Why playhouse's creator Caroline is jumping for joy
A CHILDREN'S attraction responsible for "putting Howden Clough on the map" has been nominated for a national award.
The Wesley Playhouse was created at Howden Clough Methodist Church two years ago by Caroline Holt.
The soft play area has now been nominated for Best Church Project 2009 at the national Inspire Awards, held at Westminster.
Caroline said the Nab Lane playhouse began as a project to help the church to serve its community, and resulted in a popular play area used by people across the country.
“It’s so amazing that this is where we are two years down the line, having seen 24,000 people through the doors since the playhouse opened,” she said. “It’s so phenomenal, especially for a church building.”
The playhouse was nominated for the award by a volunteer and Caroline said after being interviewed by the editor of Inspire – a Christian magazine – in March she had almost forgotten about it.
She said: “I didn’t hear anything until September when the article appeared and in October we heard we’d been shortlisted to one of three projects. I don’t know how many it was out of, but to be down to the last three is quite an achievement for us.
“I never expected any of this, it’s so great for this to happen in our neck of the woods.”
Caroline said her new ambition was to make the Wesley Playhouse as big as the Wacky Warehouse brand for small communities similar to Howden Clough.
She added: “Of course it was hard work setting it up, but this has made it all worthwhile – seeing the pleasure it’s brought to all the people who have come through the doors and to beat national competition to be nominated for this award.
“The playhouse has helped put Howden Clough, especially the church, on the map and I’m so glad to be a part of it; it’s been an amazing story.”
Batley MP Mike Wood will be joining Caroline at the awards ceremony in London today. He said: “I’m delighted to be invited to attend the Inspire awards to support the Wesley Playhouse.
“The fact that they’ve made the final shortlist of three, after competing against church projects from all over the country, comes as no surprise given the exceptional work they do. I very much hope that they win.”
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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