Young Gateshead families are building their love of reading and stories in greater comfort thanks to a North East children’s charity and a regional employer.
The Children’s Foundation has opened a new Cosy Corner within the Toddling On ‘stay and play’ cafe in its Deckham Family Hub on Elgin Road.
The new space is designed to give young children a comfortable, informal place to play, relax and listen to the Foundation’s regular storytelling sessions.
A £2,013 grant from the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund enabled the Foundation to fit out the Cosy Corner, which will include new bookshelves, tactile and sensory elements, canopies and books being included.
The Children’s Foundation opened the Toddling On café late last year to give local families with young children a warm, welcoming space to play, connect and make memories together in the heart of the community.
It offers good quality coffee and nutritious food at discounted prices to help ensure it remains accessible to all and hosts a range of fun activities designed to support children’s development in their earliest years.
Founded in Newcastle in 1990 to help address what were the worst levels of child health in the country at the time, the Foundation works to improve the health and well-being of the most vulnerable and marginalised children and young people right across the North East.
Its ‘Yellow Brick Road Appeal’ raised £12m to build The Sir James Spence Institute of Child Health, which sits within the Great North Children’s Hospital and is one of the UK’s leading NHS centres for research into childhood ill–health.
The Children’s Foundation is an independent charity and receives no statutory funding.
Emma Jamieson, community project manager at the Children’s Foundation, says: “The Hub provides a welcoming environment for local families to play, share and develop new friendships, and we’ve had a really positive response to the Toddling On cafe from customers of all ages since we opened our doors.
“There are lots of resources available which help to build strong foundations in the early years, reduce isolation and give children and their families the tools to flourish, with the Cosy Corner being the latest space that we’re adding into the mix.
“We know how much children especially love coming along to our storytelling sessions and how much their parents and carers value the time they spend together here.
“Having this dedicated space will make our overall offering even better and we hope it will encourage more local families to spend time with us.
“The Banks Group’s support will help us make this new space as welcoming and well-equipped as possible, and we’re really grateful to have them in our corner.”
Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “Providing the sorts of experiences and opportunities that the Children’s Foundation is offering through the Toddling On café can have a positive impact on a child’s development right through their formative years.
“This is a fantastic, fun way to make their facilities even better and one that we’re very pleased to be part of.”
The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North (formerly the County Durham Community Foundation).