Educafe, a local non-profit dedicated to improving the social health of the community has received a National Lottery award for £20,000 by the National Lottery Community Fund to fund their Parents Village initiative.
This significant boost will enable Educafe to continue to run its popular weekly drop-in sessions for parents over the next year.
Parents Village began as a casual meet-up for mums and is now a crucial resource that other state-funded and over-subscribed Early Years services regularly refer parents to. The project has created a strong network of families, local businesses and services who support each other to make West Berkshire a welcoming place for young families.
A unique program features experts who provide advice, Q&As, open discussions and hands-on activities. A range of Early Years topics include breastfeeding, nutrition, and weening advice, first aid, mental and physical health, dental care, sensory activities, music and theatrical arts and post-natal wellbeing and rehabilitation.
“By supporting mums and parents, Educafe gives our next generation the best start in life. We are thrilled to receive this National Lottery funding and would like to thank the National Lottery players for this support. It comes as a huge relief to over 400 local families who rely on our weekly sessions to stay connected, make new friends and feel supported at this special yet vulnerable time of life.” said Educafe’s Founder and Director, Clare Middleton.
Parents Village Manager, Subia Azmat knows from experience how powerful the project is as she started visiting as a new mum herself: “I knew nobody when I first arrived in Newbury, but Educafe’s Parents Village quickly allowed me to make a whole new friendship and community network. It helped me to feel supported, informed, settled and happy to be raising my little boy here. I want to help others have the same experience I did.”
Facilitated by Subia and her team of DBS-checked volunteers (who are also parents and grandparents themselves), the sessions are led by fully qualified experts in their field. Physiotherapists, ex- and current medical and social care professionals, and other Early Years specialists volunteer their time to support and advise parents. Parents know they have a space where they can share and be listened to through various challenges faced in the first few years of their child’s life.
The National Lottery Awards, known for supporting community-based projects across the UK, recognised the impact of Parents Village Project in their funding decision. By empowering parents with FREE expert advice and community support, the project aligns with the Awards’ mission to improve the quality of life for people across the nation.
Educafe’s Parents Village Project re-opens on 11th of September after the summer break.
Educafe’s other projects are still at-risk and require urgent funding. Its Chatty Corner provides free English conversation and its drop-in community café both provide an inclusive space where volunteers, residents, new arrivals, and anyone else in need of connection visit Newbury Library every Wednesday to take part in activities that interest them.
All Educafe’s projects aim to foster social health, wellbeing and reduce loneliness and isolation, particularly throughout the current Cost of Living crisis.
For more information about Parents Village, to donate or get involved, visit Educafe’s website at www.educafeuk.co.uk or contact them directly at hello@educafeuk.co,uk.
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