Dame Andrea Leadson meets users of Berwick and Blyth's trailblazing family hubs

Northumberland’s Family Hubs have received the stamp of approval from the government’s Early Years Adviser.
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Dame Andrea Leadsom visited the region to see how hubs in Blyth and Berwick are making a difference to people’s lives.

Their aim is to be a one-stop-shop for families, and offer advice on any subject associated with bringing up children and running a household.

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The hubs can put people in touch with midwives, registrars, health visitors, early years and mental health professionals, youth specialists and a host of other services – including relationship and parenting programmes or financial advisers.

Dame Andrea Leadsom MP meets Alyx and Robbie Maving, who were registering the birth of one of the county’s youngest residents, 10-day-old Elsie, at the Blyth Central Family Hub.Dame Andrea Leadsom MP meets Alyx and Robbie Maving, who were registering the birth of one of the county’s youngest residents, 10-day-old Elsie, at the Blyth Central Family Hub.
Dame Andrea Leadsom MP meets Alyx and Robbie Maving, who were registering the birth of one of the county’s youngest residents, 10-day-old Elsie, at the Blyth Central Family Hub.

Dame Andrea was also given a “virtual tour” of the new Family Hubs website which aims to make it even easier to access support and advice.

She said: “It was wonderful to see how the hubs are at the heart of their communities and the excellent partnership work taking place.

“It is the innovation of our trailblazers like Northumberland that will help to shape the development of the programme across the UK, and I will continue to follow their progress with great interest.”

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Among the families who met Dame Andrea were new parents Alyx and Robbie Maving, who were registering the birth of one of the county’s youngest residents, 10-day-old Elsie, at the Blyth Central Family Hub.

Dame Andrea Leadsom MP visits a baby sensory class at Berwick Family Hub.Dame Andrea Leadsom MP visits a baby sensory class at Berwick Family Hub.
Dame Andrea Leadsom MP visits a baby sensory class at Berwick Family Hub.

Alyx, 29, who works as corporate governance manager with the NHS and lives in Blyth with husband Robbie, 30, a firefigher, said: “It was really good and much easier to be able to come along and register her here close to home.

“We’ve been given a pack with lots of information about all the different support and classes and we’ve registered with the hub, so we’ll definitely be back again soon.”

During her visit to Berwick, Dame Andrea spoke to Kayleigh Johnson, who was taking part in a sensory play session with her eight-month-old son Liam.

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Kayleigh, 32, from Berwick, who works as a teaching assistant, said: “We started by coming to the Brilliant Babies sessions – which were exactly that – brilliant! We’ve met so many people and both Liam and I love coming.

“I’ve had so much advice and it’s been great to have so much support in one place – from being able to come and have him weighed and see a health visitor though to advice on weaning.

“He’s absolutely thriving and when I go back to work, he’s going to start coming to the nursery sessions here too. They run in term-time and holidays too and it is reassuring for me that he knows a lot of the staff already and they know him.”

Northumberland’s network of Children’s Centres relaunched as Family Hubs in September 2022 after the council was selected as an eligible authority to join the government-backed programme.The programme will see 75 areas benefiting from £300 million worth of investment until 2025.

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Northumberland has been selected as one of 14 “trailblazer” local authorities awarded extra cash to fast-track delivery of these services, leading the way and supporting other local authorities.

To register for free at a family hub, click here