Come to our drop-in on the first Tuesday of every month at 165 Ardleigh Green Road, RM11 2LF. No referral required.
In partnership with Havering College and the Baptist Church our school established a Family Centre for the Ardleigh Green Community in September 2009. The Family Centre which provides a wide variety of activities currently attracts over 400+ people on a weekly basis. The Family Centre is now a registered charity. The Centre celebrated its tenth anniversary in September 2019.
- Services Currently Offered:
- Well Being Hub
- Bereavement Support
- NCT
- Baby Club
- Bumps and Babes (Breastfeeding Centre)
- SKIPS Adoption Support Group (Special Kids Important Parents)
- Adoption Support and Advice.
- Little Stars – Sensory Group for Children with additional needs
- Infant Nurture Group
- Tatty Bumpkins/Talking Toddlers/Getting Ready for School Courses
- Counsellor Support (21 Counsellors currently working from the Family Centre)
- Community Choir
- Police and PCSO
- Family Support
Our Well-being Hub has been instrumental in providing our families with information, support and advice and we are currently seeking to extend the hub beyond the Ardleigh Green Community. The Well Being Hub seeks to is develop collaborative working practices providing a range of effective signposting opportunities from available support services.
The SKIPS Adoption Support Group works with Havering Post Adoption and Permanency to provide a group where parents can receive help and share their experiences. The group specialises in early placement and support when new parents are at their most vulnerable.
The AS Drop-in (Adoption Support) focuses on accessing therapeutic support for our adoptive parents from across Havering, (a receiving borough), and we have a high number of adoptive families moving into the area. This Clinic is also going to be providing support and training for teachers. We are excited to be embarking on a programme using the latest virtual reality technology to show the effects of early trauma on a child’s developing brain and how teachers can help children in their classes by adapting their teaching and empathic skills.
The Family Centre continues to work with community partners to provide support for our vulnerable families. To date we have provided Foodbank vouchers, Christmas presents and a hardship fund to support families in need particularly at a time of crisis in their lives.
Baby Club
Baby Club is our parent /carers group for babies and children ages 0-5. We have a good transition between Bumps and Babes group (0-1) and Baby Club.
Baby Club is the ‘Flagship’ of the Family Centre where we have seen over 700 local families attend. It is the place where parents tend to have initial contact with the Centre and therefore are able to access available support.
Through Baby Club we have supported a number of vulnerable families; we have had two families referred to us from Social Services. We have greatly supported four families who have recently adopted children. All four families attended our recent “Getting Ready for School” course.
NCT
Currently we have six NCT trainers using the Centre providing local parents support with:-
- Pre-natal Care
- Labour and Birth (including trauma and infant death)
- Fathers’ role in pregnancy, birth and beyond
- Post-natal care and support
- Breast feeding training and counselling
- Early-led weaning.
- This partnership also includes liaison with Moses Basket and Lighthouse.
Open to all families needing support.