Family Hub Play Day
Family Hub One – Phipps Bridge Road and Church Road Children Centre
As you may know, Phipps Bridge Youth Centre makes up one half of Merton Family Hub site one and we used this opportunity to introduce the idea of Merton Family Hubs to the local community. This event was led by youth service colleagues, however, there was a huge amount of support from 3 local parents from the Phipps Bridge area (Leanne, Nadia, and Donna) as well as Early Years and Youth Participation colleagues. On the day we had stalls from National Trust Morden Hall Park and Enable’s Social Prescribing programme, which is running in Merton, showcasing their services and talking to young people and members of the community.
As well as introducing the concept of a Family Hub model to local residents, attendees also had the opportunity to take part in a Family Hub consultation, looking at shaping the future of Merton Family Hubs. We were also able to highlight our very own survey about the Phipps Bridge Youth Centre Garden. We had some amazing attractions and activities on the day that the families enjoyed. These included a fruit kebab stall and tuck shop, face painting, arts and crafts, DJ, popcorn making, a photo booth, football darts and goal, Family Hub goody bags; raffle and of course Caribbean food. We also had 3 generations of one family facilitating the slime workshop!
The rain did not dampen anyone’s spirits with over 150 babies, children, young people, parents, and grandparents attending on the day and with a further 20 members of staff on site the day was a huge success. We have received some great feedback and would like to thank everyone who attended and made the day such a special one for all of us involved.
The Portage Parenting families were invited to join in with the Family Play Day at Church Road Children’s Centre. The families came along for a stay and play session where there were lots of fun activities to explore such as playdough, sand, water play, arts and crafts, sensory activities and messy play. The weather stayed dry so there was lots of outdoor play too. Younger and older siblings also came and were able to join in the activities and fun. The session ended with all the children and parents joining in with a song time on the carpet. Everyone agreed they had a really fun morning!
Family Hub Play Day
Family Hub Two – Acacia Childrens Centre and Acacia Adventure Playground
Local families and young people helped celebrate Family Hub Play Day by joining our free events at Acacia Adventure Playground and Acacia Children’s Centre.
As well as face painting, a circus skills workshop, archery and other organised activities, visitors had the opportunity to learn more about the Merton Family Hub and its aim to connect families and young people with access to help, when and where they need it.
We send our huge thanks to all those who joined the event and we’d like to take this opportunity to give a very special shoutout to the 17 partners who showcased their services on the day, the amazing staff across the Early Years, Family Wellbeing and Early Help Service and Youth and Inclusion Service, who got involved and made the day an absolute success. We also like to thank our wonderful young inspectors who worked across the sites supporting activities and gathering views. A special and extra thank you to the Acacia Adventure Playground team, for providing the inspiration for the day as we joined in with their long-standing event held every year to celebrate children's right to play.
Along with the families, staff and central government colleagues we also had a VIP attend the day at the Acacia sites and we’d like to say a big thank you to Councillor Eleanor Stringer who took the time to come and see all the hard work that everyone had put into the day.
Family Hub Participation and Engagement
In my article this month I wanted to give an update on the Family Hub Fun Day, at which the new Family Hub sites and branding in Merton were formally introduced to local families. The event was held across both of our new Family Hub sites: One - Acacia Children’s Centre and Acacia Adventure Playground, and Two - Church Road Children’s Centre and Phipps Bridge Youth Centre. The event was very well attended.
Local families came along and enjoyed a range of fun activities despite the rain and had the opportunity to meet some local voluntary sector organisations and other key partners to find out more about local services which are available to them.
Parents and carers were also given the opportunity to learn more about Family Hubs, and to take part in our ‘Speak Up and Shape It’, Merton’s Family Voices Survey. This survey is currently ongoing and responses and insights from the survey will be shared once the survey has been completed.
We also used this opportunity to engage with parents and carers and encourage those who are interested in becoming more involved in the design and setting up of Family Hubs to sign up to ‘Speak Up and Shape It’ Merton’s Family Voices by filling in our Parent/Carer Form.
As a Family Hub team, we are also currently reflecting on some of the feedback we received on the day from parents and carers and are looking at how to use this learning to shape future events.
A big thank you to all those parents and carers who attended the event and took part in the survey, and to all the stall holders, volunteers and staff who attended the event too.
If your organisation works with any parents or carers living in Merton, please do encourage those parents and carers to take part in the ‘Speak Up and Shape It’ Merton’s Family Voice Survey by using this link https://forms.office.com/e/dE8Tz7sDVV or the Survey button below.
I’d also like to take to this opportunity to ask that If you know of any parents or carers who would like to become more involved in the design and setting up of Family Hubs in Merton, please do encourage them to sign up by filling in our short ‘Speak Up and Shape It’ Merton’s Family Voices Parent/Carer form by using this link https://forms.office.com/e/sWsP8Yf3vi or the Form button below.
We are particularly interested during this initial phase of the implementation of the Start for Life Offer, in recruiting parents and carers who are pregnant, or have babies and children aged 0-2 years, but all parents and carers of babies and children between the ages of 0-19 (or up to 25 years for those with special educational needs and disabilities) would be welcome to sign up and have their voices heard too.
If you would like to contact me to discuss any of the above, please email me on familyhubs@merton.gov.uk
Beatrice Marett, Family Hub Participation and Engagement Manager
Start for Life Partnership update
The July Start for Life Partnership was well attended and well received by services. Please find a brief overview of the presentation.
We had three partners who presented their services to the partnership:
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Jessica Harraway presented the services available in Merton to support reducing parental conflict. For more information including resources available in English, Polish and Tamil languages, please use this link or the button below. For further info and to discuss training for your teams please contact fsd@merton.gov.uk with Jessica Harraway in subject line.
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NHS Healthy Start was presented by Public Health Merton’s GP registrar Harnek Kailey. The NHS Healthy Start scheme helps young families and those who are pregnant to access healthy food, milk and vitamins. People can apply for the scheme online and get a prepaid card, which they use to buy healthy food and milk, and collect free Healthy Start vitamins. To check if you are eligible, or to apply online, visit: How to apply or the button below. For more information and general enquiries please visit: Get help to buy food and milk or call the NHS Healthy Start helpline: 0300 330 7010 (Mon-Fri, 8am - 6pm). The best point of contact in Merton for this initiative is Megan Coe megan.coe@merton.gov.uk
- Home-Start Merton was presented by the Managing Director Sharon Ashby; their services include but are not limited to:
- Supporting families struggling with issues including cost of living, parenting support, mental ill health, perinatal infant mental health, support with housing (signposting), special needs etc.
- Volunteers who are parents who are recruited and trained to visit families within their home for one day a week for 2-3 hours. Training and supervision offered to volunteers.
- Counselling offered for 8 weeks for low- level support and parent/children's groups to socialise, learn and to help bridge the gap between families and professionals.
- Perinatal support for pregnant parents from pre-birth.
The best point of contact for Home-Start Merton is Sharon Ashby sharon@homestartmerton.org
Other presentations included:
Family Hub Communications Lead Charles Valler summarised the Family Hub survey response results (approx. 30) which had been received by June 2023.
Members were requested to complete the survey, capturing details of their service and other services for 0-19 plus 25 if additional needs, which are offered in Merton. This was to help support with the Family Hubs service mapping.
If you would like to fill in the survey, please use this link Family Hubs Partner Engagement (office.com) or the button below. If you have any issues or require support in completing this form, please email familyhubs: familyhubs@merton.gov.uk.
Allison Jones gave an update on the Start for Life survey request and a letter Merton had received from Rt Hon. Dame Andrea Leadsom DBE MP, on the subject of ensuring that every baby gets the best start in life.
The next Partnership meeting will be 6 September at 9.30am. If your service supports 0–2-year-olds in Merton and their families and would like to give a presentation (or be a part of partnership) please contact sanjana.jio@merton.gov.uk or familyhubs@merton.gov.uk
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