Your December 2023 newsletter - latest news and FREE Winter Warmer events at our District's Family Hubs

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December 2023

Welcome to our December newsletter!

We're approaching the end of 2023 and many of our families and colleagues will be getting ready for the festive season. If you're celebrating Christmas, we wish you a merry one! To all our readers, we wish you peace, happiness, warmth and comfort as we look forward to the New Year. 

We'd like to say a huge thank you to all our colleagues and partners who have been part of Family Hubs and Start for Life during 2023. We'll be back in January with more updates about our work together, to help give all of Bradford District's children the best start in life possible.

But until then, please take a look at the updates in our newsletter below, which include support and events during the festive season, a fantastic Baby Week video and new sessions lined up for next year. 

Winter Warmer events at our Family Hubs 

Our Family Hubs will offer local families and residents a warm welcome over the festive period, at our FREE Winter Warmer events. 

Everyone is welcome to enjoy games, activities, music, refreshments and good company. There are four events across the Bradford District. Drop in at any time, and stay as long as you like, during the event times below. 

Barkerend Family Hub (Bradford East)
365 Barkerend Road, BD3 8QX
Thursday, 28 December
10am to 2pm

Rainbow Family Hub (Keighley/Shipley)
14 Braithwaite Grove, BD22 6JB
Thursday, 28 December
10am to 2pm

Farcliffe Family Hub (Bradford West)
56 Toller Lane, BD8 8QH
Thursday, 28 December
10am to 3pm

Reevy Hill Family Hub (Bradford South)
Bedale Drive, BD6 3ST
Friday, 29 December
1pm to 3 pm

Details are also on the FYI website: on the Family Hub timetables and on the What's On search page.

More Warm Space events across the district are also advertised on the Warm Spaces directory. 

Family Hub opening times and support during the festive season

The following Family Hubs will be open on Thursday, 28 and Friday, 29 December, to support and welcome families.  

Bradford East

• Barkerend Family Hub, Barkerend Road, BD3 8QX - Tel: 01274 437523
• Burnett Fields Family Hub, Greaves Street, BD5 7PE - Tel: 01274 435500

Bradford West

• Farcliffe Family Hub, Toller Lane, BD8 8QH - Tel: 01274 436700

Bradford South

• Reevy Family Hub, Bedale Drive, BD6 3ST - Tel: 01274 434940

Keighley/Shipley

• Rainbow Family Hub (Keighley) ,  Braithwaite Grove, Keighley, BD22 6JB - Tel: 01535 618005
• Owlet Family Hub (Shipley) Barncroft, BD18 2JG - Tel: 01274 436600

All our Family Hubs will be closed on the public holidays during the festive period (25 and 26 December, 1 January) and also on 27 December.

All our Family Hubs reopen with their usual opening hours on Tuesday, 2 January 2024.

Support for families, children and young people

If you need to contact Children's Services during working/opening hours, the usual Children's Services Switchboard number is available on 01274 435600.

In an emergency, where a child is in danger, you can call at any time using the same number - 01274 435600. As always, in the case of someone being in immediate danger of harm, please call 999. 

Advice, information and a directory of services is on fyi.bradford.gov.uk.

A wide range of support for families is on Cost of Living Bradford.

New - baby feeding drop-in session at Farcliffe Family Hub

From Wednesday, 10 January 2024, a new baby feeding drop-in session will take place weekly at Farcliffe Family Hub.

All families are welcome to come along if you have a feeding question or need support. There is no need to book - just pop in.

The sessions will be on Wednesdays, from 12 noon to 3pm.

The sessions will be hosted by a friendly Infant Feeding Support Worker from our partners at Health For All.

Additional support from a specialist infant feeding midwife

For additional support, a specialist infant feeding midwife will come along to the session every two weeks. Please get in touch with Health for All or visit their Facebook page to find out when the specialist infant feeding midwife will next be attending.

Contact details

Contact Health for All on 01274 287 968 or follow their breastfeeding support page on Facebook.

The sessions will be at Farcliffe Family Hub, 56 Toller Lane, BD8 8QH.

This new service has been made possible through funding from Family Hubs and Start for Life. Other similar sessions will be available at other locations around the Bradford District soon.  

Baby Week Bradford - watch the highlights reel!

Baby Week Bradford, organised by our partners at Better Start Bradford, was a fantastic week during November to celebrate the babies and toddlers in our district.

It also shone a light on our district's incredible workforce who support babies, toddlers and their families all year round.

Better Start Bradford have shared a brilliant video, highlighting all the best bits of Baby Week. If you were there, maybe you will spot yourself! 

You can take a look at the video on YouTube: Baby Week 2023 video.

Midwife referrals to Baby Steps - now on Cerner

It has just got even easier for midwives in Bradford (BTHFT)  to refer pregnant mums and families onto our Baby Steps programme.

The Baby Steps programme helps mums-to-be and their partners prepare for being a parent. Meeting in friendly online groups, families can:

• Meet other mums and dads
• Understand their role as a parent
• Talk about caring for a baby
• Find people who can give further support 

The sessions are equally useful whether for a first-time parent or for those who have a growing family. The programme combines home visits with friendly online group sessions.

Since the summer, through funding from Family Hubs and Start for Life, Baby Steps has been offered to a wider reach of families across all areas of the Bradford district.

Referrals can take place as early in the pregnancy as relevant. The course will start around the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy. 

Midwives in the Bradford (BTHFT) area can now refer a family directly through the 'Cerner' health records system. This helps save everyone time and makes the process easier and more straightforward. Midwives - for more information please speak to a maternity manager. Midwives in Airedale can continue to use the FYI website to make a referral.

Families, if you think the Baby Steps programme would be useful to you, please speak to your midwife about a referral at your next midwife appointment. 

More information about Baby Steps is also available on the FYI website.

Latest Family Hub timetables - January

Our Family Hub area timetables show the sessions and activities that are taking place for families in the coming month.

Some sessions will need booking in advance - please contact your Family Hub if you would like to book a place.

Our Family Hubs around the district

Follow us on Facebook You can follow the FYI service and all the Family Hubs on Facebook: Bradford East  Bradford West Bradford South Shipley/Keighley FYI - Families and Young Person's Information

Our new format for Family Hubs and Start for Life newsletters

You might have noticed you now receive this newsletter directly from 'Family Hubs and Start for Life', making our newsletters easier to spot in your inbox!

Please save our address to your address book or favourites to help make sure you keep seeing future issues. Please don't reply to this email though - if you want to get in touch please email the Family Hubs (email addresses above), use fyi@bradford.gov.uk or use the other contact details at the bottom of this email. Thank you! 

Why have I received this email?

You have received this email from Family Hubs and Start for Life because you previously subscribed to receive Family Hub Information from one or more of our Family Hubs: Keighley and Shipley, Bradford East, Bradford South and Bradford West.

Stay subscribed to make sure you don't miss out on any future updates! 

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