MONEY set aside for Easter events at a Keighley museum have instead been used to purchase art supplies for the town's children.

Packs of art and crafting materials have been delivered to over 200 children across Keighley to help stop them getting bored while they stay at home during the coronavirus outbreak and what would have been their Easter school holiday.

The packs were the idea of Bradford Council’s Heritage Parks Officer who put them together using money set aside for activities at Cliffe Castle Museum and Park that had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Events at the park and museum are among the highlights of the Easter calendar.

Theatre group delivered arts and crafts to families stuck at home

Each of the arts packs contain a sketch book, a copy of the Cliffe Castle activity book, crafting items and a small chocolate Easter Egg.

Craft items including Easter Eggs were also donated by the Cliffe Castle Support Group, who were due to hold an Easter Egg Hunt at the Keighley museum and park.

The bags were given to the Highfield Community Association, the Bangladeshi Community Association, Roshni Ghar Mental Health and Wellbeing Women’s Group, Keighley Salvation Army Foodbank and Keighley Healthy Living who all work with vulnerable families and children.

These Keighley organisations then delivered the packs to door steps whilst maintaining the social distancing rules of being 2m from people you don’t live with at all times.

Dan Palmer, Parks Heritage Officer at Bradford Council, said: “I just wanted to be able to do something to help the local children who would have been coming to Cliffe Castle for the Easter activities, but due to the coronavirus pandemic have to stay at home.

"I figured that as the kids can’t come to the park and museum for the event, then we could take the materials from the event to the children. I spoke to the Cliffe Castle Support Group who we were working with on the event and they kindly donated extra craft materials as well as the Easter Egg prizes that were due to be given out at the event.”

Elaine Cooper from the Cliffe Castle Support Group, said: “We are delighted to be able to help with this. It must be so hard for children to make sense of what’s happening at the moment and coping with the changes to their routine due to not being able to go to school. They are also missing out on their usual Easter school holidays and all the activities that have had to be cancelled.”

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “This is an excellent initiative to help children at this difficult time, especially those who might not have the same access to online activities or crafts as other children. I hope the children enjoy using the materials in the packs and we’d would love to see photos of the things that they create.”

All Bradford Council museums and galleries are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and all play areas and equipment in council parks are out of bounds to help prevent the spread of the disease.