Family Fun Day at Southam
Southam Children’s Centre is to open its doors to the public for a family event on Saturday March 24.
The fun day comes as Warwickshire County Council’s £6.5million children’s centres scheme aimed at supporting parents and families enters its second phase.
The children’s centre, based at the Graham Adams Centre on St James Road, will open up to the public from 2pm-4pm and will feature many child-friendly events including a bouncy castle, face painting, music and making a mark on canvas.
The more serious message behind the fun, however, is that day will give families a sneak preview of some of the services that will be offered at the Southam and District Children’s Centre. Local parents, residents and childcare providers will also get the chance to have their say about the centre’s development and the services they would like to see on offer.
Open to help families with children under 5 in the area, the Southam and District Children’s Centre will be open by March 2008 to serve as a one-stop shop, pointing parents and carers in the direction of all family and children’s services in the district. This includes education for pre-school children, health services, and family support.
The centre will offer advice about tax credits and links to employment opportunities with Jobcentre Plus. In addition, parents will be able to get antenatal and parenting support, and advice about their child’s wellbeing. Yet many more types of services and activities could be delivered through the centre and outreach work around Southam.
Siobhan Wright, children’s centre development worker, said: “We look forward to seeing as many families as possible on the 24th. The day will be great fun but it will also be an opportunity for parents to shape the future of Southam and District Children’s Centre and find out what opportunities are around locally for their children and for themselves.”
Southam and District Children’s Centre is part of a countywide programme that will allow children’s centres to deliver a wide range of services to communities across Warwickshire. Nineteen children’s centres will be provided across the county by March 2008 through the Phase Two Children Centre programme, in addition to the 13 created in Phase One.