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Hundreds of children across Harlow are keeping busy with creative projects, thanks to a donation of art materials.

As part of a national programme, families in the town have been given Let’s Create packs to enable them to access creative learning during lockdown.

Teachers at Burnt Mill Academy worked with Royal Opera House Bridge and Arts Council England to share the resources from Baker Ross, an arts and crafts business in the town.

The packs included paints, crayons, paint brushes, sketchbooks, scrapbooks, glue sticks, rainbow scratch art magnets, as well as access to creative activities from The Royal Opera House’s virtual classroom.

More than 640 young people in the town requested the packs.

Georgina Woods, head of Year 9 at Burnt Mill, helped to put together and distribute the packs and said: “Burnt Mill Academy staff wanted to give something back to our community, so we volunteered to help pack creative boxes for the young people across Harlow.

“The boxes will enable children to still be creative at home during this difficult time. They will also help to bring families closer together, as the tasks inside can be completed as a family.”

Cristin Casey, director of performing arts at the BMAT group of schools, supported in the co-ordination of the project in Harlow.

She said: “Arts are vital for creative wellbeing and mindfulness, especially at this time when parents may be struggling to keep children occupied each day. Sitting at a computer all day can be frustrating, so to be able to be creative and see a result at the end of it that is beautiful and really helps to keep us well.

“This was a wonderful project to bring opportunities to the young people of Harlow, and not just those within our BMAT schools.

“The support being invested by the Arts Council is really exciting.”

The project has supported families in Harlow, Braintree and Jaywick during the Coronavirus crisis.