RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden in East Bergholt, near Ipswich, hosts fun-filled day for refugee children

A Suffolk nature reserve has welcomed refugee children and their families for a day packed with activities, which ended ‘with smiling faces and laughter’.

On Tuesday, around ten refugee children and their families visited RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden in East Bergholt, south of Ipswich, to play, build and learn.

The families visited from Essex-based organisation Refugee, Asylum Seeker and Migrant Action (RAMA), formerly known as Refugee Action Colchester.

RSPB volunteer Jean Ward said: “When the children arrived at the garden, they were quiet and felt unsure of what awaited them.

“So, it was great to see them five hours later with smiling faces and laughter, not wanting to get on the bus to return home.

“What a day! They learnt a lot about the wildlife here, got hands-on with all the activities and even found out how to light a fire without a match to start the marshmallow campfire."

The children, aged between three and twelve, built dens, played in mud kitchens, created nature-based crafts, cooked marshmallows over a campfire, searched for insects and spotted birds.

Families from RAMA first visited the wildlife garden in 2022, in a trip organised and paid for by Jean.

This was so successful that they decided to repeat the visit this year, with funding for transport provided by the Dedham Vale area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) and Stour Valley.

RAMA is based in Colchester, Essex, and supports people dealing with the complexities of a new life in a foreign country.

Hasina, a caseworker at RAMA, said: “The volunteers and RSPB staff members who helped on the day have big hearts.

“We would like to thank Jean for extending her invite to RAMA.

“It’s through her vision that our clients have been able to experience RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden and what it has to offer.

“All the activities were so well planned, had a positive impact on wellbeing and created life-long memories for the young children and their mums.”

RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden is designed to inspire visitors with ideas about what they can do to help wildlife on their doorstep.

The site features carved wooden garden creatures and many bird species, including Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Goldfinches and Long Tailed Tits.

Rick Vonk, site manager for the garden said, “Seeing the children and their families get so enthusiastically involved was very heart-warming.

“Making connections with nature and wildlife can help during stressful and changeable times in our lives.

“We look forward to welcoming them back for another visit in the future”.