**Summer Playscheme 2020**
Dodington Parish Council has taken the difficult decision to cancel its free open-access Summer Playscheme this year. The Council realises this will be a disappointment to many families.
The Council took the decision at a meeting of the Communities, Leisure and Environment Committee on 22nd April. Members of the Committee took the current Covid-19 social distancing guidelines into consideration, as well as the restrictions in place and the continuing closure of schools. With the uncertainty on when restrictions will start to be lifted, the Committee decided to cancel Summer Playscheme 2020, which would normally be held during the first three full weeks of the long summer holiday. Unfortunately the Council cannot guarantee the safety of both children and staff against possible infection from the coronavirus in the playscheme setting, or even whether the restrictions would start to be lifted in time by the start of Summer Playscheme 2020.
This is the first time since Playscheme began nearly 30 years ago that it has had to be cancelled; it was a very difficult decision and one that was not taken lightly.
The Council hopes that it will be able to hold Summer Playscheme next year in 2021 so that local children will once again be able to join us for three weeks of friendship and fun during the summer holidays.