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Early years and family support

The London Family Fund

The London Family Fund (2018-2020) was a flagship programme in the Mayor’s Strategy for Social Integration. It supported innovative projects that brought families together across difference, in the early years’ context, to improve social integration.

Social integration is about connections with others. It is about shaping a city where people have more opportunities to interact positively and meaningfully. It means supporting Londoners to play an active part in their communities and the decisions that affect them. It also means reducing barriers and inequalities, so that Londoners can relate to each other as equals.

The Mayor provided £600,000 over three years to projects that generate more diverse social networks among families, reduce parental isolation and loneliness, and improve the wellbeing of children. The London Family Fund awarded grants between £10,000 and £85,000 to support projects working with hundreds of London’s families to increase social integration. Having children is something many people have in common and we wanted to build on this shared experience to bring diverse families together for mutual support and a common purpose.

We want to share and promote best practice in the family services and early years sectors.

The evaluation explores what worked well in designing and delivering projects that improve social integration among families and identified a set of recommendations for organisations and funders who wish to deliver similar projects

Read the evaluation report of the London Family Fund to see how it achieved its aims of:

  • Building new relationships across difference and generating new social and support networks among families
  • Reducing loneliness and social isolation and helping parents to feel more connected to their local area
  • Improving parents participation and involvement in their local communities
  • Improving the wellbeing of child/ren

Organisation

Project

Borough

Project Summary

Centrepoint Soho

Intergenerational Young Parents Activity project

Haringey

Supported Housing service for vulnerable young parents and elderly people. This housing service will accommodate 12 young parents (alongside the current elderly residents) in sheltered housing. London Family Fund funding will provide a range of activities to bring the two groups together to build connections.

The Cares Family

Three Generations (3G) Social Club

Waltham Forest & Haringey

The Cares Family will test a new type of social club model that brings together three generations together over 6 months: new parents, their young children (0-5 years) and older neighbours (over 65 years).

Her Centre

Meeting Families and Having Fun

Greenwich

This project will give families with pre-school children who have experienced domestic abuse opportunities to meet new families and to reduce the isolation and loneliness that follows a family breakup. The project will offer women and their children a range of fun and learning activities to nurture meeting new people and build common bonds.

St Mary’s Primary School

Stay and Sing

Lewisham, Southwark and Islington

Weekly music sessions across three schools in London for diverse parents and pre-schoolers. Sessions will also provide advice on housing and immigration.

Laburnum Boat Club

Hackney Families Afloat

Hackney

Bringing families together through water-based activities for diverse local families with young children. Activities include: Narrow boating, canoeing, nature walks, fun days, BBQs and more.

Organisation

Project

Borough

Project description

New Economics Foundation

A parent-led childcare enterprise for local parents in Deptford, Lewisham

Lewisham

Parent-led nursery for families from diverse backgrounds. Parents will be supported by professionals to lead the activities within the nursery. Funding will support the network building and the co-designing.

Citizens UK

Parents and Communities Together (PACT)

Tower Hamlets

A social support project for parents of young children, including listening campaigns and antenatal and postnatal Parent University programmes.

Eastside Community Heritage

Sharing our Songs

Redbridge

Bringing parents of children in reception together from different backgrounds. The project is based around parent co-delivery, which will focus the sharing of cultural backgrounds through activities based around nursery rhymes.

Kids Kitchen Collective CIC

Kids Kitchen - Family, Food, Friendship

Waltham Forest

Bringing families together to share cooking techniques and prepare and eat food together. This includes pop-up outreach sessions to families less engaged with the programme and for families with children under 6 months also.

Wheely Tots

Family Buddy Up Project

City of London

Pairing families together where they will bond over activities such as sports, play and cooking. Parents and children try new activities with the help of experienced experts.

Nature Vibezzz

Forest School Families

Barnet

Bringing families together through forest school activities for families, with ideas such as making dens, nature walks, making magic potions from natural items and storytelling.

Time and Talents Association

Families on the ‘High Street’: A Shopping Mall Hub for All

Southwark

Families will develop a shopping centre hub to meet, support, and have fun with each other. They will develop/run the activities themselves and aim to engage a diverse range of families.

Little Village

Building Our Village

Wandsworth

Bringing clothes, toys and equipment to families that need it. Inviting wider families to get involved with their work, developing a network of ambassadors which will ultimately support children’s needs.

Hackney Playbus

Hackney Playbus Families Project

Hackney

A double-decker bus which will come to community estates or parks where families with early years children can socialise and play.

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