Skye Gilbert and Courtney Lee from Stafford met while studying BA (Hons) Education Studies and became close friends after they both became pregnant in their second year.
They started the free play group ‘Fridays at Faraday’ as part of their studies and to address concerns about parents and children being isolated in their communities.
Aimed at children between 0 – 5, the group at Faraday Road Children's Centre was also designed to combat the longer-term impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on children, including developmental issues related to speech and language.
“We both needed a placement that worked around our children. When this opportunity came along, we jumped at it although we didn’t know how successful it was going to be,” explained Skye, 32.
“It’s really important for children, especially because it gives them a head start for when they go into school. It’s been really good. We have the same people coming back each week, so it’s nice to see the same children.”
The group was a huge success and was so popular that they had to set up a waiting list. Skye and Courtney also teamed up with a local charity, Hearts & Hands Stafford, to start a food bank at the play group.
Skye said: “We brought nappies, baby food and then people can help themselves. It’s nice to know that you’re helping people who might be struggling but too frightened to speak up.”
In recognition of their support for the community, Skye and Courtney were awarded certificates from Support Staffordshire Volunteering Awards 2023. Last month, the duo celebrated graduating together and delivered a speech to hundreds of fellow graduates and guests.
Courtney originally started on a different degree course before switching to Education Studies.
The 23-year-old said: “In hindsight, I’m so glad it didn’t work out as I wouldn’t have met all the amazing people through this degree, and now I am finally doing something I love!
“It’s helped me gain more confidence in my abilities and more skills. I want to be a primary school teacher so it’s given me that little bit more independence and more confidence that, yes, I can get a group together and organise things.”
Having completed their degrees, ‘Fridays at Faradays’ has now ended but Skye and Courtney hope that other placement students will take on the project next year.
The pair plan to continue impacting the lives of local children by training as teachers and will return to Staffordshire University this autumn to do the Primary PGCE (General).
Skye added: “I always wanted to work with children, but I left school in 2007 with very few GCSEs and low confidence. I didn’t believe I could ever go to university. It was not until my oldest daughter started school that I decided to take the leap and go back to college to pursue a career in education which led me here today.
“I have achieved what I set out to do – to make my children proud and show them that you can achieve what you want if you believe in yourself.”
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