Both Braeburn and Lakeside have started, in recent weeks, to provide a vital new initiative to the community with the aim of supporting the families in their local school communities.
The groups are weekly and are primarily aimed at local parents and their pre-school children, who want to access information, form friendships with other locals or just have a good old natter. They provide free refreshments that have been kindly donated by their local supermarkets, toys and activities for very little ones and Braeburn even has a music teacher to provide rhyme time games.
These simple spaces are a lifeline for new parents who are experiencing a whole new world of tasks and responsibilities.
They also help parents who haven’t had a positive experience at school, to take a fresh view of a school environment from a neutral position.
It is a challenge for heads and staff to find the space, equipment, staff and budget to organise such things, so hats off to Helen Hayes-Smith of Lakeside and Vicky Gill of Braeburn for getting these up and running.
