Children and Families

Meet with other parents with neurodiverse children (no diagnosis needed) to share experiences, strategies and tips. Rest assured you are most welcome here, even if you have been made to feel unwelcome elsewhere.

Mondays (term time only)

1 - 2:30pm.

Free (with free creche available for 0 - 4 year olds only).

The support group is drop-in. To reserve a space in the creche please email kathredmond@gl11.org.uk.

Want to give your child the best start in life, but don't know where to begin? Feel a bit overwhelmed by it all and want to share your experiences with others going through the same?

Our next HENRY Right from the Start course starts in September. The eight-week course covers food, wellbeing, relationships, behaviour, and so much more. It's completely free and we also offer a free creche for 0 - 4 year olds.

Thursdays from 18 September to 13 November (term time only).

10:00am - 12:00pm.

To book, please email kathredmond@gl11.org.uk or call 01453 548530.

Join us on Thursdays after school for six weeks of outdoor, active, creative, screen-free fun for 5 - 11 year olds.

Thursdays from 18 September - 23 October.

3:45 - 5:45pm.

£5 per session (includes a cooked meal and a drink).

Booking required, please email kathredmond@gl11.org.uk.

Have a huge pile of outgrown children’s clothes and toys hanging about? Need a new bundle to keep up with growth spurts?

Our next BOBS - Bank Of Baby Stuff is on Wednesday 22 October, 9:30 - 11:30am.

Join the recycling revolution! Donate, swap or take away what you need. Everything is FREE! Just drop in (please bring a bag if you can).

BOBS coincides with our Cost of Living Day, offering a whole range of free advice and support as well as £1 meals in our cafe all day. For more information on our Cost of Living Day click here.

Donation guidelines

Your donations of the following things will be made available to families of all backgrounds, living locally:

• Baby clothes - all sizes

• Baby/cot bedding

• Toddler clothes, shoes, coats, winter wear

Please note that due to lack of space, we CANNOT accept these bulky items: cots, prams, pushchairs, highchairs, moses baskets, car seats or large toys, e.g. play kitchens, garages etc. We are also not currently accepting maternity clothes. Thank you.

Drop in and join us for creative, messy play for you and your little ones aged 0 - 4, every Monday morning.

9:30am - 11:00am.

£2.50 per family.

No booking required, just drop in.

Please note that we are not able to accommodate children older than 4 in this group.

We currently have free creche sessions for 0 - 4 year olds at GL11 on Monday afternoons, 1:00 - 2:45pm.

Why not take advantage of our free creche to go shopping, attend a group at GL11, or just relax in the cafe with a hot drink and some cake, while children are safely at play with our fully trained families team, Kath, Kim and Lindsay.

We also occasionally run one-off creche sessions to help parents participate in activities at GL11. Check out our Activities & Courses section for any specific details.

There is a limit to creche numbers on any one day, so best to ring GL11 first on 01453 548530 just to double check on availability.

Please note that we are not able to accommodate children older than 4 in the creche.

This friendly drop in group for 0 - 4 year olds is held in Sharpness Village Hall every Wednesday.

Includes a snack, a drink, and a monthly Health Visitor session.

9:30am - 11:00am.

£2 per session.

No booking required, just drop in.

Runs term-time only.

Please note that we are not able to accommodate children older than 4 in this group.

Shine’s Creative Therapy & Wellbeing Course for mothers dealing with depression, anxiety, isolation or overwhelm covers a wide range of arts and coping strategies, giving mums a mindfulness toolbox.

Local artists join us to run a variety of workshops, including crafts such as: felting, macrame, painting, slow-stitching, journalling and collage, jewellery making, poetry, and mosaics.

We know from experience how effective creative therapy can be for people who are struggling, and it provides a vital distraction and calming tool for when mothers are feeling anxious or low. Each session, mums leave with something truly beautiful that they can feel proud to have created. Attending our sessions, mothers boost their confidence, share their worries and experiences with other mothers going through the same thing, and get some much-needed ‘me’ time, along with a hot cup of tea and someone to talk to.

Wednesdays from 17 September to 10 December (no session 29 October).

12:30 - 2:30pm.

Free, with free creche for 0 - 4 year olds.

To book, please email rebekah@shine-support.org.

With delicious hot meals and activities for children, come and join our dedicated family time at the GL11 Cafe. Everything's £1!

Wednesdays.

3 - 5pm (last orders 4:30pm).

No booking required, just drop in.

Drop in to our Family Fridays at GL11 to join other families with children aged 0 - 4 for playful activities and a delicious, freshly cooked lunch.

Includes a monthly Health Visitor session and our Community Pantry is also open 10am - 12noon every week.

9:30am - 12 noon.

£3.50 per session (includes lunch for 2 adults and children, additional adults will need to pay £2.50 for lunch).

No booking required, just drop in.

Runs term-time only.

Please note that we are not able to accommodate children older than 4 in this group.

We have a monthly Health Visitor session at both our weekly Family Friday sessions at GL11, and at our weekly Sharpness Parent & Toddler group in Sharpness Village Hall.

No need to book. If you need to see a Health Visitor, just drop in and see us on one of these dates.

Join a fun-filled Stay and Play session at GL11 Community Hub. A perfect opportunity for dads and their little ones (0-5 years) to connect, play, and make new friends.

Second Saturday of every month.

10am - 12pm.

Click here to book.