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The Branton Busy Bees and Butterflies playgroup was able to reopen on Wednesday, April 14.

Leader of the group, Amy Ducker Jacques has been delighted to see children playing together again.

Amy, 35, from Branton, said: “It was so lovely to open the doors again.

“We had toddlers run in that we haven’t seen since they were three weeks old.

“It’s almost as if life has fast forwarded.

“It has been great to see the new and old faces return.”

They are a volunteer run play group and Amy is passionate about keeping it a no judgement space for parents.

“To hear the sound of children playing and laughing was such a relief,” she continued.

“I was anxious that the lockdown babies who haven’t been around other children before wouldn’t know what to do.

“But the older children who have played with us before showed the younger ones what to do.”

The group is not just for the children - Amy wanted to make sure it was a welcoming space for parents who have been isolated during the pandemic.

“I can’t even imagine having a newborn during a lockdown,” she said.

“It’s great for the mums to be able to spend time with others who have been through the same thing.”

Amy said a lot of the parents need the group just as much as the kids do.

After a full year of going it alone at home getting back out into the world has been beneficial for everyone involved.

It is a great space for people to connect and return to socialising in a safe way.

They meet twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The group has been so popular that on average Amy is having to turn away 28 parents a day - they are currently fully booked until mid May.

Due to government restrictions she is only able to have 15 people in the pay group at one time.

You can keep up to date with the group on Facebook here.

Play group leader shares joy of Doncaster children reunited in play after a year of isolation