🤰🏾 Expectant parents

👶 Parents and carers of babies and young children

🧒 Families with school‑age children and young people

🌈 SEND parents/carers and young people up to 25

🫴🏾 Asylum seekers and refugees

🧑🏾‍🧑🏿‍🧒🏾 Families looking for guidance, connection or a safe place to ask questions

Our aim is to make sure every family feels supported, listened to and connected to the right services at the right time.

The event brought together families, partners and local services in a positive celebration of what’s to come

The opening marks an exciting new chapter for our community and the team look forward to the months ahead with confidence, pride and a shared commitment to giving every child the best possible start in life

✨ What’s changed?

✅ No more “no‑fault” evictions

✅ Rolling tenancies

✅ Fairer rent rules – limits on increases & no bidding wars

✅ Protection for families & people on benefits

👶 What Baby Bliss Includes:

✨ Gentle sensory play to stimulate baby’s senses

✨ Relaxation activities and massage to help soothe and settle

✨ Bonding time focused on connection and nurturing

✨ A calm, supportive environment for parents to unwind

✨ Friendly outreach available for guidance and support

💛 Who is it for?

Non-mobile babies and their parents/carers

Enjoy a peaceful, feel‑good session where parent wellbeing matters too

📍St James Sure Start Centre - Tuesday (term time only) - 1.30pm - 2.30pm - call 0161 245 7001 to book

Families enjoyed mindful colouring, conversations with others who understand the SEND journey and access to Local Offer support and advice

Most importantly, the session created a safe, non‑judgemental space for our SEND community to connect and support one another

A special thank you to Raseema from Manchester Parent Champions for supporting the session and helping make it such a positive experience for everyone involved

We really appreciate everyone who came along and helped make the session so welcoming

Next SEND peer support session is Thursday 7th May - see you there!

Her generosity will make a meaningful difference by helping to ensure families have access to essential items with dignity and compassion

Support like this helps reduce everyday pressures and shows how small acts of kindness can have a big impact within our community

Up to £20 million will be invested in Gorton South (parts of Longsight, Gorton and Abbey Hey, Levenshulme) and Clayton Vale (parts of Clayton and Openshaw, Miles Platting and Newton Heath)

The Pride in Place programme aims to reshape our neighbourhoods over the next ten years, delivering funding into things that matter the most to local people

What this could mean is more money to make our streets safer, to rejuvenate our district centres, improve and enhance community spaces, support new events and activities for residents

By July 2026, a community led panel will help decide how the £20 million is spent, and the information you provide will make sure those decisions reflect real community priorities

You can have your say here:

Pride in place: tell us what you think about your area | Manchester City Council

There will be a range of activities taking place in the area to capture residents views too!

For more information please email Community@manchester.gov.uk

We are incredibly proud to recognise TDS Dance Studio, based in Abbey Hey, after their amazing experience competing on an international platform 🌍

With 270 dance teams from around the world coming together, the build‑up was filled with excitement, nerves and pure determination

Representing our area on a global stage is a huge achievement for TDS and the wider community 💫

Well done TDS - what an unforgettable experience 💜

It was a great opportunity for parents and children to connect, relax and enjoy some time outdoors together

Thank you to everyone who joined us and brought along snacks, smiles and good company

These moments of connection mean so much and we loved seeing families supporting one another in such a relaxed setting

Keep an eye on our page for more family‑friendly activities coming soon!

Gorton Library recently organised a visit as part of their Storytime sessions, giving families the chance to enjoy much‑loved Music Makers sessions at The Bridgewater Hall

Music Makers invites babies and toddlers to explore creative sensory play through music. Each session is inspired by classical pieces or different music genres, helping little ones discover instruments, stories, songs and visual art in a fun, relaxed way

Thank you to all our parents and carers for a wonderful trip!

Storytime at Gorton Library is every Thursday term time - 10:30am - 11:15am

We had a wonderful afternoon chatting with families and celebrating the rich diversity of cultures within the community

A big thank you to everyone who attended and made us feel so welcome!

Didn’t catch us? Families can pop into the Family Hub to find out what’s happening and how we can support the whole family

The programme is designed to support Manchester residents aged 5-16 years

✅ Free holiday activities
✅ Nutritious meals included
✅ Sports and physical activities
✅ Arts, crafts and creative sessions
✅ Opportunities to socialise and try new experiences
✅ Additional support available for some children with SEND, young carers and children in care

The programme is primarily aimed at children who receive benefit-related Free School Meals, although some additional eligibility routes may apply

Families can check eligibility and book activities through the MCRactive website

HAF - MCRactive - Get active in Manchester

📢 We are asking partner organisations, schools, community groups and practitioners to help spread the word and signpost eligible families to the programme

Together, we can help ensure Manchester children have access to healthy food, positive activities and enriching experiences throughout the summer holidays 🌈☀️

We loved welcoming so many families for a morning packed with fun, play and community connection💜

🎨 Face painting
🧸 Soft play & sensory activities
🚲 Smoothie bike
🎯 Games and challenges
🎵 Singing and action songs
📚 Story time

Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the event such a success. We hope you had as much fun as we did! 🌟

Ages 5-11

Clayton Parent Carer Forum Panel launching Wednesday 15th July

Families met with local health and early years services to access advice, resources and support to help children feel confident and ready for their transition to school

From literacy and communication to oral health and wellbeing, the event highlighted how partners work together to give every child the best possible start in life

Thank you to all the families and organisations who joined us and helped make the day such a positive and supportive event 💙

Customers can easily purchase a pre-packed donation bag and place it in the collection point to support local families in need

Across our Family Hub Network, we understand that access to food and basic essentials is fundamental to family wellbeing

By connecting families to local support, community resources and partner organisations, we work together to help reduce the impact of food poverty and ensure children have the best possible start in life

A huge thank you to Councillor Thomas Robinson, community champion Janet and everyone who donated and helped make a difference

Every contribution supports families across our local communities 💙

Junior PARS is a FREE 10-week Physical Activity Referral Service for children and young people aged 5–17 years, helping them access fun sports and activities in their local community

✅ Free 10-week support programme
✅ Fun local activities and sports opportunities
✅ Healthy eating tips and lifestyle advice for families
✅ Support to build confidence and stay active

Families can also self-refer

The Digital Inclusion Handbook is a helpful resource packed with guidance, best practice and ideas for reducing digital exclusion, and supporting digital skills development

It covers key areas such as access to devices, connectivity, digital skills, confidence and ongoing support

Digital inclusion is widely recognised as involving affordable internet access, suitable devices, digital skills training, technical support and accessible online services

Children can enjoy free books, fun activities and exciting rewards throughout the summer while building their confidence and love of reading.

Find out more here: 🔗 https://orlo.uk/Read_to_the_Beat_6nPbJ

The team provide outreach service to families of children with SEND aged 0 to 5 across the city

SEDIT - Outreach for families is a city-wide, referral only,  educational service for families with a child aged between birth and five years who has a Special Educational Need and or Disability and meet the following criteria:

• Has a disability/condition that is impacting on their development?

• Cognition and learning development have a significant delay.

• Is not attending an early year’s setting/school

  
  

The team work with allocated individual children and offers practical help and ideas alongside planned small step play activities to encourage new skills and help children to reach their full potential

SEDIT - Outreach for Settings role is to work with practitioners from Early Years settings throughout Manchester, offering advice and support in their work with children who have been identified as having a SEND need

This will include strategies for effective support, individual learning, and guidance around using appropriate paperwork and processes

The service provides a training offer to settings and services within Manchester to support the inclusion of children who have SEND and their families

The team work with professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists and Physiotherapists to assist families to meet the learning needs of their child

They can provide advice and information and signpost to other appropriate agencies and support

Referrals should be completed only with parental/carer consent. They should be emailed securely to sedit@manchester.gov.uk

Outreach to school nurseries will stay under Rodney House School. Referrals and questions to them should be sent to this email address: outreach@rodneyhouse.manchester.sch.uk

Across Ummah are running a series of free Youth Leadership Workshops designed to help young people develop confidence, gain valuable life skills, and build positive friendships

What young people will gain:

• Confidence building and leadership skills

• Practical learning opportunities

• Teamwork and communication skills

• New friendships and social connections

• A safe and supportive environment

  
  

When: Every Friday until 28th August 2026
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Where: Gorton Central, Highmead Street, M18 8PE

Open to all young people.

For more information: 📞 07747 129530
📧 admin@acrossummah.com
🌐 www.acrossummah.com

Lead, inspire, and make a difference! 🌟

The event brought together families, partners and local services to support children on their journey to school, helping parents and carers feel confident about this exciting milestone. From sharing advice and resources to creating opportunities for children to explore and learn through play, the day highlighted the importance of giving every child the best start in life.

It was wonderful to see so many families engaging with activities, asking questions and connecting with professionals who can support them every step of the way. Events like these play a key role in promoting school readiness, building children's confidence, independence and communication skills before they start their school adventure.

👏 Thank you to everyone who attended, supported and contributed to making the event such a success. Together, we're helping children and families thrive!

Another big shout out to the Family Hub Network across Openshaw and Clayton for coordinating a successful Food Drive, bringing together colleagues, partners and the local community to support families in need.

Through the Family Hub network, these donations will help ease pressures on families and ensure support reaches those who need it most.