Celebrations as new children’s centre opens

MORE than 50 families helped to celebrate the official opening of Great Sankey Children’s Centre and Early Years Training Hub.
The centre provides local families with a central hub for activities, support and guidance.
At the official opening event, there was a packed programme of events including a children’s entertainer to amuse the little ones as well as two performances from Sankey Valley Primary school choir and Great Sankey Primary school choir.
The event saw borough council partners come together including the Early Years team, celebrating the opening of their new training hub.
The facility offers a wide range of Sure Start services including bosom buddies breast feeding support sessions, baby rhyme time, baby explores, baby all kinds of play, toddler all kinds of play, health advice and baby weighing clinic, adult community learning, pram push exercise programme and many more.
The sessions are run by centre staff or partners working in close partnership with the centre and support from volunteers. This gives volunteers the chance to increase their skills and knowledge base in a new area, ready for formal education and/or employment in the future.
The hub will be a place to provide bespoke and commissioned training, information, support and guidance to the early year’s sector across Warrington. It will cater for around 20-25 delegates and training will be available throughout the day from 9am, Monday to Saturday, including evenings.
The facility was officially opened by executive director for families and wellbeing, Steve Reddy and supported by Cllr Jean Carter, executive board member for Children’s Services, who was accompanied by several local councillors who joined to celebrate the opening.
Cllr Carter (pictured above) said: “It is a priority to us that families and young children across the borough are able to access first class facilities.
“Children’s centres, like Great Sankey, are vital facilities to residents and now, many services can all be accessed in one place including health, early education, and employment and volunteering opportunities.
“I was thrilled to see so many families at the opening event and I was honoured to be a part of the celebrations.”