St Helens Borough Council’s Children and Young Peoples service has organised a free morning of fun for families in July for the grand opening of the borough’s third and final Family Hub.

Featuring circus skills, arts and crafts, facepainting, a silent disco, entertainment courtesy of local charity, Wonder Arts, and a free lunch – the event has been put together as a way of celebrating Newton-le-Willows Children Centre’s transformation into a Family Hub which brings together a broad range of services for children and their families, all under one roof.

Joining Sutton and Central Link St Helens Family Hubs which opened last year, the Patterson Street council-run facility in Newton-le-Willows will focus on the first 1001 days of a child’s life and support families with children up to 19 years of age – or 25 for young people with SEND.  A range of services will be available at the centre, with antenatal care, health visiting, infant feeding and parenting and child development programmes among an extensive list of support on offer.  

Councillor Sue Murphy, Cabinet member for Public Health said “It is a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy a free day at our family hub. Come along and join in the fun!”

Free popular weekly classes held at Newton Family Hub, designed for parent/carer and child bonding, include Little Wizz Kids – a fun, stimulating and interactive play session for new-born babies up to children aged 36 months; Let’s Get Ready for Nursery – which supports parents or carers and their children to become school ready through play and helps practical tasks; as well as Crafty Kids – enabling children to explore their creative side, explore new ideas, be creative and interact with their peers through fun and interactive arts, crafts and messy play.

 Encouraging families to attend, Councillor Nova Charlton, Cabinet member for Children and Young People said “It’s important that we continue to offer support to families, particularly in the current financial climate, so it’s great that they can come here and access the support that’s available to them, with a comprehensive online offer also in place for working parents and carers who can’t make it down so they are still able to enjoy the benefits.

 “One of the main things we’re looking to achieve through having family hubs is supporting parents and carers to be the best they can possibly be and help give children and young people the best start in life – raising aspirations in safe environments like this where they can thrive.”  

The opening of Newton Family Hub, located on Patterson Street, Newton-le-Willows, WA12 9PZ, will take place on Saturday 13 July from 10:00am-12:00pm.  This is a free event to attend, but places must be booked in advance by visiting: Newton Family Hub Official Launch Tickets, Sat, Jul 13, 2024 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

Ruth du Plessis, St Helens Borough Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “One of the main things we’re looking to achieve through having Family Hubs is supporting parents and carers to be the best they can possibly be and help give children and young people the best start in life – raising aspirations and in safe environments like this where they can thrive.

 “Family Hubs are making a difference in our borough and as we still find ourselves in a cost-of-living crisis, they are a priceless facility for so many. I’m delighted that we’re able to reach out to even more families, with the opening of Newton Family Hub and I’d encourage those who would benefit from this service to attend our open morning to discover the range of quality provision available for free.”

St Helens Borough Council-run Family Hubs, together with partner agencies, offer more than 100 free weekly activities and programmes across seven sites, from pregnancy and beyond antenatal classes to groups for young parents.

 To find out more, including class timetables and opening days, visit: sthelensfamilyhub.sthelens.gov.uk