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Barton Stacey Primary School

Base Club

Mrs Cobb & Mrs Cousins run Base Club to support our Military families.

Autumn Term 2023

Autumn term, as always, was a busy time for Base Club. We begun with some 'getting to know you' sessions, with those attending having the opportunity to introduce siblings or themselves and see the changes and new faces. We also held our first Key Stage Two only session to give our older children the opportunity to talk about their worries and concerns or dreams and ambitions openly, without smaller children. This session was great - it was suggested by some of our parents and worked a treat, helping that sense of belonging to forge amongst our oldest military children.
We also spent time preparing for Remembrance, creating a wreath and reflecting on what Remembrance means to us military families. Two of our eldest children represented the school incredibly well by laying a wreath and saying the Kohima prayer at a full RBL service, alongside our affiliated RBL unit, Sutton Scotney. We were given so many wonderful comments and thanks about these two children for their sense of occasion and maturity in fulfilling their duties. We are all very proud of them!
In the second part of the Autumn term, after Remembrance, we began to think about Christmas. We did so many craft projects whilst spending time together talking and enjoying each others company. It was glorious!
This term will see us take part in 'Fundraise February' where we will do our best to raise much needed funds for the incredible military children's charity  - Little Troopers. 
Can't Wait!

Base Club Tea Party 2023

To end a fabulous Base Club year, yesterday we celebrated our extraordinary community with a wonderful afternoon tea. Our military children were joined by their parents and members of our local, affiliated, Royal British Legion Branch; Sutton Scotney RBL.
We met in our wellbeing and peace garden in beautiful July sunshine before heading out of the sun and into the school hall. We mixed ourselves up and sat, child and adult, and chatted the afternoon away. We enjoyed sandwiches and crisps and, in true afternoon tea style, followed up with a pudding full of cakes, biscuits and treats. We were also fortunate enough to have a fantastic cake, made by a year six pupil and Bake Off future contestant, Annabelle. The cake, topped with raspberries, was full of hidden sweeties which cascaded out when we cut into it - it was a real showstopper!
Our afternoon tea is something I look forward to. Having the opportunity to observe our youngest generations sit alongside older generations and find belonging and community in shared experience is a real privilege. Hearing conversations unfold about postings to the same place, 30 + years apart is incredible and shines a real light on how small and connected our military world is. So many stories were shared and bonds forged. 
We are so grateful for our affiliation with Sutton Scotney RBL. Our close relationship means so much to our Base Club children who write to their RBL pen pals regularly and meet a few times a year at events such as our afternoon tea. For our military children this adds so much to their identity, sense of self and shared sense as part of a special and unique military community. Feelings I know are shared equally with the members of the RBL, who gain so much from their connection to the communities' younger generations.  This was brought into focus yesterday when I was told "Thank you for this, I have looked forward to it for so long. It's one of my most favourite events. These children have so much to give."    
And really, that's what it's all about!

Summer 2022

On Armed Forces Day the Royal British Legion came to visit and gave us a certificate. This means that we are affiliated (joined to) the Sutton Scotney branch. In Base Club we have been writing to our pen-pals at the branch. During Armed Forces Day at school we played lots fun games linked to communication. We explored semaphore, Morse code, Lego bridge building, the phonetic alphabet and lots of other cool stuff. After we talked to some Armed forces veterans from the Royal British Legion and ate biscuits (they were good.). We had a really great day and it was nice that all the children got to join in and have fun and learn about what life is like for military children and families.

Autumn 2021

Base Club has been a little quiet of late.  After months of 'bubbling' we managed a small amount of club meetings before, sadly, we went back to bubbles. In our group sessions we spent a fantastic afternoon taking part in the Little Troopers workshop which was amazing.  All the children had a great time getting to know each other through role play and games.  We spent quite a lot of the afternoon laughing!

  
   

Sadly, at the time of writing, we are still in bubbles, but we have been checking in on each other as we see one another around school.  Two of our oldest Base Club members represented school at the Sutton Scotney Remembrance parade on Sunday 14th November 2021.  Thomas proudly laid our wreath, which he had also made the art work for and Annabelle clearly and beautifully read the Kohima prayer.  Both children performed their task, in front of over a 100 people, with diligence, attentiveness and pride.

I also had the great pleasure of being invited to attend the Royal British Legion Centenary dinner held at Worthy Down Officers Mess. The evening was thoroughly enjoyable and the company was wonderful.  The RBL are really keen to strengthen the ties we began to build before Covid-19 rather rudely interrupted us. More news on that when I have it!

Summer 2021

In April 2021 Mrs Cobb was asked to write a blog for the Little Troopers website. Click HERE to read her blog. 

Little Troopers is a registered charity supporting all children with one or both parents serving in our British Armed Forces (regular or reserve). Their website provides lots of useful information for children and parents. 

https://www.littletroopers.net/