Get your thinking caps on! Southern Regional College’s (SRC) new Sustainable Resource Centre is helping parents, community groups, playgroups, schools and nurseries spark children’s imaginations through free materials for creative play.
Based at the College’s Lurgan campus, the Centre is currently the only play resource centre in Northern Ireland. The Centre collects donated materials from local businesses and factories and giving them a new lease of life and purpose, all whilst while helping parents, educators and community organisations access free resources for activities.
Following an initial launch for College students and staff, the Centre will open to the public during the week beginning Monday 2nd November 2026. Its regular opening hours will be Wednesdays from 4pm to 7pm and Fridays from 9.30am to 1pm. Visits and materials are completely free, with visitors asked to book a slot in advance.
The Centre is currently stocked with a vast range of materials from large sheets of cardboard, flat packed cardboard boxes, rigid cardboard tubes, soft foam shapes, textile fibres, fabric offcuts and much more, all suitable for role play, STEM challenges and arts and craft projects.
Thinking of building a rocket ship for space play? Why not repurpose the Centre’s flat packed cardboard boxes to build the rocket ship and use plastic tubs as flame thrusters and get ready for an imaginary adventure into space. Entertain little kids and big kids for hours as they design, build and decorate their creation, developing those all-important creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
Or, with Christmas approaching, why not create a Santa letter-writing station, complete with envelopes for those all-important Christmas wishes. The possibilities are endless! In need of inspiration, have a chat with staff and student volunteers and come up with lots of ideas to turn available materials into engaging projects.
Whether you are planning a classroom challenge, refreshing a playgroup’s supplies or looking for a rainy-day activity at home, SRC’s Sustainable Resource Centre offers plenty of possibilities.
