We were so thrilled to have Föreningen Sveriges Socialchefer and Suffolk County Council with us at our Hitcham visit yesterday. (FSS is an independent social policy association that, based on profession and available knowledge, works for the development of Swedish welfare). It was a great chance to be able to showcase our work in real life to our Swedish visitors.
We came to their attention through the ESSA Award last year and when they arranged to visit with Suffolk County Council, they asked specifically if a visit with us could be arranged. We were delighted to oblige. We were also joined by Michael Parker-Canham, Executive Assistant to Georgia Chimbani, and Fiona Davis, Assistant Director for Safeguarding and Quality Assurance, from SCC.
Everyone enjoyed chatting to our Hitcham visitors who had laid on a lovely spread for them and were so welcoming and eager to tell them about us and about the help they have received. There were a few rounds of kurling and professional quilt maker Rosemary Muntus, who had kindly given us some guidance in making Sally’s Community Blanket, shared her expertise in a talk about her craft, and displayed some examples of her work.
The Swedish delegates spoke really highly of the visit and their interactions with the residents. They mentioned how they felt so welcomed and touched by the stories and kindness to them, and they saw how the impact of the caravan bringing people together to that place at that time meant those things were able to happen.
All in all, a wonderful, bustling visit – and we would so love to see a Swedish Rural Coffee Caravan one day!
(Header photo credit: Michael Parker-Canham)
