With the summer holidays days away, we have announced a brilliant programme of events for visitors of all ages to enjoy. No, Liverpool might not be the Maldives, but here at the Palm House, we have our own little slice of the tropics where sunshine and warmth heat our ‘giant conservatory’, whatever the weather.

Even when it’s grey outside, we’re the perfect place to visit for a little wander through our greenery, a calming cuppa or an ice cream, and we also have a raft of things to enjoy over the summer holidays.

If you want to craft, create, relax, meditate, learn something new or just enjoy an evening of good food and entertainment, we’ve worked with other organisations across the city to curate a steady stream of events and activities to suit everyone.

For our younger visitors, we have a Teddy Bear’s picnic (12 August), yoga (5 August), craft and story time sessions, and older children can also enjoy our free art workshops taking place over four Wednesday afternoons over the summer, with all art materials provided, and a collaborative artwork will be created which will then go on display.

Grown-ups are also catered for, with good coffee available in our café while little ones enjoy their activities, but if you fancy booking a babysitter for a well-earned break from the frenzy of the summer holidays, our Cheese & Wine Night with Penny Lane Jazz Band on Sunday 10 August will be fantastic. With cheese supplied by Liverpool Cheese company, who could say no?

We also have our Tranquil Tuesday sessions carrying on through the summer holidays for those who need some time out and relaxation with Pilates and meditation sessions taking place operated on a ‘pay what you can afford’ basis.

As a charity, we’re grateful for all the donations we receive from visitors and events, and even buying a coffee or a slice of cake in the café can have an impact on our ability to run our free events programme, and to add value to the lives of our local community.

We really hope to see you ‘under the palms’ at some point over the summer, starting with Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) on Sunday 20 July, between 12 and 5pm. This is an unmissable highlight in our calendar, and we know it will kick off our summer events programme with a joyful celebration not to be missed.

For more information on what’s going on over the summer at the Palm House, visit www.palmhouse.org.uk/whats-on/

Kate Johnson

CEO, the Palm House