New Ark has an Adventure Playground, Eco Centre and City Farm and provides a range of services and play facilities for children aged 0-16 and their families, young people and adults.
We run a Toddler group, Preschool, After School Club (with walkover service from Newark Hill Primary Academy) and Holiday Club and strive to keep our charges as low as possible to try to ensure that lack of money does not prevent anyone from enjoying our facilities. We are continually seeking ways to add value to our local community and work closely with our local special schools who love to bring their children to visit.
At New Ark there are opportunities for volunteering for young people and adults of all ages and abilities – including enrichment activities for Duke of Edinburgh and Princes Trust.
We provide placements to Animal Care students and we also deliver our own animal care courses to students from local colleges.
We offer social mornings for adults with additional needs, and find that our farm provides a safe and supportive environment where vulnerable individuals can develop their skills and self-confidence.
We cater for group and family visits, and according to the feedback we’ve received from parents we host the most awesome children’s parties!
We also run a Play Support Service and accept referrals from local primary and secondary schools to work with children who struggling to cope in mainstream school and are at risk of exclusion. Many of the children referred to us have experienced trauma arising from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), such as being placed in care or witnessing domestic abuse. They also often present with neurodiversity factors (e.g. Autistic Spectrum Disorders and ADHD) which compromise their ability to manage strong feelings in positive ways.
Everything we do has a strong focus on the outdoors and we engage the children in hands-on activities that develop their interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities, emotional self-management, resilience and coping strategies.
We have found that being around animals is very therapeutic for the children who build a unique bond with the animals which boosts their emotional health. Children thrive at New Ark and we see their confidence and self-esteem flourish by employing this different approach to learning.
We also work with our children in our Eco Centre garden and woodland where they are encouraged to explore and develop their understanding of our environment and become immersed in the world of nature.
Our traditional Adventure Playground provides a different range of sensory experiences and boosts our children’s confidence and physical health by providing opportunities to run, jump, balance, climb and swing. We encourage our children to explore and take risks safely in a controlled environment.
At New Ark we believe very strongly in children’s right to play. Play is a child’s natural way of learning about the world, themselves and other people. We know from experience that children need play opportunities that encourage exploration, adventure and enterprise, and having enough time and space for play increases children’s health and happiness.
We know that play makes life exciting, interesting and fun and this is why play is at the heart of everything we do at New Ark. We have been bringing joy to children, young people and adults of all ages at New Ark for more than 48 years and we hope to continue to do so for many years to come.
