Sure Start Week went with a bang in Warwickshire
Warwickshire children’s centres celebrated national Sure Start week in style last week with a host of activities for families and the under-fives.
The week offered an opportunity for centres around the county to celebrate successes and promote the many services on offer to local communities. Open mornings, teddy bears picnics, story time sessions and fruit tasting were amongst the events on offer.
In the south of the county, Stratford District Children Centres (Southam, Lighthorne Heath, Stratford, Alcester and Studley) held a celebration evening on17 September. This session featured displays and information about family support, outreach services, adult and community learning opportunities as well as the regular sessions at the centre such as Chatter Matters, Stay and Play, and the centre’s interactive room.
Southam and District Children Centre held a story and rhyme time on 16 September and also put up displays in the centre and at the town’s library and clinic to promote their services as well as distributing leaflets to local homes inviting families to drop in.
Southam and District Children Centre put up displays in the centre and at the town’s library and clinic to promote their services as well as distributing leaflets to local homes inviting families to drop in.
The children’s centres in Rugby were also very busy. Oakfield held an open morning on 15 September with a ‘fishy frolics’ theme. Children and their parents decorated paper fish, made fruit kebabs and children went home with swimming bags and free swimming vouchers. Professionals who deliver services at the centre were also on hand for information and advice.
Meanwhile at Boughton Leigh, a new Bumps to Babes sessions with health visitors was launched on 18 September and the centre at Hillmorton had a teddy bears picnic for their mini visitors on 14 September.
Nuneaton and Bedworth kept up momentum in the north of the county with more activities and event. Park Lane’s teddy bears picnic on 16 September focussed on a fruit tasting session and Bulkington offered a special Snappers stay and play session on Friday 18 which was opened up to members of the local community to come and take a peek at the facilities. Their slogan ‘family fun time, community chatters, come and see how every child matters’ really summed up the children’s centre ethos.
Also in Nuneaton, Abbey Children’s Centre’s week of community cook and chat with an international focus went down well. Lots of visitors dropped by to take part in sessions like bounce and rhyme – songs from around the world, messy monsters play, baby groups, stay and play and fit and fabulous. Sessions were complemented with opportunities to cook and share multi-cultural food and swap recipes.
Warwickshire County Councillor Izzi Seccombe, Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families said: “All the centres invested a great deal of effort last week to promote Sure Start Week, offering a variety of creative events for the community to enjoy.
I am very proud of Warwickshire’s children’s centres which are now well established in the heart of our communities. They have built lasting and trusting relationships with local parents, carers and their little people catering for a wide range of needs.”