At Stockwell Partnership, we’ve always been passionate about supporting our youngest residents. For over 25 years, we’ve been working to make our area better, and it’s amazing to see the early years children we first met growing up and now contributing to the community!
Our journey with early years began back in the late 2000s when we focused on helping diverse groups make better use of the local Sure Start centre. This effort led to a major Early Years programme, where we brought in multilingual specialists to help families from East African, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and French-speaking backgrounds access children’s centres and public services. We continued to support local parents and families as part of the LEAP programme until it finished in 2024.
Right now, we’re running a Portuguese/Spanish-speaking Migrant Parental Support programme, funded by the Walcot Foundation. This programme gives migrant parents helpful advice and support. Through our flagship Thriving Stockwell health and wellbeing project, run in partnership with local GPs and community groups, some of the parents who joined our past programmes are now leading their own groups, offering support to others in the community.
Kadijay and Samira, who were part of our programmes over the last three years, have taken on the role of facilitating their own group for mums. They’re now key players in planning our upcoming programmes! Family traditions and community experiences are so important in shaping early childhood memories. They help children develop a sense of identity, stability, and belonging.
Stockwell is a wonderfully diverse community, and that’s something we celebrate in all our early years programmes. Over the years, we’ve hosted fun, culture-filled events for both little ones and their older siblings. From Diwali to Eid and Black History Month, we’ve created spaces where families can celebrate their unique cultures, while also sharing and learning about others. Immersing children in their family’s culture while introducing them to new experiences helps build a sense of belonging and a deeper understanding of their heritage within our shared neighbourhood.
And speaking of Black History Month, we’re excited to invite you to our upcoming event:
Empowering Young Voices: BHM Celebration & Wellbeing for Children and Young People
Date: Wednesday 29th October
Time: 11am to 1pm
Where: South Lambeth Library, SW8 1QP
It’s going to be a fun and uplifting day, with health and wellbeing activities, drumming, live music, and so much more!
