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May 2025

Welcome to your May newsletter!

We're approaching half term and this month's newsletter brings you news of some fantastic free events across the Bradford District during the holiday. This includes fun days at some of our Family Hubs, a reminder about Bradford 2025's amazing touring venue, The Beacon, which will be at Bowling Park from 22 May, and more.

An important theme for many of Bradford District's families is support for children with SEND (special educational needs, and/or disabilities or who are neurodivergent) and this month we bring you some highlight features about the SEND Local Offer and SEND support in our district's family hubs.

Also in this newsletter we have information for families with children of all ages, to help you support your family. From breastfeeding and baby massage, to understanding your teenager, there really is something for everyone.

There is also helpful information for professionals, including a free workshop about knife crime awareness and free training to help you provide advice and support to families whose children are having difficulty with their sleep. 

As always we also include links to the Family Hub timetables and useful pages on the FYI (Families and Young Persons Information) website.

Please take a look and share the newsletter with anyone who might find it useful.

Half term fun and events across the Bradford District

Happy Half Term! It's half term for most of Bradford District's schools from 24 May to 1 June.

If you have time off with the kids there is plenty to do across the district - and even better, there are lots of things to do for free!

Family Hubs at half term

Gardening family fun session - Reevy Hill Family Hub, Wednesday, 28 May, 1pm to 3pm. Come along to have a go at gardening - help us pot some plants, and plant your own to take home. Free. Spaces are limited so please book by phoning 01274 434940, or email the hub, or call in. 

Family Fun Day - Rainbow Family Hub, Thursday, 29 May. 1pm to 3pm. Arts and crafts, games and activities for all age groups. Grow kits for families to plant and take home, plus light refreshments. All free! No need to book, just turn up.

For more events and activities look at the family hub timetables and follow your nearest family hub on Facebook.

Bradford museums and galleries

• Dinosaur Explorers - Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley, Tuesday, 27 May, 11am to 3pm. Drop-in, free. Family event: Dinosaur Explorers

The Beacon - Bowling Park

Bradford 2025's touring venue, The Beacon, is visiting Bowling Park from 22 May to 22 June. Half term highlights include:

• Bowling Collective Family Welcome - Saturday, 24 May, from 2pm. Music, sport fun, creative activities, storytelling, face painting and more. Drop in, FREE. 

• Let’s Make – Bowling Park - 26 and 28 May, 10am to 2.30pm. Get creative with artist Lou Sumray. Drop in. FREE.

• Play Bradford’s Mobile Adventure Playground - 4 dates: 27 May, 29 May, 30 May and 7 June, various times: Drop in, FREE.

What else is on?

The FYI (Families and Young Person's Information) website has a What's On guide, which is kept up-to-date with events around the district for families, children and young people.

There are various filters to help you search, including by date, post code, age group and event category.

You can also search by 'key word' to find what you are interested in - just use the 'Search' function while you are on the What's On page. 

Take a look and find out what's happening near you!

Baby Massage with the Family Hubs

Even if it's not your first time, having a new baby is a big change and can be really challenging for parents and carers. Are you:

• struggling to connect with your baby?
• finding it difficult to calm your baby?
• feeling worried or sad?

If the answer is yes, then baby massage can help to:

• strengthen your bond with your baby using soothing touch.
• notice more of what baby is trying to tell you.
• boost your self-esteem and confidence in parenting.
• enhance your understanding of baby’s development.
• encourage deeper sleep for baby.
• relieve wind, colic, and constipation for baby.
• develop your baby's muscle tone and co-ordination.

Free 5-week baby massage courses are now available across the Bradford District for babies aged 6 weeks to 6 months. Courses starting in June and July.

Free to attend but booking is essential. Find out more on the FYI website. Baby Massage with Family Hubs.

Almost 70 births registered at our district's family hubs

Last month we announced that families with a new baby born in the Bradford district now have the option of registering their baby’s birth at three of our community-based Family Hubs.

We are now able to share that in the first three weeks, 69 babies' births have been registered across Reevy Hill, Barkerend and Farcliffe Family Hubs.

Congratulations if you were one of those families!

We would like to say a big thank you to all the workforce involved in making this happen and providing this fantastic service to families. 

Offering birth registration at the Family Hubs brings more choice and convenience to families. The usual birth registration service, at Bradford’s City Hall and Keighley Town Hall, also continues as normal.

Read the news announcing the new service on Bradford Council's website: Birth registration now available at Bradford District’s Family Hubs.

You can find out about birth registration, and lots more about life with your new baby, on the FYI website. There is also information for families during pregnancy, with children of all ages, teenagers and beyond.

Find support using the Bradford district SEND Local Offer

The Bradford district SEND Local Offer can help you find information, services and activities for children and young people aged from birth to 25 years, with special educational needs, and/or disabilities (SEND) or who are neurodivergent.

Here’s what some of our Local Offer users had to say:

“You can find information quickly and easy…It’s inclusive, colourful and accessible…"

"I love that there’s a help with search section for those that may struggle…"

"The 50+ languages to choose from and the ability to change font and size of the text is really good…"

"You can even print and save the stuff you need.”

Here’s how to find support and keep in touch with the latest news:

• Visit the website: Bradford Local Offer
• Sign up to receive a monthly SEND Newsletter
• Find us on Facebook @LocalOfferBd

Free Local Offer posters for schools, nurseries and other settings

Do you work or volunteer at a school, nursery, after school club or community centre? You can really help us reach more families and young people who might need support by printing and displaying a poster: www.bradford.gov.uk/SENDnoticeboard

Support for SEND in our district's Family Hubs

Did you know, across our district's Family Hub areas, every month the timetables are packed with activities, sessions and support for families with a child with special educational needs, and/or disabilities (SEND) or who are neurodivergent.

Sessions offer information and support for parents and carers, as well as activities for children and young people. Sessions include:

• Free use of the sensory room - available in all family hub areas (free to use but booking required)
• SEND coffee mornings, market place and partnership events
• Parent-led play sessions
• Parent-led support group
• Bradford Stronger Together drop-in sessions
• Great Minds Together (referral needed, call for info) 

The sessions offered vary across the family hubs, but you are welcome to visit any hub across the district if you are able to - you don't have to attend the family hub closest to you.

Some sessions are drop-in, while for others you will need an appointment or referral - if in doubt please get in touch before attending. 

Find out more by looking at the Family Hub timetables. SEND sessions are highlighted with an orange rectangle. 

You can also visit a brand new page on the FYI website detailing SEND support in our family hubs - take a look here: SEND support in Family Hubs.

AWARE event - 'you said, we did'

At the recent AWARE World Autism Acceptance Day (WAAD) event in Bradford in April, colleagues from the family hubs met with families to share information about what's on offer at the family hubs, and gather feedback on what support families need. 

The feedback has been shared across the family hub teams to help inform future decisions and communication. It is really helpful to get that understanding of what families value most. If you spoke to the teams, thank you for your time and input.

In Our Place courses can help you better understand and support your teenager

Lots of our district's teenagers will currently be experiencing the stress and pressure of exams. Even pre-teen Year 6 have just had their SATs. In families with teenagers of any age, emotions may be running high.

Understandably, if you are a parent or carer, you will want to do everything you can to support and nurture your child.

In Our Place, the online library of free courses for wellbeing support, offers a course which may help.

Understanding your teenager's brain is a 9 module course that you can follow online, in your own time. It covers themes such as:

• Teenagers' brain development
• Sleep (why they need so much!)
• Teenagers' reactions and sensitivity
• Friendships
• Wider themes such as risk taking and gangs

The course is available completely free to Bradford District's families. It is available in English, Arabic, Urdu, Welsh and can be translated into other languages through Google Translate.

How do I access this free course?

Understanding your teenager's brain is part of the In Our Place course library.

To access this or any other any course, all you need is your Bradford District post code and the code BDPARENTS.

Other courses you might also like:

• Moving up to secondary school for children with additional needs
• Understanding the impact of the pandemic on your teenager

Courses for teenagers

If they aren't busy revising for exams, there are also 2 courses your teenager might like to follow themselves, also for free. 

• Understanding your brain (for teenagers only!)
• Understanding your feelings (for teenagers only!)

More about In Our Place

‘In Our Place’ is an online library of free courses for everyone in the Bradford District, including families with children of all ages, during pregnancy, for teenagers (courses to follow independently), and adults. In Our Place courses are designed to help you better understand yourself and your family members, providing useful tips and information, to help you deal with children and family life, parenting, relationships, and your own emotional wellbeing. There are 17 courses, all delivered online, ‘on demand’, through a combination of audio and text, with additional video on some courses, so you can follow them in your own time and at your own pace. Different language options are available, and the system also supports Google Translate. The courses have been created by Solihull Approach working with NHS psychology experts.  To access the courses for free, all you will need is your post code and the access code – BDPARENTS. You can register for as many courses as you want. Where to find In Our Place You can find a link directly to the In Our Place courses from the Parenting and family programmes page on the FYI (Families and Young Person’s Information) website.

Click on the In Our Place button to access the courses.  If you would like to talk to a professional, or prefer in person advice and support, you can also get in touch with our district’s Family Hubs.

Free Knife Crime Awareness online workshops - open to all

The statistics around knife crime are shocking. [Please note, some people may find this information upsetting]. 

According to national data, in England and Wales, 57 young people aged under 25 were murdered with a knife or sharp object in the year up to March 2024. That is more than one young person per week. 17 of these were children aged under 16. It is an issue which affects our young people in the most profound way.

And closer to home, 2024 statistics show that the number of knife and sharp instrument offences in West Yorkshire are higher than the national average. 

The Ben Kinsella Trust, set up in memory of Ben Kinsella, who was killed through knife crime age 16, is committed to tackling knife crime through education and campaigning. 

"Knife crime is one of our society's most pressing problems. But it is also one of the most complex."

Book on a free workshop to learn what you can do to help

To help tackle this difficult issue, a free online workshop is available to everyone who may find this useful - parents and carers, youth service workers, teachers, and any other professional or member of the community.

There are two workshops available - one is for parents and carers, while the other is for professionals, so please select the right one. 

Sessions are free, held on Zoom and will be held across June and July.

Please find out more on the FYI website. 

Final phase of childcare expansion: get 30 hours childcare – apply now 

From this September, 15 hours childcare for working families with children under 3 will expand to 30 hours, meaning eligible working families can now apply for 30 hours of childcare from the term after their child turns 9 months until they reach school age.

This expansion is designed to support your child’s early education and help you better balance work and family life. It’s the final phase of the childcare expansion, which could save families up to £7,500 per year.

Apply for your childcare code by 31 August to start using the support from 1 September.

What you need to do:

• Check if you’re eligible: Working parents in England may be entitled to up to 30 hours of childcare per week for children aged 9 months to school age, during term time (38 weeks per year).
• Apply online via GOV.UK: If you're eligible, apply now for your childcare code – you’ll need this to access your hours.
• Apply by 31 August: To start using your hours from 1 September, make sure you apply before the deadline.
• Speak to your childcare provider: Check that they offer the hours and confirm their arrangements.
• Keep your code up to date: you’ll need to reconfirm your details every 3 months via your GOV.UK account. You’ll get a reminder when it’s time.

Already using 15 hours childcare for working families? You don’t need to reapply for a new code. Simply continue to reconfirm your details every 3 months on your GOV.UK account and your existing code will update automatically to enable you to take up 30 hours from September.

The National Breastfeeding Helpline is open all hours 

The National Breastfeeding Helpline will be open as usual over the bank holiday weekend, 24 hours per day.

The helpline is for anyone who wants breastfeeding support, any time of the day or night.

All calls are answered by trained volunteers, or staff, who have breastfed their own children and understand what you are going through.

Support is available on the helpline phone number, and also via webchat, and Facebook and Instagram messenger. 

Support is also available in Welsh, Polish, Bengali & Sylheti.

The number to call is 0300 100 0212.

For more information visit the website: Get in touch – National Breastfeeding Helpline

Chat Health available in the Bradford District 

If you are after local support with breastfeeding, you can also text the Community Infant feeding team on 07312 263233 for confidential NHS advice.

Text 07312 263233 with your message, and a member of the Community Infant Feeding team will respond, usually within around 24 hours. 

The Community Infant Feeding team provides trusted, confidential NHS information and advice to support you, and can also direct you to local clinics or groups in the Bradford District.

Information and training
for professionals and practitioners

Together Trust - FREE sleep training for professionals
Dates available from June 2025 to March 2026

'Sleep training' courses are available from the Together Trust charity, for professionals in the Bradford District and Craven, to help you advise and support families. 

These free courses will help you learn more about children's sleep disorders, the science behind sleep, and how creating a sleep plan with the family can help.

All training sessions are free, but must be booked in advance by emailing SleepTraining@TogetherTrust.org.uk.

How can sleep training help? Watch Rachel's story

Rachel got in touch with Together Trust's Sleep Tight team because her son, Thomas, age 8, was struggling to sleep. With help from a trained sleep practitioner, Thomas now has a new sleep routine which has made a huge impact on Rachel's whole family.

"I really didn't expect him to... But he just did it! He slept through all night. He didn't wake up from that minute on and that was three months ago, maybe even longer."

With this training, you can help mums like Rachel. Watch Rachel's case study video on the FYI website: Sleep training for professionals.

What training is available? 

Introductory course - one day - in person or online

Includes an introduction to sleep science and sleep disorders, and will provide advice on creating a good sleep environment and other strategies to support good sleep.

Dates, times, venues (for the in-person course) and how to book are on the FYI website: Sleep training for professionals.

In-depth course - two days - in person training

More in-depth than the one-day course. It will include sleep training methods, problem solving, sleep assessments, and how to write a sleep plan, with case studies to provide examples. 

You must attend both days. The course will be held in the Bradford area - venue to be confirmed after booking.

Dates, times and how to book are on the FYI website: Sleep training for professionals.

Family Hubs and Start for Life
useful information and contacts

Latest Family Hub timetables - June 2025

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 Keighley/Shipley FYI - Families and Young Person's Information

What's on guide - on FYI

The FYI (Families and Young Person's Information) website has a What's On guide, which is kept up-to-date with events around the district for families, children and young people.

There are various filters to help you search, including by date, post code, age group and event category.

You can also search by 'key word' to find what you are interested in - just use the 'Search' function while you are on the What's On page. 

Take a look and find out what's happening near 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! 

If you have been sent this email by someone else, you can sign up for future emails here: