Flying Start Children's centres in Luton provide vital services for children and their families. They are facing closure/restructure due to the financial impacts, Covid-19 has had on Luton Borough council. This will result in devastating impacts for families and particularly on young children in the community, who rely on these services. Flying start provides a support network for new parents particularly mothers, many of which do not have access to other local support or guidance. Some female caregivers suffer from post-natal depression, or isolation, depression, anxiety, domestic violence and need the help they can access at children's centres.

What is Flying Start?

Flying Start seeks to provide the best outcomes for children and their families from pregnancy to their 5th birthday, as a foundation to a healthy future. They ensure that all young children in Luton have a Flying Start in life, by intervening early when help and support is needed.

Flying Start deliver services which support improved birth outcomes and encourage healthy diet and lifestyles for babies, young children and their families. They Improve babies’ and young children’s communication and language skills. They support healthy bonding between parents and their babies and young children. They make it easy for parents to access the services and support they need, when they need it and where they need it. 

Vital Services no longer offered within the new structure: 

April2021 Pregnancy Club, Bump to Babe antenatal education, Feeding your New Born, Breast Feeding Café, Take 5 Café, Baby Massage, Baby Talk, Stay and Play, Messy Play, Sing and Sign, Parenting Puzzle courses, Nurturing Programme courses, Henry courses (healthy lifestyle, eating and nutrition), other health related services currently held within Flying Start Children Centre. 

The council will no longer be providing any children’s centre services from the children’s centre premises in the following locations:

• Flying Start Central Children’s Centre: (Denbigh, StopsleyBaptist Church)
• Flying Start North Children’s Centre: (Limbury, Redgrave CYP, Gill Blowers Nursery Leabank)
• Flying Start South Children’s Centre: Park Town, Whipperley, The Mall) 
• Flying Start West Children’s Centre: (Dallow, Pastures Way Nursery, Foxdell, Beechwood, Mossdale Court, Leagrave, Chaul End Community Centre).

Luton Council has launched a public consultation about the proposed changes to our Flying Start Children’s Centres and we would like to hear your views.

The consultation is open from the 3 August to the 18 September 2020 and you can access it online at https://engage.luton.gov.uk/childrens-services/ifrs-consultation/

Please take the time to have a look at the information and
have your say on the future of Children's Centres in Luton!

Please share with friends and family!