A total of 4 bases are being established, one in each of the key HeadStart Wolverhampton target areas, which will be used to deliver a range of support designed to help improve the emotional wellbeing of 10 to 16 year olds.
Each base will be home to a multi-agency team comprising a HeadStart Community Development Co-ordinator, a Young Persons Engagement Co-ordinator, a School Support Co-ordinator, a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) link worker and Police Community Support Officer. The team will also conduct outreach work in schools and the local community.
The first base at Low Hill Library on Showell Circus will support HeadStart Wolverhampton's work in Low Hill, Bushbury South and The Scotlands. The second, at the Bob Jones Community Hub on Bromley Street, will cover the Blakenhall, All Saints, Parkfields and Ettingshall areas.
Further community bases are also being established in the other 2 key HeadStart Wolverhampton areas, Heath Town, Park Village, Eastfield, Springfield and Old Heath; and Bilston East, and the locations of these will be announced in due course.
The community base for Low Hill, Bushbury South and The Scotlands will be officially opened at 1pm on Friday 1 September during a special HeadStart Summer Showcase taking place at Low Hill Community Centre on Kempthorne Avenue. It will feature dance and music performances from young people who took part in HeadStart summer activities in the local area.
The Blakenhall, All Saints, Parkfields and Ettingshall community base will be officially opened by the Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Elias Mattu during a free family fun day organised by Positive Participation Ltd at the Bob Jones Community Hub on Saturday 9 September from noon until 3pm.
The family fun day is aimed at 10 to 16 year olds and their families and carers, who will be able to take part in a range of activities and workshops, enjoy performances, access resources and meet members of the HeadStart Wolverhampton team.
Nicola Holmes, HeadStart Senior Community Development Co-ordinator, said: "We are very excited to be launching the first 2 of our 4 new HeadStart community bases.
"These will have a vital role to play in our work to improve the resilience and emotional wellbeing of children and young people aged 10 to 16, acting as a base for HeadStart staff and enabling them to get out and about in the local community to deliver help and support face to face."
Councillor Val Gibson, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, added: "The events being held to mark the official openings of HeadStart community bases at Low Hill Library and the Bob Jones Community Hub are an excellent opportunity for young people and their families to meet the HeadStart team and find out about the support available to them."
HeadStart Wolverhampton, funded through The Big Lottery Fund, is a "test and learn" programme designed to improve the resilience and emotional well being of children and young people by giving them the skills they need to address the challenges of modern life. To find out more, please visit Type=links;Linkid=6584;Title=HeadStart;Target=_blank;, follow @headstartfm on Twitter or log on to Type=links;Linkid=7788;Title=Facebook;Target=_blank;.
For more information about the HeadStart Summer Showcase, please call Kate Clarke on 07779 974848 or email kate.clarke@wolverhampton.gov.uk.
For more information about the family fun day at the Bob Jones Community Hub, please call either Manjit Cheema, HeadStart Community Development Co-ordinator, on 07717 733051 or email manjit.cheema@wolverhampton.gov.uk, or Gurbax Kaur at Positive Participation Ltd, on 01902 552275 or by emailing positivework1@outlook.com.