Future secured for Tuneful Chatter - Doncaster’s youngest children and their families will benefit from creative activities thanks to a new grant

darts – Doncaster’s creative health and learning charity – has secured the funding following three successful years of delivering Tuneful Chatter activities in 14 different settings across Doncaster.

The three-year £60,000 grant will support children aged 0-5 to develop communication and language skills, and their personal, social and emotional development through free, quality creative provision, improving school readiness. The project will also support the adults around these children, including their parents/guardians and Family Hub practitioners, to feel empowered and confident in using creativity at home and in their practice.  This work will be delivered in partnership with Family Hubs rooted where this support can make the greatest impact.

darts’ Tuneful Chatter project will deliver accessible and immersive weekly sessions in four Doncaster Family Hubs, responding to the rise in developmental delay and additional needs following the pandemic and cost of living crisis. Sessions will be free and open to all, ensuring that every family can take part. 

Sessions will involve music, dance and drama. Through making music, children will develop listening skills and their creativity. Drama will bring stories to life, inviting children to lead their own adventures while dance and movement will provide opportunities for teamwork and turn-taking. The grant will pay for experienced artists to deliver the sessions that model positive parenting; allowing parent/guardians to ‘be silly’ and bond with their children, to tell a story without needing high levels of literacy and build shared experiences of playful interaction.  

32.4% of Doncaster children live in poverty, and Doncaster’s Fairness and Wellbeing Commission highlights worrying statistics including Doncaster having the highest fixed-period exclusion rate from schools in the country. The latest Public Health Annual Report prioritises children, evidencing a real and urgent need to provide Doncaster’s youngest and most at-risk children with equitable and sustainable opportunities to catch up on essential development and build strong foundations to enable them to grow and thrive later in life.    

The grant from Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.

darts’ Director (Creative Learning), Sarah Eastaff said: “We are thrilled to have this support and generous funding from Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons. We have a wealth of evidence that our creative approaches are having a significant impact on the lives of our youngest residents, and this funding will enable more local families to benefit. Our research shows a marked increase in children meeting their age-related expectations in communication, language, personal, social and emotional development as a result of engaging in this targeted activity.”

The charity seeks additional funding to continue delivering Tuneful Chatter in ten other settings, so more families can benefit from the opportunity. For those interested in supporting their local community and making a real difference, get in touch with Sophy at darts for a conversation: sophy@wearedarts.org.uk 01302 341662.

Find out more about the Family Hub sessions here thepoint.org.uk/whats-on