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September 2026

It's September! For most of us, September has that back to school feel. Whether that's because you have school-age children, or nostalgia for your own school days, or just because the roads are busier, and there is that autumnal nip in the air!

If you have a child that has just started school reception, or started a new school this September, good luck! Remember, you have done a brilliant job to get your child to this important milestone! 

If you have younger children, perhaps you will find a return to the 'term time' routine as regular activities restart or get busier after summer holidays.

You might also be thinking about applying for a primary school place this autumn. While applications don't open until November, open days will start taking place soon, so please check open day dates with schools near you, so you have chance to meet teachers and look around.

As always, in this newsletter we bring helpful news, support, and information about free activities for families across the Bradford District, plus links to the Family Hub timetables and lots more. 

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

News for families and colleagues

Fantastic summer of fun at the Family Hubs! 

A big thank you to the hundreds of families who joined our Family Hubs for free fun days and activities over the summer.

From painting and sticking, to singing and stories, dressing up, playing, and even having a chance to sit on a real police motorbike, there was something for everyone.

For pre-school children, we handed out free activity sheets which showed how play helps children learn. So while children were having fun, they were also building up their amazing skills!

Huge thanks to all our colleagues and partnership organisations who helped make the events possible.

The family hubs' autumn timetables of free activities have now started. See you again soon!

Talk, Listen and Connect - more sessions from now up to December!

Talking Bradford have launched a new Talk, Listen and Connect (TLC) drop-in session for families - and due to the success so far, more sessions are happening throughout autumn across the Bradford District.

Sessions are happening at all these places:

• Barkerend Family Hub, 365 Barkerend Road, BD3 8QX
• Gateway Family Hub, 43 Thackeray Road, BD10 0JR
• BD4 Community Trust, St John's Bowling Church, Neville Road, BD4 8TU
• Farcliffe Family Hub, 56 Toller Lane, BD8 8QH
• Shipley Library, 2 Well Croft, BD18 3QH
• Keighley Community and Family Hub, 26 Hanover Street, Airedale Centre, BD21 3QQ

In general, sessions at each place are every 2 weeks up to December, except school holidays. All the dates and times are listed on the FYI What's On guide and and will be on Family Hub timetables from October. 

What is TLC - Talk, Listen Connect?

If you're concerned about your child's communication, have a question you'd like to ask, or simply want some fun ideas to support talking and language at home, the team would love to meet you.

Bring your baby, or child under 5, to chat and play while you:

• Talk to a speech and language therapist.
• Listen to simple, practical ideas you can use every day.
• Connect with local support and other families.

There are no appointments, no bookings and no pressure - just come along, have a chat in a relaxed, friendly environment and see what's available. Sessions are open to all mums, dads and carers with babies and children under 5 living in Bradford district.

You can also find out more about the range of support for your child's speech and language development with Talking Bradford on the FYI website. 

Pop Up Children's Clinic at Keighley Community and Family Hub

Reproductive and sexual health support for all

Our sexual health can often be overlooked when we think about our wellbeing. It can feel embarrassing to talk about for some, or perhaps it just feels too private. 

However, having good sexual health not only affects your own wellbeing (and that of your partner) it also can also affect things like: how likely you are to get pregnant, and the health of your baby, if you do get pregnant.

Making informed, proactive choices about your sexual health will also help you avoid getting pregnant, if that is not something you are hoping for right now. 

Free, confidential support is available from the Family Hubs and from health organisation Locala. 

Here's a rundown of what's available - please add it to your to-do list to prioritise your sexual health today. 

Family Hubs 

• Young people aged 24 or under can visit a Family Hub for free contraception under the 'C-Card' scheme. Access to contraception is completely confidential - please ask to speak to a family navigator. Currently available at Keighley and Shipley Family Hub and Bradford South Family Hub. Family Hub locations are all on the FYI website. 
• Our Family Hubs have regular, free, drop-in sessions with Locala health and wellbeing. Family hub sessions are currently available at Bradford South Family Hub and Bradford East Family Hub. Sessions are listed on the Family Hub timetables. 

Locala 

Locala is an organisation that provides free, confidential support, helping you make informed choices about your reproductive and sexual health and wellbeing.

Support, advice and care includes:

• Advice about a full range of types of contraception (including providing free contraception)
• Pregnancy testing and referrals to appropriate care
• Testing and treatment for STIs (sexually transmitted infections)

As well as visiting the Family Hubs, it is easy to access Locala services in lot of other ways, including:

• In person at Locala's clinic at Howard House, Bank Street, Bradford. BD1 1EE, and at lots of pharmacies and clinics - use their Find a clinic page to find out more.
• Chat, voicemail and telephone services - visit the Locala Sexual Health website to find out more.

The Locala Health and Wellbeing van visits locations regularly to make it easier for people to access free services. Dates coming up in the Bradford District:

• Church Green, Market Street, Keighley - Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 10am to 2pm
• Progress T, 15-17 Devonshire Street, Keighley - Wednesday, 30 September, 4pm to 7pm

(Details provided by Locala - please check their information before attending.)

No matter where you live in Bradford district, for free advice and support you can contact the Locala team directly on 030 3330 9500. 

Play Connect - free group sessions for babies and young children with their grown up

Play Connect is a free group to help parents and young children strengthen their bond, and improve emotional wellbeing through play, fun and activities.

It can be helpful for any family where, for example, a young child is anxious, has experienced emotional challenges, or where parents are concerned about their child's emotional wellbeing, relationships and attachment, and so on. 

Through 6 free, friendly and welcoming weekly sessions, Play Connect helps with:

• Strengthening parent–child relationships
• Building children’s confidence and independence
• Supporting early emotional wellbeing
• Creating positive shared experiences through play

Families should aim to attend all 6 sessions.

The next sessions (starting in November) are already taking bookings, so please get in touch with the team if you would like a place.

Play Connect for age 0 to 2

Barkerend Family Hub, 365 Barkerend Road, Bradford, BD3 8QX
Dates: Tuesday, 3 November to Tuesday, 8 December - 10:00 am

Owlet Family Hub, Barncroft, Shipley, BD18 2JG
Dates: Wednesday, 4 November to Wednesday 9 December - 10:00 am 

To request a place, please fill in the form at Youth in Mind: Connect - Request For Support Form. You can also ask a support worker or other professional to help you fill in a form - please visit a Family Hub and ask to speak to a Family Navigator, or ask for support at a maternity circle.

Free sessions for families from the Early Years Alliance

Our friends at the Early Years Alliance are delighted to offer free sessions to families with children aged from 0 to 5 across the Bradford district. Take a look below and find the session for you and your family!

Play and Learn - for ages 0 to 5

Play and Learn sessions help you and your child explore and learn together, while having lots of fun.

A full list of the Early Years Alliance FREE play and learns can be found at Play and learn | Family Corner.  They are also listed on the Family Hubs - latest timetables. All these Play and Learn sessions are drop-in sessions - no need to book.

New Play and Learn starts in Wyke!

NEW for September, we are excited to introduce a new Play and Learn session at Wyke Library, taking place every Wednesday from 9:45am to 10:45am.

Everyone is welcome. Running weekly during term time, these sessions provide a wonderful opportunity for families to meet others in their community while children learn through play, songs, stories and fun activities.

First Words and Early Words - helping your child learn to talk and communicate - with free books!

Together with the National Literacy Trust, the Early Years Alliance now offers First Words Together and Early Words Together group programmes, for free, to families in the Bradford District.

These free groups help families learn how to support their child's communication, language and literacy development at home, with different groups for different ages.

The group programmes run over five or six weeks and include plenty of practical ideas to try, along with free resources and books for families to take home and keep.

While some groups have just started, most are still accepting new members, so please visit the booking page to check availability.

First Words Together - children under 2

Come along with your baby/toddler aged under 2, to this new new five-week group programme. Explore games, rhymes and stories to help your little one learn to talk!

Bradford (Woodside, BD6)

• Thursday 10 September for 5 weeks (last week will be Thursday 8 October)
• Timings: 10.30am - 11am
• Venue: Woodside Children’s Centre, Bradford BD6 2PG
• First Words Together 0-1 years - Woodside 

Please note the previously advertised Keighley session is now full. 

Early Words Together at 2

Enjoy exploring stories, rhymes and being creative with your two-year-old once a week to support them to become a confident talker. There are lots of ideas to try and free resources including books to take home and keep. Places are limited - book now to reserve your place. 

Bradford (Woodside, BD6)

• Thursday 10 September for 5 weeks (last week will be Thursday 8 October)
• Timings: 9am - 9.45am
• Venue: Woodside Children’s Centre, Fenwick Drive BD6 2PG
• Early Words Together at 2 - Woodside 

Early Words Together - for ages 3 to 4

Come along to these fantastic FREE sessions, packed with fun activities to help your child with talking and learning. Explore stories, rhymes and being creative with your child. Includes books to take home and keep.

Two groups available. While some groups have just started, most are still accepting new members, so please visit the booking page to check availability.

Keighley (Merlin Top BD22) 

• Wednesday 9 September for 6 weeks (Last week will be Wednesday 14October)
• Timings: 2pm - 3pm
• Venue: Merlin Top Primary School (year 6 entrance), Braithwaite Avenue BD22 6HZ
• Early Words Together 3 - 4 years - Merlin Top

Bradford (Woodside, BD6)

• Thursday 10 September for 6 weeks (last week will be Thursday 15 October)
• Timings: 2pm - 3pm
• Venue: Woodside Children’s Centre, Fenwick Drive BD6 2PG
• Early Words Together 3 - 4 years - Woodside

Looking into ways to reduce screen time?

We all know screen time isn't ideal for young children, but real life gets in the way sometimes. 

To help families with this, the team at 50 Things To Do are offering free webinars for families of young children to provide practical tips around screen use.

The team will share practical, realistic tips to help families manage screen time, including:

• What healthy screen time can look like
• Setting boundaries that work
• Safely using technology when children do use it.

They will also share easy, low-cost play ideas that families can use to replace some screen time, plus resources such as 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five to help families spend more time talking, playing and making memories together.

It’s a simple, practical resource you can share with families who might be struggling with screen time or looking for more ideas for play.

There are 2 sessions available. 

• Tuesday, 29 September | 1–1:45pm Registration link
• Wednesday, 30 September | 7–7:45pm Registration link

Mums, dads and carers can book a free place.

If you work with families who may find it useful, please recommend the session or support families to book a place on this useful workshop.

You can also find out more about helathy screen time on the FYi website: Young children and screen time.

Parents and carers help recruit new family hub staff

Five parents from across the Bradford district recently joined Family Hub managers at a job interview panel, to help recruit new Community Engagement Coordinators for the Family Hubs.

The parents were also involved in designing the job interview itself, ensuring family voices were at the heart of the process. They identified the skills, qualities and values they felt were most important for the role, and each designed an interview question for candidates.

They met with candidates, asking their questions and scoring responses using a five-point scale. Following the interviews, parents discussed their feedback, which was shared with the professional recruitment panel, contributing to the final recruitment decisions.

Child friendly session to support parent participation  

The job interview panel took place at Reevy Hill Family Hub, and to help make involvement as easy and accessible as possible, parents were able to bring their children along. Eight children attended and enjoyed activities in the playroom and outdoor garden, supported by Family Hub staff throughout the day.

Chantelle Nassau, Voice and Influence Co-ordinator, said: “The event was a great example of co-production in action, bringing together parents, children and professionals to help shape Family Hub services and ensure new staff reflect the needs of local families.”

Interested in helping shape Family Hub services? If you're a parent or carer and would like to get involved in opportunities like this, consider joining our Parent Carer Voice network.

To find out more, contact Chantelle at Chantelle.Nassau@bradfordcft.org.uk.

You can also visit the information page on the FYI website at Parent and carer panels.

Are you interested in becoming a Volunteer Doula?

Bradford Volunteer Doulas is a birth-focused service, offering short-term, person-centred support in the Bradford District.

Being a volunteer doula means being part of a team of trained volunteers and caseworkers, who offer information and emotional support to women, birthing people and families throughout pregnancy, birth, and during the first few weeks after birth. 

Could a future volunteer doula be you?

The Doula's next Volunteer Doula Training Programme starts in April 2027.

Want to find out more?

Register your interest using the online form and a member of the team will be in touch with more information.

Could new skills help you get your next job?

Are you a mum, dad or carer who is:

• looking for work
• planning to return to work after having children
• would like to change careers
• or want to improve your skills?

Skills for Work offers part-time courses and apprenticeships for people across Bradford district and West Yorkshire. You can learn:

• English and maths
• Digital skills
• Workplace skills
• Vocational qualifications

Find out more on the Skills for Work website or call 01274 433648 - there may be a course for you.

How to use the Skills for Work website

1. Visit Skills for Work website
2. For short courses, click on Part time courses 19+
3. Use the 'Filter' to search for the subject you are interested in. (For best results, click one filter at a time.)
4. Click on a course to find out more
5. Use the 'Contact us' form to take the first step towards gaining new skills!

Next SEND Marketplace at Reevy Hill Family Hub - 28 September 

Our Family Hubs across the district are hosting SEND Marketplace drop-in events every month throughout 2026.

The next SEND marketplace will be at Reevy Hill Family Hub, on Monday, 28 September, from 2pm to 4.30pm.

Come along for advice, support and to discuss any concerns you have with specialist services for example Carer's Resource, SENDIASS, Bradford district's Local Offer, the Family Hub's Family Navigators, and more.

There will be support available on themes that matter most to parents and carers, including Autism/ADHD, finance/benefits, speech and language, relationship issues, sleeping difficulties, and education. 

More dates from October:

• 26 October, 9.30am to 12.30pm, at Rainbow Family Hub
• 30 November, 1 to 3pm at Barkerend Family Hub
• 21 December, 9.30am to 12.30pm, at Farcliffe Family Hub

More information and all the dates are here: SEND support in the Family Hubs.

SEND 'Life Admin' sessions across the district

SEND 'Life Admin' parent-led sessions offer support from a parent-volunteer with lived experience of the SEND system. 

Come along for help with paperwork, forms and admin over a cuppa and a chat. Free to attend. 

See below for a list of when these sessions are taking place:

• Thursday 8 October 10.00-12.00am at Shipley Library
• Thursday 12 November 10.00am-12.00pm at Barkerend Family Hub
• Thursday 10 December 10.00am-12.00pm at Cafe West

Support your child with anxieties around attending school

• Is your child struggling to go to school due to feelings of worry or stress?
• Are you unsure about what to do?

Why not join a parent support session for Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), delivered by our friendly, supportive Educational Psychologist Team.

You’ll find a safe space to:

• Share and listen to other parents and get ideas to help
• Learn more about what you can do to support your child, and what you can expect from school

The next session starts in September and is online:

• Location: Online
• Dates: Wednesday 30th September to Wednesday 21st October 2026, from 1.00pm to 2.30pm.
• You will need to be able to attend all 4 sessions

Book: by e-mailing EBSA@bradford.gov.uk.

We also have sessions coming up later in the year, some in person and some online:

• November - Cafe West, BD15 7PA
• January 2027 - online
• March 2027 - Barkerend Family Hub, BD3 8QX
• April 2027 - online 
• June 2027 - Reevy Hill Family Hub, BD6 3ST

Find all the sessions and more info on the FYI website: Emotionally Based School Avoidance.

Youth in Mind: Connect - for children, young people, and families, when life feels hard

Youth in Mind: Connect brings together a range of support services in the Bradford District, to help children and young people aged 0 to 18, or up to 25 with additional needs. 

We’re here for young people and their families who are facing challenges such as:

• Big changes or tough experiences
• Feeling worried or anxious
• Low confidence
• Finding relationships difficult
• When everyday life feels hard

Youth in Mind: Connect can link young people to a number of services, from Bradford District and Craven Mind, All Star Ents, Barnardo’s, Brathay Trust, Family Action, and Invictus Wellbeing. From ‘Play Connect’ for under 5s, to ‘Decider Life Skills’ for older children of 11 upwards, and lots more in between, there is something for all ages.

Our aim is to help young people build confidence, make strong relationships, and learn ways to cope with problems early on. We offer one simple way to get support, helping you find the right help at the right time.

Find out more about what is available for different age groups on the website: Youth in Mind: Connect.

If you are unsure which service is best for you, or you would like some more information on how we can help, please email us at yimconnect@bdcmind.org.uk

Incredible Years pre-school for children age 3 to 4 - new dates from September 2026

Incredible Years pre-school is ideal to help your pre-school child get ready to start school reception in September 2027. It can also help if your child is starting school this September (2026). The programme explores all aspects of your child’s development at ages 3 to 4.

Parents who attended recent groups said they are now:

• Spending more quality time with their child
• Managing challenging situations more confidently
• Using more praise
• Feeling calmer
• Tackling toilet training, bedtimes, and mealtimes more effectively
• AND experiencing many other positive changes

One parent said: 

"Incredible Years... has helped me to see how my children see things, so I can help them to express things in a better way. It has helped me to work though my son's separation anxiety and he now walks into nursery on  his own and settles happily. The course has made me more confident, and less anxious about how I am coping with parenthood."

The group programme, for mums, dads and carers with a child age 3 or 4, will be available from September 2026 at EIGHT places across the Bradford District, with courses running on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Groups will be taking place at:

• Brathay Trust, Cathedral Halls, Stott Hill, BD1 4EH 
• CommunityWorks Centre, Undercliffe Street, BD3 0DW 
• Barkerend Family Hub, Bradford BD3 8QX 
• Knowleswood Primary School, Knowles Lane, BD4 9AE 
• Woodside Family Hub, Fenwick Drive, BD6 2PG 
• Farcliffe Family Hub, 56 Toller Lane, BD8 8QH 
• St Edmund’s Nursery School, Bradford BD8 9QW 
• Rainbow Family Hub, Braithwaite Grove, Keighley, BD22 6JB 

The programme has 13 sessions. Sessions will not run in the school holidays (October 26 to 30 and 21 December to 1 January). Families can attend any venue - whichever works best for you. The programme can offer support with transport if needed.

Please apply on the FYI website: Incredible Years form.

You can also call on 01274 513300 or email IY@barnardos.org.uk.

There is more information on the FYI website: Incredible Years Preschool.

Do you have a child moving up to secondary school?

Do you have a child who has just started high school? Or perhaps they will move up next year, and you are thinking about secondary school open days, and applying for your preferred school?

While some children take change in their stride, others may feel anxious or nervous about a new school. 

To help build your child’s resilience, confidence and wellbeing, there are lots of free resources available from Togetherness. 

This includes online information and learning modules that you can follow for free with the access code BDPARENTS.

The tailored resources include practical advice from a primary headteacher and consultant clinical psychologist.

You can find all this and more here: Moving up - Togetherness

Learning modules - what's on offer?

Helpful learning for you and your young person includes:

• Understanding your child: from toddler to teenager

• Understanding your teenager’s brain

• Understanding your brain (for teenagers only!)

• Understanding your feelings (for teenagers only!)

Child with additional needs?

For parents and carers of a child with additional needs, feedback shows you would like to start preparing early for your child's move to secondary school. You might also find these modules helpful:

• Moving up to secondary school for parents of children with additional needs

All the support around school change is grouped here: Moving up - Togetherness.

Have your child's car seat checked for free

Car seat checking events are coming back to the Bradford District. 

• Thursday 15 October 2026 - Asda Rooley Lane, 10am - 3pm (ALSO includes free tyre safety checks)
• Thursday 12 November 2026 - Sedbergh Youth & Community Centre, 10am – 3pm

Keep up to date - follow Good Egg Safety on Facebook. 

Information, news and training
for professionals and practitioners

Car seat safety - free online training for professionals 

For professionals  who transport other people's children or provide advice to parents and carers

Do you transport other people's children as part of your everyday role? Or do you provide advice to parents, families or others who may be transporting children? If so, Stop-C training is for you.

West Yorkshire Vision Zero Partnership are pleased to be offering a free online training session delivered by Child Seat Safety Ltd, a respected organisation with extensive experience in all aspects of in-car child safety.

The course, available to professionals based in West Yorkshire, will cover:

• the law around transporting children including ECE safety standards, road traffic legislation, health and safety standards and workplace audits
• vehicle design, safety features and compatibility issues when fitting child car seats

You will also opt for one of two additional modules tailored to your role:

• car seats and physical development from birth to 12. This is ideal if you work with families, such as social care, foster care and school transport providers

• transporting children with specific additional needs. This will help you to identify specific needs and issues as well as looking at accessories and additional product testing. This module is suited to anyone working with children with special needs including Occupational Therapists and community transport services

Limited places are available on the following dates and will be offered on a first come first served basis:

• Wednesday 4 November 2026, 13:00-16:30
• Tuesday 2 February 2027, 17:00-20:30

To reserve your place or for further enquiries email: info@childseatsafety.co.uk. Please state your name, job title, district of West Yorkshire that you are based in and a contact email address.

For additional information please look at the website: Child Seat Safety.

Lives of Gypsy and Travellers - awareness sessions run by Leeds GATE Increase your knowledge of the Gypsy and Traveller communities and our Early Help service in Bradford. These sessions are designed for practitioners to help increase understanding of Gypsy and Traveller communities, their experiences, and the barriers they may face when accessing services. Get the opportunity to ask questions of Leeds GATE's knowledgeable team and discuss ways to work to engage and support Gypsy and Traveller families. What you will learn Develop a greater understanding of Gypsy and Traveller communities and cultures. Increase your awareness of the challenges and inequalities that some families may experience. Learn about the range of support available through Leeds GATE. Understand how Leeds GATE can work alongside professionals to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. Explore referral pathways and opportunities for partnership working. There are both in person and online sessions to choose from. In-person sessions: 10 November 2026 - 10 to 12pm - Rainbow Family Hub 8 January 2027 - 10 to 12pm - Britannia House 23 February 2027 - 12 to 2pm - Farcliffe Family Hub Online sessions: 22 October 2026 - 10 to 12pm 2 December 2026 - 12 to 2pm 28 January 2027 - 12 to 2pm 24 March 2027 - 10 to 12pm To book please email: FamilyHubKeighleyShipley@bradfordcft.org.uk. For more information on Leeds GATE and our work go to www.leedsgate.co.uk or you can call for more information on 0113 240 2444.

Family Hubs and Best Start in Life
useful information and contacts

Family Hub timetables - September 2026

There are lots of extra sessions and activities happening in the summer months! Meanwhile some 'term time only' sessions will be on a break.

Please check with the hub timetable, Facebook page or phone/email if you are unsure and wish to check.

Our Family Hub area timetables, on the FYI website, 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

Newsletter - past issues

We hope you enjoy the Best Start in Life newsletter. With over 7,000 subscribers, we think it's one of the best ways of keeping up to date with what’s happening for families across the Bradford District!

The great news is you can now catch up with the latest issues (and a full archive of past newsletters) on the FYI website. Visit the new newsletters page today and stay connected!

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: