Cherry Blossom Family Hub
PODS Launches New SEND Family Hub (Cherry Blossom) in Collaboration with Telford & Wrekin Council
“Cherry Blossom, Family Hub Set to Open to Support SEND Families
Telford & Wrekin Council is soon to open its fourth Family Hub in the borough which will support families with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Cherry Blossom Family Hub will be located at the independent Telford & Wrekin based charity PODs who provide a range of services and activities tailored to the needs of children with SEND and their families. Cherry Blossom will offer a welcoming and inclusive environment for all families in Telford & Wrekin.
The Family Hub will open its doors for the first time on Thursday 29 August between 10am and 12 noon.
Residents are invited to go along to the open morning to find out more and take part in the free family friendly activities including a Photo Booth, face painters as well as a chance to win some free passes to local family venues to mark the official opening.
Support is available for SEND families from pre-birth through the infant and toddler stage and all the way up to 25 years.
Councillor Shirley Reynolds (Lab) cabinet member for Early Years, Children and Young People, Education, Employment & Skills said: “I am delighted that we are soon to open our next Family Hub that will mean we can offer even more support to those families who need it most. Family Hubs offer a central place for families to visit to get support from a range of services in one place, whether it’s to ask a question about their children’s development milestone, take part in one of our group sessions or socialise with other families. We are seeing people walk through the doors for a whole range of reasons and that’s exactly what the Family Hubs are for.
“Everyone is welcome at our launch event in August this will be a great opportunity to find out what support is on offer at Cherry Blossom, as well as join in with some free family fun activities to celebrate the opening.”
Elaine Pearce, Project Manager at Parents Opening Doors: “We are delighted to be working in conjunction with Telford & Wrekin Council and able to support the SEND community further due to becoming a Family Hub. The naming of the Family Hubs was part of a competition we launched earlier this year, and the winner was Yas Firth with Cherry Blossom. Well done to Yas.”
Telford & Wrekin Council have also provided a start-up grant to the charity which has enabled them to purchase an onsite defibrillator.
Elaine commented: “The defibrillator is a life-saving piece of equipment, and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to be able to have purchased this vital piece of equipment, making our Hub safer for everyone.”
This work is part of Telford & Wrekin Council’s ‘20 pledges in 20 weeks’ campaign which will see the local authority deliver 20 actions on the things that matter most to local people during the first 20 weeks following Cllr Lee Carter’s appointment as Leader on 18 July. The pledges reinforce the council’s ongoing commitment to protect, care and invest to create a better borough.
Partners who will offer support through the new Cherry Blossom Family Hub include Telford HomeStart, Families in Telford, Shropshire Community 0-19, Telford Mind, Sea Change, LMNS, SeaChange, CAB and EatWell.
All Family Hubs in Telford and Wrekin have been named after trees – as a symbol of stability, growth and strength, in light also of our borough’s “Tree City of the World” achievement. Residents were invited to vote on their favourite centre names last year.
This will bring the total number Family Hubs in the borough to four and they are currently open Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm. Cherry Blossom Family Hub is located at 1 Hawksworth Rd, Telford TF2 9TU and following the launch the hub will also be open most weekdays from 9am until 5pm, but it is advised to check opening times before traveling to the venue.”