Our latest project, Toddling On, is a new stay and play community café based within Deckham Family Hub.
We’ve created Toddling On to give families with young children a warm, welcoming space to play, connect, and make memories together in the heart of the community.
As well as great coffee and a relaxed café setting, families can enjoy fun, low-cost activities designed to support development in the earliest years, with plenty of opportunities for parents and carers to meet new friends, unwind, and find out more about the health and wellbeing support at Deckham Family Hub.
The café forms part of our mission to make serious stuff fun and ensure every child in the North East has the best possible start in life - a commitment reflected throughout our early-years’ work, including the successful Baby Box programme which has seen over 2000 first-time families supported here in the region.
Sean Soulsby, CEO of The Children’s Foundation said: “Launching Toddling On builds on the momentum of our work by creating an accessible community space in a setting that supports connection and early-years development in the heart of Gateshead
“For families, projects like this aren’t just helpful; they are essential. They help build strong foundations in the early years, reducing isolation and giving children and their families the tools to flourish. We’re incredibly proud to bring Toddling On to the family hub and to work alongside partners who share our belief in the power of early-years support.”
Councillor Bernadette Oliphant, cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing at Gateshead Council, said: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome Toddling On to Deckham Family Hub.
“The new Play and Stay café will sit pride of place in the heart of the hub. We know that the kindness and expertise of The Children's Foundation team will be hugely valuable for current family hub members, as well as those in our community who will visit the café for a cuppa and to find out more about The Children’s Foundation and our Family Hubs for the first time.”
We have long championed the importance of the first 1,001 days of a child’s life, a period proven to shape health, development and life outcomes. Practical early-years support boosts confidence, reduces isolation, and helps families to thrive and this project is another way that the charity is working to create happier, resilient communities here in the North East.
Toddling On will extend the charity’s early years offer by providing:
· A welcoming community space for parents, carers and families
· Activities that nurture early development while making serious stuff fun
· Accessible, local support embedded within services families already trust
To find out more about what’s on at Deckham Family Hub, visit Deckham Family Hub - Gateshead Council