Summer Activities in Sutton

Many people have been telling me how tough it is at the moment with the cost of living crisis and high inflation. It’s difficult for everyone but particularly hard if you have small children. So I am delighted to say that Sutton has a lot of free and low-cost activities to offer our youngsters over the summer holidays.

Following the excellent Sutton STEAM Fair, there is a Summer Calendar of events full of family theatre shows, children’s craft activities and adventure trails.

We are very lucky to have Sutton Ecology Centre in the borough and they are open for exploration with nature trails and alternative looks at Sutton’s biodiversity. There are also child-friendly walking trails, where there is an opportunity to see why we are one of the greenest boroughs in London.

Please do encourage all children you know, from four to eleven years old, to join the Summer Reading Club. This is an initiative to get children to read six books over summer, and by signing up to the club there is the chance to win prizes for themselves and for their school.

The Council’s summer Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is available from 31 July to 1 September, providing free fun activities with nutritious meals, suitable for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Activities are free for students receiving benefits-related free school meals. Additionally, residents can see if they are eligible for Holiday Food Vouchers.

I am delighted that we are offering, at a small cost, family cycling sessions at the David Weir Leisure Centre for those with accessibility needs. There is also Keen 2 Go; who run a programme of events and activities for young people with autism and learning disabilities, and at Honeywood Museum in Carshalton there will be Quiet Day activities for visitors with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

As I mentioned last week, Sutton is lucky to have so many open spaces and ‘award winning’ parks for everyone to enjoy. So whatever you do this summer, I really hope you and your family and friends take some time to enjoy all that Sutton has to offer.

Councillor Ruth Dombey
Leader of the Council