The Windmill Hill Sure Start Children’s Centre in Tidworth will hold a special celebration event on Friday 18th September from 11am to 3pm to mark the Sure Start Children’s Centre Week and the Centre’s own first birthday.

Staff have organised a free Open Day ‘Books, Bubbles and Balloons’ with taster sessions to allow families to sample the many fun activities the centre provides as well as a chance to view the new sensory room. The highlight of the afternoon will be the ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’ complete with characters and traditional tea party fare. Local families, with children under 5 are all welcome.

Parents will also able to chat to centre staff and learn about all the facilities on offer at Sure Start Children’s Centres. Sure Start Children’s Centre Week is being celebrated across the country between Monday, 14 September 2009 and Friday, 18 September 2009, to promote the wide range of support available to families across the country.

There are now more than 3,000 centres in England, providing access to services for almost 2.4 million children under five and their families. The Government plans to expand the total number of Sure Start Children’s Centres, by March 2010, to 3,500 – one for every community in England. Each centre provides access to the following services:

o Play and early learning for babies and toddlers

o Advice on healthcare

o Advice on parenting for mums and dads

o Brushing up on skills and learning new ones

o Links to training and job opportunities

o Family fun and meeting friends

Many centres also provide a range of additional services, such as healthy eating classes, exercise sessions, and dads’ groups. Betty Dobson, Centre Manager at The Windmill Hill Children’s Centre believes that the centre has a lot to be proud of, and urges more parents in Tidworth and the surrounding community to make use of the services that are on their doorstep. She said: “We are delighted to host this special event so that parents who already make use of our services can celebrate the growth of the Sure Start Children’s Centre network with us, and parents who are yet to discover what a difference our centre can make to their lives can come in and have a chat about what’s on offer.”

For more information on the event and the breadth of services that the Windmill Hill Sure Start Children’s Centre offers, parents can telephone 01980 843010.

Gill Murray, Administrative Co-Ordinator. Email: gill_murray@ruralneedsinitiative.org.uk Tel: 01980 843010