Derby City Council’s support for families has been showcased during a visit by a Government minister.
Dame Andrea Leadsom, Minister for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care, visited Becket Family Hub to see how Derby is delivering the Family Hubs Start for Life programme.
Derby received £3.8 million in Government funding until March 2025 to deliver the programme. Six of the city’s children’s centres were transformed into Family Hubs, providing families with access to a range of support services under one roof.
Since they launched with a packed programme of events during the summer, the hubs have continued to offer a wide range of groups, workshops and advice to every Derby family.
The Minister spent time with children and their parents, who told her about the varied services they access through the Family Hub. She also met with staff to find out more about their roles and the help they offer families.
Councillor John Whitby, Derby City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Learning and Skills, said:
It was a pleasure to welcome Minister Leadsom to Derby so we could share the incredible impact our Family Hubs, and in particular their extensive Start For Life offer, are having for families across the city. We’re very proud that the Minister described Derby’s Family Hubs as among the best she had seen during her visits to local authorities across the country.
Since they launched in the summer, the hubs have welcomed a huge number of parents and children, offering a vibrant mix of groups, workshops, and vital support. We are now building on that success to strengthen our services and enable us to reach even more families.
Derby is one of 75 local authorities in England allocated a share of around £300 million to embed the family hub approach and enhance Start for Life services across the country.
The hubs bring together services that families may previously have had to find in different places, or found difficult to navigate, making it simple to get help in the right place, at the right time. There is a full start for Life offer for all parents to be, new parents and those with babies and children under five.
Support includes:
• Fun and interactive groups
• Infant feeding workshops, breastfeeding clubs, and support for new parents
• Help with well-being, mental health, and parent-infant relationships
• Support for children with special educational needs and their families
• Activities for dads, co-parents and other carers
• Targeted youth support work for young people aged 11 to 19
• Child and family health activities around healthy eating, oral health, and stay and weigh clinics
• Support with managing finances, the cost of living and getting back into work or training
The Minister’s visit to Derby came as the Government announced that all 75 local authorities involved in the government scheme now offer access to a centre. It has also launched the new national Start for Life Little Moments Together campaign, providing free resources and advice to help parents make the most of every moment - even waiting for a bus or shopping together - to further their child’s development.
You can find more information about Derby’s Family Hubs on the Family Hub Directory.