“The Centre is somewhere people can go for help with almost anything, where they will not be judged in any way and where the staff are approachable… it is serving the community in a way that nothing else does and is making it a better place for everyone.” Steph and Paul Lucas have three children; Jasmin, seven, Joe, five and Jamie, six months.

The Community Link Children’s Centre: how it helps and supports local families

“I am so thankful that we have found Community Link Children’s Centre to help us make the most of our new life.” Delwar Hussain is 32 and single father to Fateha who is nearly three years old. The Community Link: how we help parents

What is The Family support Every Child Matters Community Link? The vision of the Centre is: Community Link Children’s Centre services are Welcome to Community Link Children’s • supporting parents and carers planned around the five ‘Every Child Matters’ Centre, a place where children under • valuing families Themes…developed by Government in five and their families can access help • nurturing children. consultation with what children saw as the five and support from teams of professionals We aim to achieve this through supporting most important issues, which are: including: education, health and family activities. We • parenting skills are extremely fortunate to have the support being healthy • managing children’s behaviour of many partners, parents, carers and the • ante and post-natal support local community to achieve this. staying safe • healthy living Delivered through five • play and learning enjoying and achieving local sites New service! Our vast range of services are delivered making a positive contribution The Centre was established in April 2012 through five sites: and runs services within the and • Primary School achieving economic well-being. Leagrave Wards of . • Beechwood Primary • Pirton Hill Primary • Gill Blowers Nursery Community Room & Flat 14 Mossdale • Chaul End Community Centre.

See pages 4-5 for a map of our Centres.

To find out how you could benefit from our services…read on 2 3 B Where is Community 579 To Butely Road d ent d ec Cr in h Pirton Rd g or to cw n Link Children’s Centre A R d

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HumberstoneRd Rd table Duns D uns table Rd Dun stab le Rd To find out what’s on at your local Centre call 4 The Community Link @ Leagrave 01582 493761 M1 5 The Community Link: what we offer

Action Kids - A fun active session where children and Parent’s forum - A group which you can attend and discuss your parents/carers are encouraged to participate in local children’s Centre and ideas you would like to see happen physical activities to music. within it.

Baby/Child Health Clinic - Come along and Play and Language - a course where parents/carers have babies/toddlers weighed to ensure can learn about the stages of development in speaking, appropriate growth. Health Visitors will be listening, reading and writing through doing fun activities present to discuss any issues. with their children and through engaging in their own learning Baby Massage - A six week course (suitable for babies from approx 6 weeks to 6 months) Sing and Sign - Promotes the development of children’s resulting in parents learning how to complete speech and language. The Family worker uses songs, a full body massage on their child. This is a fully rhymes, props and puppets to make the session fully interactive. interactive session which provides opportunities for parents to make new friendships and bond with their child. Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities - A 13 week course exploring themes of culture and parenting run by family workers. Baby PEEP - A fun course for parents and babies under 2 years old to encourage learning & development through everyday activities & interaction. Toddler Time - Opportunity for parents/carers to come to and meet people with children of the Development Checks - You will be sent an appointment by your Health Visitor when similar age. The Centre offers a range of fun your child is ready for their 1 year check and their 2 year check. activities for children aged 0-5 but the children remain the responsibility of their Messy play - An opportunity for children to experience a parents/carers. range of activities using their senses. Activities include things like baked bean play and corn flour play. Wear Family Fun - A session similar old clothes. to toddler time especially for parents/carers to attend with Midwife drop in - A drop in clinic which is their children up to 8 or dads available for pre and post natal parents within the and kids. local area. Opportunity to talk to a midwife about any concerns related to their pregnancy.

Mini Munchers - A 3 week course on weaning your baby for parents with a baby less than 6 months old.

To find out how you could benefit from our services…read on 6 7 The Community Link: what we offer

Monday Thursday Activity Time Venue Advance Booking Required Activity Time Venue Advance Booking Required Development Checks (by appointment) 9am – 12noon Leagrave Yes – your Health Visitor will Breastfeeding Friendly Cafe 9am – 11am Beechwood No sessions on 2nd Monday of the Month. send an appointment Parents Forum 9am – 10am Leagrave No Midwife Drop In 9.30am – 12.00noon Chaul End No Baby/Child Health Clinic 9.15am – 11am Beechwood No Baby PEEP 2-3.15pm Leagrave Yes Midwife Drop In 9.30am – 12.00noon Chaul End No Tuesday PEEP for 2’s 9.30am – 11am Pirton Hill Yes Sing and Sign 10.30am – 11.15am Leagrave Yes Activity Time Venue Advance Booking Required 6 week rolling programme Action Kids 9am – 9.45am Beechwood No Toddler Time (for children aged 0-5) 1pm – 2.30pm Gill Blowers No 6 week rolling programme Play and Language Adult Learning 1pm – 3pm Leagrave Yes Midwife Drop In 9.30am – 12.00noon Chaul End No Toddler Time (for children aged 0-5) 1.30pm – 3pm Chaul End No Toddler Time (for children aged 0-5) 9.15am – 11am Pirton Hill No Messy Play 2pm – 3pm Beechwood No Toddler Time (for children aged 0-5) 9.30am – 11am Chaul End No Toy Library and Games Club 3.30-4.30pm Last Thursday of Beechwood No Bump to Babe (6 week antenatal) 2pm – 4pm Beechwood Book via Midwife (On last Thursday of the Month only) the Month Baby Massage (6 week course) 2pm – 3.30pm Beechwood Yes – alternate venues per Bump to Babe (6 week antenatal) 4.30pm – 6.30pm Leagrave Book via Midwife course Baby Massage (6 week course) 2pm – 3.30pm Leagrave Yes – alternate venues per Friday course Activity Time Venue Advance Booking Required Wednesday Lets Get Cooking 9am – 12noon Beechwood Yes 6 week course Activity Time Venue Advance Booking Required Midwife Drop In 9.30am – 12.00noon Chaul End No Toddler Time (for children aged 0-5) 9.30am – 10.30am Beechwood Yes – alternate venues with Leagrave Messy Play 10.30am-11.30am Leagrave No Toddler Time (for children aged 0-5) 9am – 10.30am Gill Blowers No Mini Munchers (3 week course) 11am – 2pm Gill Blowers Yes Flat 14 Baby/Child Health Clinic with drop in play 9.15am – 11am Leagrave No session Development Checks (by appointment) 1pm – 3pm Leagrave Yes – your Health Visitor will sessions on 4th Friday of the Month. send an appointment Midwife Drop In 9.30am – 12.00noon Chaul End No Development Checks (by appointment) 1pm – 3pm Beechwood Yes – your Health Visitor will Action Kids 6 week rolling programme 10am – 11.00am Chaul End Yes sessions on 1ST and 3rd Friday of the send an appointment Toddler Time (for children aged 0-5) 1.30pm – 3pm Leagrave No month. Fun with 3’s and 4’s 1.30pm – 3pm Pirton Hill No Action Kids 2.30pm – 3.15pm Leagrave 6 week rolling programme Saturday Activity Time Venue Advance Booking Required Family Fun (Last Saturday of the month) 9.30am – 11am Chaul End No Family Fun (1st Saturday of the Month) 9.30am – 11am Leagrave No

To find out how you could benefit from our services…read on 8 9 Community Link Children’s Centre: how it helps parents

How Community Link has given The chance to blossom Matt has no need to take his Ore a new way to enjoy her Whilst through the Centre Ore found the social outlet children further afield than she needed for herself, she was pleased to see that baby’s early years Nyiah-Mai also started to blossom in the safe, happy just down the road where Ore and her partner, Nigel, live in Luton with Ore’s two and stimulating atmosphere of Baby Massage, Sing Community Link Children’s teenage children and Nyiah-Mai, who is nearly a year and Sign and Toddler Time. “The change in her has Centre has everything they old. been quite remarkable, and even the Centre staff Ideal solution have noticed how much more confident she has need become,” says Ore. “Now she is perfectly happy to Matt Nichols and his partner, Marylyn, live in Luton With a big age gap between her oldest children and it has proved the ideal place for both him and the potter around after the other children and adults, with their two children: Star, five and Rudy, two. little Nyiah-Mai, Ore found herself back to square children to meet friends and relax. to explore and to play with all the lovely things one in terms of parenting. As none of her friends Something for everyone they provide, and I have no doubt that her overall “Obviously, I use the Centre mainly for Star and Rudy had young babies she felt she needed something or Until recently, Matt and Rudy were visiting the development has been brought forward because of but I can’t deny that I enjoy it too,” he says. “Because somewhere to focus on, to get her out of the house Community Link Children’s Centre three or four times that.” I can’t travel too far on my own it’s great to know that and also to give her rather clingy baby the chance to a week and even now Rudy has started at Nursery there is somewhere so close to meet up with familiar Nothing quite like it socialise with other children. “I suppose it was mainly in the mornings, they still try and fit in a couple of faces and entertain the children at the same time. for me at first, as I really needed adult company,” she Of most importance, of course, is the fact that the afternoon sessions at the Centre when they can. With We’ve all made friends through the Centre and Rudy says. “Having worked full-time as a teacher I wasn’t children are being offered a fun, sociable and Stay and Play, Toddler Time and Messy Play to look and Star absolutely love it.” used to being at home all the time so I needed to stimulating experience in a safe and welcoming forward to, Rudy is more than happy to keep in touch Happy and informal establish something of a social life, and when my environment. “Nyiah-Mai absolutely loves it there and with the friends he has made there. Whilst the Centre has certainly encouraged the Health Visitor told me the activities they can provide are on a much bigger “We first started using the Centre when Star was a children’s social skills and overall development it about Community scale than we could offer at home, which makes it all baby, as we wanted her to mix with other children has also, Matt believes, helped to prepare them for Link it seemed the better for her. She especially likes the books and develop good social skills, and that that has the more structured setting of Nursery and School. ideal.” and the musical instruments and as far as certainly worked,” says Matt. “Marylyn took her to “Sessions where they all sit down together for singing, I am concerned there is nowhere else Baby Massage and Macaton signing sessions and for example, teach them how to behave around other locally which could give us such a wide she did a Cookery Course, and they both enjoyed people and to follow instructions but it’s very happy range of enjoyable, educational it so much that, when Marylyn went back to work, I and informal and they enjoy joining in as a group. On entertainment.” decided to keep on taking Star, and then Rudy, to as the other hand there are always loads of things for many Groups as I could.” them to choose from, inside and out, and the quality Close to home of the equipment is excellent. Everything is clean, in Matt is unable to work following a very bad motorcycle good condition and well thought-out, with something accident some years ago so is the children’s full-time different to look forward to each time.” carer, and he acknowledges the fact that the Centre has been a useful social outlet for him, too. With limited mobility he finds it difficult to go very far but as the Centre is only a few minutes walk from their home

To find out how you could benefit from our services…read on 10 11 Community Link Children’s Centre: how it helps parents

giving me a wonderful insight into how fulfilling being a parent can be, given the support of people who really care about parents with young children.” “Hear the laughter” “What I absolutely love is that as soon as you walk through the door you can hear the laughter,” she Lynette’s view of children says. “It is like walking into a big family party, where changed completely when everyone talks to each other, helps each other and enjoys each other’s company - and it’s not just me; she had her own - now she I have seen how a new mum who comes with her is a passionate supporter of children is soon joining in and loving it all, too.” the Community Link Children’s A positive attitude Centre which is helping parents Part of the reason that the atmosphere is so good, believes Lynette, is the attitude of the staff, who are all to be families not just friendly and welcoming, but really interested Lynette and her partner, Stuart, have one child, Jack, in each and every parent and child. “They know who is three years old. everyone by name because they seem to love what A transformation they do and take a pride in making sure everyone It is difficult to imagine anyone else with a greater feels an important part of the Centre - which of course enthusiasm for Community Link Children’s Centre than they are. The staff are also completely focussed on Lynette whose life, she says, was transformed at the the children and make huge efforts to give them the age of 35 when she had her first child and even more entertainment, stimulation and attention they love, as so, shortly afterwards, when she became a member well as an excellent early educational experience. of the Centre. “I’d never been a ‘mumsy’ type of person “What the staff at Community Link Children’s Centre and had a perfectly fulfilling personal and professional do for families should be recognised and applauded; life before I had Jack,” she says. “Even up until he their input has made a great and positive change to was born I expected that I would return to work and my life and that of my son, so if I can help to do that more or less carry on as usual but somehow, when for someone else, I’ll be very happy.” the reality of having my own baby kicked in, I began to feel that I wanted to devote as much time to him as possible. That decision has been made even easier because of the part the Centre has played in our lives,

Community Link Children’s Centre is offered from these five locations: Pirton Hill Primary Beechwood Chaul End Leagrave Primary School Gill Blowers (Mossdale) Butely Road c/o Beechwood Primary Community Centre Strangers Way Community Room Luton School 515 Dunstable Road Luton Mossdale Court LU4 9EX Linden Road Luton LU4 9ND Hockwell Ring Luton LU4 8QN Luton LU4 9RD LU4 9JL 3