Enabling Environments: Beside the seaside

Life's a beach for minded children living in North East Lincolnshire who have access to a seafront chalet. A group of childminders used capital funding to buy the £75,000 holiday home in Humberston Fitties, a coastal conservation area, earlier this year. Since July they have been running it as an innovative outdoor facility for the community.

Helen Weston, childminding networks manager at North East Lincolnshire Council, oversees the group of six childminders who set up a company, 'Beach Buddies', with charitable status to purchase and run the two-bedroom bungalow.

'We wanted to offer something different to the children and find a space away from home. Childminders in the network thought "out of the box" - the chalet actually started life through thinking of an allotment,' explains Ms Weston. It took two-and-a-half years to find and secure a suitable property, with a static caravan also being considered, and gain planning permission.

Sustainability

'The chalet is perfect for use as a base from which children can have positive, quality outdoor experiences,' says Ms Weston. 'Childminders go down with their minded children for the day and explore the sand dunes, find out about wildlife and conservation and talk about beach safety. There are also many resources for them to play with that are bigger and different from those in their childminders' homes.'

The chalet is also used by staff and families from local children's centres.It is non-profit-making but needs to be sustainable, so fundraising events are being held, funding is being applied for and donations are given to use the facility.

With the aim that childminders can just arrive with their children without bringing anything, the chalet is well equipped. There is a bathroom where children can clean up after exploring the beach and a kitchen where they can prepare and eat meals together, promoting positive early language skills. All-terrain buggies enable even the youngest children to go over the sand dunes and enjoy coastal walks. The chalet has an equipment trolley that can be wheeled on to the beach for sand play and fun games. Outdoor toys include a large-scale construction set which has proved a particular hit with many children.

Inside the chalet are soft play equipment, communication-friendly spaces such as dens, water play, low-level mirrors, arts and crafts materials and story sacks. The facilities are particularly aimed at under-fives and those with special needs, allowing them to explore an environment that they might otherwise miss out on.

'The children think visiting the chalet is just like being on their holidays,' says registered childminder and Beach Buddies trustee Sue Rogerson. 'We may be near the coast, but parents who are working full-time do not often have a chance to go to the beach. I met a couple of childminders the other day who had just been for the first time and they could not stop talking about it. They never thought it would be so amazing.'

Community

Ms Rogerson and the other Beach Buddies are so passionate about the chalet that they give up their own time to keep it running. They have meetings once a month to discuss funding and the provision, and there is a weekly cleaning rota to keep it tidy.

Registered childminder Trisha Kersey frequently visits the chalet, which is a 15-minute drive from her home. 'The children get all excited when they hear we're going to the chalet,' she says. 'It's beautiful and straight on to the beach - a little house filled with all the things that children love best. The chalet gives us the opportunity to explore things on a bigger scale than we would be able to do from home. We were there last week, playing with shaving foam and water play. I would have been reluctant to do that on a carpeted floor.'

She adds, 'Ofsted is very keen to make sure we cover diversity, and sadly our own traditions can sometimes be forgotten. Chalets like this one are part of our British seaside traditions and through this we are supporting and showcasing our own community to the children.'