First glimpse of Corpusty and Holt Children's Centre

Added: 15/05/2008
Category: Norfolk County Council

Families eagerly awaiting the arrival of Corpusty and Holt's new Children's Centre will tomorrow be given a glimpse of the new £745,000 building.

Celebrations are being held at the site of the new Sure Start Centre, in Charles Road, Corpusty, to mark the progress being made in creating the Centre for families in and around the Holt area.

Children will join those involved with the project at 9.30am on Wednesday 14 May to see how the building is progressing.

Work began to build the new Centre in March and the project is now well underway. It has been designed and managed by NPS Property Consultants Ltd, with JS Hay the construction partner.

The centre, which is run by Norfolk County Council, is currently operating from Holt Library, with the new building expected to be open by Autumn 2008.

It is already delivering a range of services to families in Holt and Corputsy, including a Bump and Rhyme session where children under five and their parents can sing with library staff. There is also access to services from Job Centre Plus.

The Centre has also supported the creation of a new parent and toddler group, called Daisy Chains, set up by the Holt Youth Project.

Angela Weir, Children's Centre Coordinator, said: “In a rural community it is essential for the services to reach out and meet the needs of families that are often very isolated.

“We have developed some very strong partnerships with local groups to try to identify and meet the needs of families, including those living in outlying villages.”

The Holt Youth Project, Yesu, Corpusty and Holt Primary Schools and Holt Library are all offering services and supporting the creation of the Centre. The new Centre will also offer 24 new childcare places and there are plans to create access to health provision.

Consultation with families has shown that parents want to be able to access pre-school activities with their children. This has already led to the creation of music groups for families and plans are in place to develop further activity groups in the coming months.

Rosalie Monbiot, Norfolk County Council Cabinet Member for Children's Services, said: “The Corpusty and Holt Children's Centre is already flourishing at its temporary home at Holt Library and I am sure it will grow in strength when it moves to its new premises.

“It is fantastic that so many agencies are on board as this Centre provides a real boost for families in the area, who have access to a range of services, all under one roof.”

When the new centre is complete it will include two playrooms, a conference room, a kitchen, a meeting room and reception/office area.

Norfolk County Council is responsible for the delivery of Sure Start Children's Centres in the county. There are currently 36 Centres, with a further 11 planned by 2011.