid impacts progressed the offerings became bespoke activity packs for children in need of Home-Learning-Support or with Mental Health challenges.

Over 1500 activity packs have been distributed with free, personal, home delivery, allowing Purple Elephant staff to check in with the family, offer doorstep support and refer cases of distress to partner organisations and agencies.

When government ruling allowed, Purple Elephant have also provided:

-'Family Holiday Fun' during school holidays. Activities include crafts, forest school, sport, cookery and fun-science, delivered by experienced activity providers and family support staff on-site, available to assist families with additional needs. This service runs in partnership with Fair Frome who offer a free lunch to all who attend as well as providing volunteers.

There is of course still the much-loved free Children's Festival, with around 30 different activities for children of all ages including theatre, sports, crafts, storytelling, forest school and music. The festival, which hosts up to 3,000 people in non-Covid times, has also now grown to include a training opportunity for young people who help with design and delivery.

Purple Elephant are most grateful that the Town Council considered their application and awarded them this much-needed grant. However, as director Sue Willis explains, "We have gone through a rapid growth in the past 18 months in reaction to identifying and responding to the needs of many vulnerable families in Frome. The support given to us by the council is amazing and now, as we have become more of a vital service-provider than we had ever imagined, we are reaching out to local businesses to please join us as sponsors."

If you're a local business you can get in touch via the website or social media to find about morea about being part of the amazing Purple Elephant community."

For full details and contact information go to www.PurpleElephant.org.uk