Dr Bell’s Family Centre provides a safe, welcoming environment for families with young children. The centre provides a range of services including a community café, a drop in crèche, employment advice and access learning opportunities, parent support, counselling, health and well-being appointments, free access to computers with internet access and cookery classes.
The Centre is open to all but target their provision towards disadvantaged families. An overwhelming majority of users are women and 35% come from ethnic community. Free crèche places are provided for those most in need, which allows the parents to make use of the centres services.
The £1,000 funding will be used to provide more free places in the crèche allowing more women to attend the centre’s activities and have much needed time to focus on themselves. The crèche also benefits the children who attend. The crèche staff use play to support each child’s specific needs. Over 60% of the children do not speak English as a first language and attending the crèche paves the way to successful transition into nursery or primary school.
Gill Webb from Dr Bell’s Family Centre said; “We are absolutely delighted with £1,000.
It will benefit parents who cannot afford child care. The Women’s Fund for Scotland was also a great opportunity for us to meet contacts.”