4Children wins bid to run 7 Hampshire Children Centres

The national charity for children and families, 4Children, has been appointed by Hampshire County Council to run  7 Children’s Centres in an innovative  collaboration with local organisations and partners.
4Children takes over the running of centres in two clusters with schools and local voluntary services:

• in Fareham, 4Children will run 4 centres in partnership with local schools;
• in  Eastleigh Southern parishes, 4Children will operate another 3 Children’s centres in partnership with Children’s Links.

These new centres join 4Children’s growing portfolio of Children’s Centres and nurseries which now reach all regions of the country. The organisation is spearheading a unique approach to delivering services which combines both universal and targeted support that is:

• Closely integrated with health, schools, family support, employment and safeguarding;
• Takes a whole family approach – supporting and strengthening families and working with early intervention and prevention throughout;
• Is at the heart of the community with community and engagement and delivery at its core;
• Works with families as their children grow up – delivering services within a wider framework of 0 – 19 support;
• Makes quality a top priority with 30% of early services now reaching outstanding – double the national average with all due to reach outstanding over 2 years.

Charles Ellis, Deputy Chief Executive of 4Children, said:

We are delighted that 4Children has been successful in its bid to run these key Children’s Centres –  after what was a highly competitive process.

Our growing presence in Hampshire will build upon our Out of School provision in the county and is an example of how charities with national expertise in running Children’s Centres can join with local providers to create tailor-made services for the local community.

We will work hard to support the children of Hampshire and their families, drawing on the proven high quality of our growing national network of 50 children’s centres.”

The 7 centres to be run by 4Children:
Cluster: Eastleigh - Southern Parishes
Children’s Centres:

• The Windmill and Sails
• The West End Gateway/Hop-a-long/The Nest
•  Little Coppice

Providers: 4Children, Children’s Links, Southern Health Partnership

Cluster: Fareham
Children’s Centres:

• Oak Meadow
• Keepsake
• Merryfields
• Sovereign/Strawberry Meadow

Providers: Fareham Community Partnership (4Children, Neville Lovett Community School, Henry Cort Community College, Brookfield Community School, Portchester Community School, Southern Health NHS Trust)

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