The Red Hen Project

05/06/2026

This Volunteers’ Week has happened to coincide with our quarterly meeting of trustees. It’s easy to overlook that our trustees are volunteers too.

When we talk about volunteering, we often picture the people helping to deliver services on the ground, for example helping in a supportive role in our drop-in groups, and rightly so. But behind the scenes, our trustees give their time, skills and energy to help guide everything we do at The Red Hen Project. They don’t just “oversee” the charity, they hold a vital responsibility for ensuring we stay true to our mission and continue to support children and families in meaningful, thoughtful ways.

Our trustees help set our long-term vision and strategy, make sure we are well governed, and ensure we are meeting our legal and financial responsibilities. They support and challenge the leadership team, keep us focused on our values, and bring a wide range of experience and perspectives that reflect the communities we work alongside. It is a role that carries real responsibility, but it is given freely, alongside busy professional and personal lives.

To all of our trustees, past and present, thank you for your time, care and commitment. Your contribution shapes the work we do every day.

05/06/2026

A fun week of Red Hen activities for CB4 families - come and be part of it.

🌈 Monday 8th June

SOFT PLAY (U5s)- start your week with smiles, slides & fun
9:30–11am Meadows Community Centre, CB4 2JL
Soft Play can get busy, so we cap numbers to keep it fun for everyone – contact Stacy to book on 07901 562 389 to avoid disappointment.

🎡 Tuesday 9th June

TEA & TOAST – A reminder that there is no session running this week but we will see you next week as normal!

WILD AT THE PARK - let off some steam after school, play games, and have fun together (parents/carers & children)
3:30–4:45pm, Green End Road Park (near Shirley School), CB4 1RS
There’s no need to book, just turn up! For more information, please contact Maria on 07966 839 635

🎨 ️Wednesday 9th June

WELLBEING WEDNESDAY – adult only space for parents/carers
9:30–11am Chesterton Methodist, CB4 1RW
A friendly, supportive and non-judgemental drop-in for parents/ carers. Join us for a drink, a chat and some important ‘me-time’.
For more information, please contact Maria on 07966 839 635, especially if you’re nervous about coming for the first time.

☕ Thursday 10th June

THURSDAY DROP-IN - pop by for friendly chats, support, and community connection
10:15am–12pm Arbury Community Centre, CB4 2LD
If your children are at school or nursery, we’d still love to see you, pop in for any support, or just a chat over a cuppa. Get in touch with Bec for more information, 07832 603 357

😊 Friday 11th June

SUPPORTING CHILDREN - Parenting can be tough, but we don’t have to do it alone!
We’re currently hosting an 8-week group for parents in the CB4 postcode with children aged 3-11 years. This week we will look at challenging behaviour and its impact on the whole family. We will also be sharing lots of strategies and tools to aid parents to navigate this. Contact Hilary on 07577 544439 for more information.



𝘙𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘖𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 2-3:30𝘱𝘮*
𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘳? 𝘙𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴.

Nervous about attending for the first time, or want to find out more?

📞 Message or call Stacy: 07901 562 389

* If you can’t make the date or time, or any of the other activities this week, but would like a chat – just drop Maria a message on 07966 839 635 and we’ll arrange a time to chat

04/06/2026

What a lovely time we had at Thursday Group!

We had a birthday to celebrate, so of course we sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed celebrating together. It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying each other’s company.

As it’s Volunteers’ Week, we also took a moment to say a huge thank you to our amazing volunteers. We are so grateful for their time, kindness and support. Our groups wouldn’t be the same without them.

04/06/2026

This week, during Volunteers' Week, we held our second Volunteer Get Together here at our office at Cambridge Business Park.

With volunteers supporting us in so many different ways, on different days and in a wide range of roles, it is rare that everyone gets the chance to be together in one place. These mornings are our way of changing that, creating a relaxed space to connect, share a cuppa, and hear more about the wider work happening across the organisation.

It was also a chance for the team to say a genuine thank you. Our volunteers are not an “extra” to our work, they are central to it. Alongside our staff team, they help us reach more families, strengthen relationships across our communities, and make it possible to respond in flexible and meaningful ways to the needs we see every day.

The morning was a reminder of just how much is achieved when people give their time, energy and care in different ways, all contributing to the same goal of supporting children and families.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to all of our volunteers for everything you do.

A big thank you to TNS - The New Standard for providing lunch and some lovely goodies for us to give as a thank you to our volunteers.

If you’d like to explore volunteering with us, we’d love to hear from you. Please complete our enquiry form to get started:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=E5Apj0SwTU6SQnPAzVBSmYMfkkbBgnpLnwj4A8l8yfNURU1KSVNIOFZEWDMyRTJZMUtDREs2SktOMiQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

03/06/2026

We had so much fun at Wild at the Park yesterday. It was great to welcome some new families along. Even the sun came out for us!

02/06/2026

Last week, we enjoyed a wonderful visit to Cambridge University Botanic Garden, and it’s safe to say it was a big hit with families! 🌿

From exploring the beautiful gardens and following maps to collecting stamps, getting creative with artwork, and enjoying the outdoor natural play areas, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

We were so pleased to hear such positive feedback, with families describing the morning as relaxing, well organised, and welcoming from the moment they arrived. Most importantly, children had lots of fun, whatever their age, making special memories along the way.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make it such a lovely morning!

29/05/2026

Red Hen has a fun, friendly and family focused week ahead for CB4 families - come along and get involved.

🌈 Monday 1st June

SOFT PLAY (U5s)- start your week with smiles, slides & fun
9:30–11am Meadows Community Centre, CB4 2JL
Soft Play can get busy, so we cap numbers to keep it fun for everyone – contact Maria to book on 07966 839 635 to avoid disappointment

🛝 Tuesday 2nd June

TEA & TOAST - friendly drop-in for breakfast and chat, open to all parents/carers, with or without your children. Today we are having fun with soft play!
8:45–10:30am Hall next to The Good Shepherd, CB4 2ET
There’s no need to book, just turn up! For info, contact Gemma on 07862 386 005.

WILD AT THE PARK - let off some steam after school, play games, and have fun together (parents/carers & children)
3:30–4:45pm, Pulley Park (next to the King’s Hedges Learner Pool), CB4 2XH
There’s no need to book, just turn up! For info contact Maria 07966 839 635

🖼️Wednesday 3rd June

WELLBEING WEDNESDAY – adult only space for parents/carers
9:30–11am Chesterton Methodist, CB4 1RW
A friendly, supportive and non-judgemental drop-in for parents/ carers. Join us for a drink, a chat and some important ‘me-time’.
For more information, please contact Maria on 07966 839 635

☕ Thursday 4th June

THURSDAY DROP-IN - pop by for friendly chats, support, and community connection
10:15am–12pm Arbury Community Centre, CB4 2LD
If your children are at school or nursery, we’d still love to see you, pop in for any support, or just a chat over a cuppa. Get in touch with Bec for info 07832 603 357

😊 Friday 5th June

SUPPORTING CHILDREN - Parenting can be tough, but we don’t have to do it alone!
We’re currently hosting an 8-week group for parents in the CB4 postcode with children aged 3-11 years. This week we will be looking at the brains’ role in our child’s behaviour and feelings. We will also be demonstrating and sharing how to give effective praise and its positive impact on the whole family.
Contact Hilary on 07577 544439 for info

Nervous about attending for the first time, or want to find out more?
📞Message or call Maria: 07966 839 635
📧 Email: [email protected]

26/05/2026

Join us tomorrow - Wednesday at 11am
It’s cool inside the church 😊

Join us for lunch on the Wednesday of half term. We will be joined by Kettle's Yard , Romsey Mill and The Red Hen Project . We will have something for every age 0-16!

Below is a link to register for the event- hopefully this will make signing in much quicker! Complete if you can but come along anyway if you can't and we can do it on the door.

https://thegoodshepherdarbury.churchsuite.com/events/ibizcdu8

26/05/2026

☀️ Fun in the Shade at the Park! 🌳

Hi everyone! We look forward to seeing you soon.

📍 Where: Pulley Park (next to Kings Hedges Learner Pool, CB4 2XH)

🕚 When: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (leaving before the peak heat!)

🌳 Find Us: We will be set up in the shade doing chilled activities.

🎒 Please bring:

💦 Extra water to stay hydrated

🥪 Your snacks / picnic

🧢 Sun hats

🧴 Apply sunscreen before arriving (we have extra with us!)

Let’s keep cool together!
💦 🫧 💦 🫧

Maria & Gemma

22/05/2026

There’s plenty to do this half term – a fun, friendly and creative week lined up with something for everyone.

And you’ll find Red Hen at some of the activities!

🥣 Monday 25th May
Why not get creative and make your own playdough. Just put two cups of cornflower in a bowl with one cup of conditioner and mix with a spoon until it thickens. Kneed with your hands until it’s smooth and soft. If it’s sticky add a little more cornflower and if it’s crumbly add a tiny bit more conditioner.

☀️ Tuesday 26th May
Join Red Hen for a relaxed and chilled morning of outdoor fun at our PARK MEET-UP.
11am–12.30pm - Pulley Park, CB4 2XH
Bring along a picnic, enjoy the fresh air, and spend time with friends and family in the shade.

📖 Wednesday 27th May
As usual, we’ll be helping at the HOLIDAY LUNCH - come along for a bite to eat and fun crafts and activities.
11am–1pm - Church of the Good Shepherd, CB4 2ET

Why not head into town to discover ancient fossils
10am–1pm - Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, CB2 3EQ
Take part in fun, hands-on activities and a fossil trail. Complete the trail and win a prize in the shop.

🐍 Thursday 28th May
Why not visit the Museum of Classical Archaeology .
2-4pm - Museum of Classical Archaeology, CB3 9DA
Enjoy hands-on crafts and a fun trail inspired by ancient heroes. Make a monster, design heroic armour, and unleash your inner hero
Or why not get creative and create a story together. Invent your own characters, draw illustrations, and let your imagination run wild!

🌷 Friday 28th May
BOTANIC GARDENS TRIP!
Cambridge University Botanic Garden, CB2 1JE
We will be visiting the beautiful gardens to explore the plants and peaceful spaces together. This visit is currently fully booked, but if you would like to join the waiting list, please contact Maria on 07966 839 635.

Need some info or a bit of support?

📞Message or call Maria: 07966 839 635
📧 Email: [email protected]

Everyone’s welcome - come as you are!