Celebrating the Successes of A Better Start Southend’s Parent Champions
Alicia Bannister, Marketing and Communications Officer at A Better Start Southend, writes about the achievements of the programme’s ‘Parent Champions.’
Parent Champions are the key to co-production in the A Better Start Southend (ABSS) programme. Southend Association of Voluntary Services (SAVS) works closely with ABSS to train and lead Parent Champions who are passionate about the programme and want to have more of a say in the delivery and design of services.
Parent Champions are parents/carers who have been involved in ABSS events and activities and want to take the next step to become volunteers who are integral to the success of the programme. They provide lived experience expertise to the governing body of ABSS, ensuring that the design and shaping of services is working to improve the lives of babies and children aged 0-3 who are living within an ABSS ward in Southend.
Two previous Parent Champions, Sarah Miller, who trained as a Parent Champion in October 2020, and Emma Stoakes who trained in October 2022, have since left their positions to become Non-Executive Directors of City Family CIC. City Family was created in the wake of the ABSS programme with the vision to strengthen the ‘village’ around a family and empower parents to allow children to have the best start in life.
Becoming a Parent Champion has enhanced Emma and Sarah’s knowledge of Southend and the services that are available for families, and they now feel able to signpost families to further support across Southend. Training delivered by SAVS, involvement in ABSS governance board meetings, and having their say in the design of ABSS projects and events has increased their confidence, and this experience has given them the opportunity to excel in their roles as Non-Executive Directors at City Family.
As ABSS looks to the end of its 10-year programme, we are exploring legacy opportunities with City Family. In December 2023, the ABSS creche services transferred to City Family, becoming the City Family Explorers, and in early 2024, two further ABSS services, ‘Talking Transitions’ and ‘Your Family’ joined City Family.
ABSS celebrates both Sarah and Emma’s contributions as they navigate their board roles at City Family and are delighted that co-production is just as integral there as it has been for ABSS.
To meet the faces of the story and to hear more from Sarah and Emma watch our video, which captures the impact local parents have on shaping organisations and in the delivery of services.
Please note - ABSS is no longer recruiting Parent Champions, and is navigating the end of the programme with the existing Parent Champions on board.
About A Better Start
A Better Start is a ten-year (2015-2025), £215 million programme set-up by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
Five A Better Start partnerships based in Blackpool, Bradford, Lambeth, Nottingham and Southend are supporting families to give their babies and very young children the best possible start in life. Working with local parents, the A Better Start partnerships are developing and testing ways to improve their children’s diet and nutrition, social and emotional development, and speech, language and communication.
The work of the programme is grounded in scientific evidence and research. A Better Start is place-based and enabling systems change. It aims to improve the way that organisations work together and with families to shift attitudes and spending towards preventing problems that can start in early life. It is one of five major programmes set up by The National Lottery Community Fund to test and learn from new approaches to designing services which aim to make people’s lives healthier and happier
The National Children’s Bureau is coordinating an ambitious programme of shared learning for A Better Start, disseminating the partnerships’ experiences in creating innovative services far and wide, so that others working in early childhood development or place-based systems change can benefit.
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Visit the A Better Start website to find out more.