Wolverhampton is one of 75 areas in England to have benefitted from a share of investment totalling £300 million from the Government’s Family Hubs and Start for Life programme to create eight new Family Hubs across the city.
They act as ‘one stop shops’, offering guidance and advice on a range of circumstances to support families through pregnancy and beyond, including infant feeding, mental health and wellbeing, health visiting support and parenting classes.
The hubs provide a wide range of other services, including stay and play sessions and birth registrations, and bring together wider wraparound services that can make a huge difference to people who need extra support – such as advice on benefits and welfare rights, getting into work, relationship building and stopping smoking.
A special celebration was held at The Children's Village Family Hub in Wednesfield, which serves the Wednesfield, Heath Town and Ashmore Park areas, to mark the official opening of all eight hubs.
The open day also gave visitors the chance to find out more about the services available through Family Hubs and enjoy a range of activities including a drumming workshop with Hit the Dhol, creative art sessions, a stay and play session and crafts and face painting with Curiosity Productions.
Low Hill Family Hub, serving Low Hill and The Scotlands, held an open day yesterday (Tuesday) while further open days are planned at:
- Bingley Family Hub, serving Penn, Merry Hill & Penn Fields, Norfolk Road, Pennfields WV3 0JE, tomorrow (Thursday 3 August)
- Graiseley Family Hub, serving Blakenhall, Springvale and All Saints, Pool Street, Blakenhall WV2 4NE next Wednesday (9 August)
- Rocket Pool Family Hub, serving Bilston, Bradley & Ettingshall, Rocket Pool Drive, Bilston WV14 8BH on Friday 11 August
- Whitmore Reans Family Hub, serving Tettenhall, Whitmore Reans & Dunstall, Lansdowne Road, Whitmore Reans WV1 4AL on Tuesday 15 August
- Dove Family Hub, serving Bushbury, Oxley and Pendeford, Grangefield Close, Ryefield WV8 1XF on Thursday 17 August
- Eastfield Family Hub, serving East Park, Eastfield & Portobello, Colliery Road, Wolverhampton WV1 2QY on Friday 25 August.
Each open day will run from 11am to 3pm. Meanwhile, every hub will also be opening its doors to local schools on 13 September so education professionals are able to find out what is on offer.
Councillor Chris Burden, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “Our Family Hubs are places where children, young people and their families can go when they need support. Professionals will be on hand to provide a wide range of information and advice, and help people get support from different services in their local area.
"The hubs also offer a wide range of activities, from regular stay and play sessions for parents, carers and their children to breastfeeding support groups, coffee mornings, child development clinics, parental support sessions and much, much more.
"It was great to be part of the celebrations at The Children's Village Family Hub on Monday where I was able to see for myself some of the fantastic services that are available at our family hubs, and I would encourage people to come along to one of the open days taking place over the next few weeks to find out about the support and activities on offer across the city."
For more information, please visit Family Hubs.
For more pictures from the open days, see our Flickr gallery.
