The Family Centre - for Families and Children Under 5
“Everyone has been welcoming - the staff are friendly and helpful.”
Newsletter
Our latest newsletter (March 2012 issue) is now available. Pick up a copy in the Family Centre, or click here to download it now (PDF file).
Photos
Here are some photos from the Family Centre's albums. Click here to see the albums, or click on any picture to make it bigger.
What We Do
The Family Centre provides services to children and families in Barton Hill and the surrounding areas.
We are an integral part of the Barton Hill Children's Centre partnership which links:
- Barton Hill Primary School and Children's Centre,
- The Wellspring Healthy Living Centre,
- Barnardo's.
The Family Centre is proud to have been awarded the "Bristol Standard Quality Improvement for Birth to Five" certificate.
Family Centre Activities
Here's what happens in the Family Centre each day, during term time. There is no charge for any of these activities, although we appreciate a £1 donation for each session. The sessions are for any parent, carer, grandparent, childminder etc. with children under 5 years, although some sessions are for specific groups of people, as indicated below.
This term, we've got a huge variety of themes and activities going on in our Family Sessions, from cooking (tasty waffles, eggy bread, chocolate apples - mmmmmm!) to all sorts of crafts and creative activities.
| Monday | 9:30-12:00 | Childminding Group |
This is a network group, giving childminders a chance to meet up with the children, join in activities and share information |
| Tuesday | 9:30-12:00 | Family Drop-In Session |
For parents and children. Fun activities and discussions to support the child's learning in every day situations. Mixed age groups. |
| Tuesday | 1:00-3:00 | One World Group |
For parents and children who are new to the area, especially Somali familes. Expanding language skills in a fun way, including singing and talking. (The local magazine, "Up Our Street", recently published an article about the One World Group - read it here.) |
| Wednesday | 9:30-12:00 | Family Drop-In Session |
For parents and children. Fun activities and discussions to support the child's learning in every day situations. Mixed age groups. We use digital photography during this session for fun activities, such as creating jigsaws from children's photos. |
| Wednesday | 12:30-3:00 | Eastern European Group |
A drop-in family session for Eastern European families to get together and join in activities with their children. |
| Thursday | 9:30-12:00 | Family Drop-In Session |
Drop-in session for families. There’s tea/coffee, toast, snack time for the children. The activities include lots of messy play including paint, dough, stories, singing and outdoor activities in the garden. All children have a family portfolio, and we take lots of photos and record your child having a lovely time enjoying the experiences on offer to them. |
Other Services and Activities
Reaching Out Groups
These groups are for any parent or carer to meet up with with others and their children. These are the groups at the moment:
Barton House Group |
Wednesday | 9:30-11:45 | Meets in the Community Room, with Playworker support |
Barton Hill School |
Tuesday | 9:00-11:00 |
Parents' Group
An informal group where discussions range from parenting, personal issues, politics to shopping. These sessions are confidential and support and advice is available.
- Thursday, 12:30 - 2:30 pm
