Families to benefit from expanded GL11 child support programme
600 children and their parents are set to benefit from an expanded range of early years activities over the next three years thanks to a grant to GL11 Community Hub.
The £60,000 grant will support delivery of GL11’s popular HENRY and PEEP courses at a number of venues in and around Cam and Dursley. HENRY inspires parents to take positive steps to improve their child’s physical and emotional wellbeing, with an emphasis on healthy lifestyle, whilst PEEP encourages families to identify learning and play opportunities in everyday life.
Both courses are aimed at boosting parents’ confidence and creating a supportive environment in which children are able to thrive and are better prepared for starting school. In the GL11 catchment area 45 per cent of children do not currently achieve early learning goals, an indicator of school readiness, something which this project aims to address.
With the support of Gloucestershire Freemasons, these courses will be offered free of charge and the HENRY courses also include a free creche for children aged 0 – 4.
GL11 Community Hub, now in its twenty-fifth year, has a long history of delivering early years activities and its families team are well-regarded locally. In a recent survey of parents participating in GL11 programmes, 81 per cent felt less isolated knowing that other parents faced the same challenges as them and 95 per cent said that they are much more confident about appropriate nutrition and portion sizes for children, with 71 per cent having tried out new and healthier recipes as a result of encouragement from the families team.
We’re absolutely delighted to receive this three-year funding from Gloucestershire Freemasons. It means we can run more of our programmes for local families, giving parents a safe, welcoming space to build confidence and learn practical ideas for family life. At a time when many are feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis and reduced services elsewhere, this support will help us reach more families earlier and give children the best possible start. We’re very grateful for their investment in our community.
It was inspiring to see GL11’s vital work supporting new and young parents, giving children the strongest possible start in life. The energy and commitment of everyone we met shone through. When we invest in families, we invest in the future—and programmes like this help ensure every child arrives at school ready to thrive. We’re delighted to support this important work.
