In the heart of our communities, there's a place that radiates warmth, compassion, and understanding. A place that celebrates the joys of early childhood, offers an opportunity to learn, a helping hand during challenging times, and fosters a sense of belonging. This place is Babyzone.
This week we sat down with General Manager of Babyzone, and asked her a few questions about what Babyzone is doing. In this blog we share part of the interview with you which sheds light on how Babyzone is more than just a service; it's a lifeline for many families.
How did Babyzone come about?
“Babyzone was born out of OnSide, a national youth charity that champions youth work and believes all young people deserve access to opportunities. These amazing, premium, purpose-built spaces were used by children 8 years and up when they finished school. That meant that the buildings were left un-used in the mornings. Understanding the importance of early years and seeing an opportunity to support families with younger children in the communities, Babyzone was born.”
Where is Babyzone located at the moment?
“Babyzone operates out of four of OnSide’s Youth Zones - Unitas (Barnet), Legacy (Croydon), Future (Barking & Dagenham) and Warrington. We are open one day a week at each of our sites from 9:30am - 2:30pm, term-time only. We are strategically placed to serve the families in underserved areas”.
What happens in a day at Babyzone?
“Our staff arrive for set up early in the morning and transform the Youth Zone’s into a beautiful play zone. We have over 25 evidence-based sessions running each day at each location. The practitioners we work with deeply care for the families and we value them. On top of our classes, we always have partners coming in and using the rooms that are available to deliver additional sessions (eg. infant breastfeeding clinics, Home-Start chill n play sessions, antenatal workshops, pelvic floor workshops, oral health and healthy lifestyles sessions - the list goes on!). The families are encouraged to participate in all the activities and we often hear about parents finding friends at Babyzone. At the end of the day, the staff pack down and the Youth Zone team set up for the young people that come in in the afternoons and evenings.”
What do families love most about Babyzone?
“What we hear parents say is that they really appreciate having a safe and warm space to come to every week. Andre, a parent at Babyzone Barnet, recently shared how she has seen progress in her sons development and how he asks if they can go back to Babyzone each week. She reported how beneficial it has been for her mental health, and as someone who doesn’t speak English as her first language, it has been really great connecting with other Spanish mothers.”
Where to next for Babyzone?
“We are growing and we are very excited to have soft launched in Warrington in March 2024 and opening in Hammersmith & Fulham in May of 2024. Taking us to five Babyzone’s welcoming over 1000 family visits a week across our locations.”