Children's playgroups like 'a little family'

3 hours ago

Ed Hansonin Flimby

Cumbria Family Support is funded by Children in Need and helps about 80 families a week get their children ready for school

BBC Flimby Primary School play group run by the charity Cumbria Family Support. There are lots of smiling parents sitting or standing with young children in bright coloured clothes sitting on their knees. They are in a school hall with a wood floor and there is a grey table behind them with a red plastic cup on it. Some of the kids are clutching clear plastic snack bags - one with bananas and another with chopped apple. — Cumbria Family Support is funded by Children in Need and helps about 80 families a week get their children ready for school

Parents getting support from a charity that puts on playgroup sessions have described it as "like a little family".

Cumbria Family Support has been funded by BBC Children in Need for three years to help children prepare for starting school.

The charity runs sessions in Flimby, Workington, Broughton Moor and near Aspatria in West Cumbria and helps about 80 parents a week.

Its chief executive officer Lynsey Buckle said raising children was difficult and "everybody needs help sometimes".

The charity puts on themed play activities each week and advises parents on any problems or concerns they might have.

Kerry attends sessions with her two children and nephew at Flimby Primary School and said the charity also provided other practical support such as food bank referrals.

Kerry said: "If I needed help with the heating or even the food bank, they would help with referrals and just figure anything out really - it's like a little family."

Kerry describes the play group sessions as "like a little family"

Kerry and her daughter Ruby who attend the sessions in Flimby. They are both wearing grey T-shirts and sitting on red mats on the floor. Ruby is clutching a wooden toy and pointing at something off camera. Her top has Mini Mouse on it with red sequin ears. In the background there is a bean bag and a blonde haired woman is picking up toys from the floor. — Kerry describes the play group sessions as "like a little family"

David has five children and has been coming to sessions for more than a year with his daughter Ella.

'When you're a single dad, You maybe can't socialise with other adults," he said.

"You are by yourself with the kids all week and then coming here gives you a chance to be able to have a talk with other parents."

David, a single father comes every week with his daughter Ella

David, a single father comes every week with his daughter Ella and can be seen playing with coloured rice. She has long fair and her face is not visible. They are both letting rice stream through their figures. Behind them there is a blue poster saying 'Friendship can be hard' and two red fire extinguishers on the wall. — David, a single father comes every week with his daughter Ella

Family support worker Kirkby Emblin is in the kitchen chopping cucumber and fruit for a snack break at the end of the session.

"One parent we had, the little girl had never tried cucumber before, so we got some cucumber and now she loves it and I buy it every week.

"You can see a difference in what you do and I really like that side of it."

Buckle said the playgroup sessions had been well received and it was important parents asked for help if needed.

"For our families it's important for them to come out and realise that they're not the only ones, that everybody needs help sometimes and raising children is difficult," she said.

"We like to say it takes a village and certainly the village of Flimby is a perfect example of where the village can support families and children."

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