Who runs it? A charity called Sheerness Children and Families Centre, which was set up to run the centre and nursery in order to access funding that is unavailable to statutory bodies.
Who has funded it? Sure Start is still the main funding source, along with nursery fees. The centre also charges the local primary care trust rent as it is based in-house. Other funding sources include the Big Lottery Fund, the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative, the Dolly Parton Foundation and South East Coastal Communities, among others.
How has the money been used? Primarily to create what the charity believes is the largest children's centre in the country, with 80 staff situated in a £2.5m building that covers over 1,000 square metres. Before 2005, there were no resources for agencies offering services to children and families, so now the centre employs most of the staff that deliver its services directly. South East Coastal Communities has also recently funded a dads' worker, who will be running classes with young fathers and their children.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
