Grassroots Family Centre at St Philips

The following case study was written during 2002, since then St Philips Family Centre has become the Grassroots Family Centre at St Philips.

St Philip's Family Support Centre in Leeds Road, Nelson helps parents and their children, with affordable quality childcare and other family support services. The main beneficiaries are from the priority wards of Bradley and Whitefield. The centre has had £63,000 of European Regional Development Fund cash from Government Office North West for 1999 to 2001 and has also now been awarded £84,000 of European Regional Development Fund cash from Pendle Partnership for 2002 to 2003. The centre provides facilities for about 80 children a day and has a total of over 300 children on its register. The centre also receives money from Pendle Partnership's Single Regeneration Budget and from charities, including the Tear Fund.

The Family Support Centre, and its seven staff, meet a vital need for parents who want to work but cannot afford to. It provides before and after school clubs, playgroups, school holiday playgroups, homework clubs or a creche if a parent needs to go for an interview, or just have a break from caring responsibilities. Childcare rates are approximately one-third of the equivalent private sector provision and childcare costs no more than £35 a week. The centre also provides a high level of flexibility by operating extended hours, from 7am to 6pm.

Through the provision of affordable childcare, hundreds of parents have been able to take up work or education and training that enables them to support their families independently. By helping families to help themselves the project also makes a significant contribution to reducing poverty in this deprived community (Whitefield and Bradley wards are the first and fourth most deprived wards in Lancashire according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation). Staff at the centre can also help parents to reduce their fears about returning to work if they have dependents.

Working mum Tahira Akhtar uses the Family Centre regularly for her two and a half-year-old daughter Sarah. Tahira works for Pendle Borough Council and uses the centre between 8.30am and 3pm. She is full of praise for the opportunity the centre has given her to return to work:

"St Phillips Family Centre gives me the chance to work by providing affordable childcare. The centre provides an excellent package of quality care and child development for Sarah, with stimulating activities, at an affordable price. It is also important to me that the centre will provide holiday care once Sarah goes to school."

However, the centre deals with more than just childcare. It also provides practical support to parents on childcare safety and accident prevention; advice about housing, health and benefits; and encourages them to access training, employment and life skills. In addition the centre offers emotional and spiritual support so that parents and carers who are under pressure are able to continue to give their children the love, security and attention they need.

The centre also aims to break the cycle of deprivation by ensuring that the children attending get a good start in life and are able to benefit from education and child development opportunities that they would miss out on if the centre did not exist. For a number of parents, St Philip's Family Support Centre has also helped them get back to work, by providing employment and training opportunities at the centre itself. Getting a first job or returning to work after many years out of work can be a huge hurdle. By providing training opportunities in childcare, catering, centre management and office skills the centre can help parents overcome this barrier in a friendly supportive atmosphere.

In this multi ethnic community it is important that the centre provides facilities for everyone. The centre is committed to building links between children of all faiths through actions and prayers, enabling them to have the skills and self-confidence they need for the future. The centre aims to ensure that all sections of the community feel involved it its work, in particular young people, women, ethnic minorities and business people.