Children and Families

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 HENRY courses cover food, wellbeing, relationships, behaviour, and so much more. They're completely free and we also offer a free creche for 0 - 4 year olds.

Currently booking for:

Tuesdays from 20 January - 10 March (term time only), 10am - 12pm at Dursley Tab, Parsonage Street, Dursley, GL11 4BW.

Thursdays from 22 January - 19 March (term time only), 10am - 12pm at GL11 Community Hub, Fairmead, Cam, GL11 5JS.

For more information and to book, please email kathredmond@gl11.org.uk or call 01453 548530.

Come along and choose from our selection of pre-owned baby and toddler clothes and other useful things. Everything is free!

BOBS now coincides with our weekly Cost of Living Day, offering a whole range of free advice and support as well as £1 meals in our cafe all day.

11 March.

9:30 - 11:30am.

We welcome donations in advance of baby clothes, baby & cot bedding, toddler clothes, shoes and coats. Please note that due to lack of space, we cannot accept bulky items: cots, prams, pushchairs, highchairs, moses baskets, car seats or large toys. We are not currently accepting donations of maternity clothes.

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.

£3.50 per family.

No booking required, just drop in.

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

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.

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.

£3 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.

Are you a neurodivergent teen aged 11 - 14? Join us for fun and supportive sessions that will help you make friends, explore your strengths, and get creative. Open to anyone identifying as neurodivergent, no diagnosis required.

Wednesdays 4 February, 11 February, 25 February, 4 March.

3:45 - 5:45pm.

For more details and to book your space contact Dawn on dawnhalls@gl11.org.uk.

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 know you can't wave a magic wand to make toothbrushing easy! Why not come and chat with Gemma, our resident Tooth Fairy, about tips for tooth care and oral hygiene?

Second Friday of the month, 9:30 - 11:30am as part of Family Friday.

No booking required.

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.

runDADrun is a Saturday morning run club for dads with children aged 0 - 5. We meet for a warmup followed by a run or workout (with children in buggys), then a walk to GL11 for coffee and a croissant and stay and play for the children.

First Saturday of each month.

Meet 8am.

Jubilee Playing Fields, Everside Lane, Cam, GL11 5UL.

£5 suggested donation.