Unique baby and toddler groups, providing essential support for families in Grove, Wantage and the surrounding villages.
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Update: 14th June 2022.
The sun is shining and summer is finally feeling like a reality! We are really enjoying seeing so many new people as well as lots of familiar faces at our groups this term. Now it is sunny we will make use of the garden for our Grove Stay and Play Group, so please remember sun hats and sunscreen for yourselves and your little ones when playing outside.
Our Summer term programme is:
From 25th April until 21st July:
Mondays at St Johns Church Hall in Grove - 10am Toddler Stay and Play, 12.45pm Bumps and Babies
Tuesdays at East Challow Village Hall - 10am Toddler Stay and Play
Wednesdays - No groups. A 4 week Family Links Parenting course starts in May.
Thursdays - The Beacon, Wantage - 10am Toddler Stay and Play, 12.45pm Bumps and Babies
Fridays - School Readiness drops in, Wantage Library, 10am - 11.30am on 17th June, 1st July and 8th July ONLY.
Toddler Stay and Play is for all 0-5 year olds and their parents or carers.
Bumps and Babies is for all pre-walking babies and their parents or carers, and for pregnant ladies.
We are very excited to be running our first ever School Readiness drop ins at Wantage Library on Friday 17th June, Friday 1st July and Friday 8th July. As this is a drop in, there is no booking necessary. This is not a stay and play, but we will have some activities out for your child to have a go at and to give you ideas of things you that you can do at home to help prepare them to starting school. Drop in to see us and to find out more about helping your child prepare for starting school.
Please continue to book your spaces for our groups by clicking 'Book Now'. This allows us to manage numbers and capacity, and avoids disappointment for you and your little one on the day if we are full. All dates, times and venues of groups we are running are our online booking calendar, and bookings open 7 days 4 hours before each group. Click 'Book Now'. If a group is fully booked, it is worth going on the waiting list, as we often get drop outs in the days leading up to a group. This ensures we operate within our limits, and avoids disappointment at the door. We pride oursleves on ensuring we have a friendly and welcoming environment for everyone, and we have you space and time for you to chat with other families and with our friendly staff. Follow us on our facebook page www.facebook.com/growfamilies to see the latest updates and any changes to our programme.
All groups are free to attend, donations welcome but not expected. We have funding from grants, but a suggested donation of £2-£3 per family would make a difference to help us keep going into the future. We will have a pot for cash at the welcome table at each group. Please see a member of GroW staff during the session to donate by debit or credit card, or by Apple Pay or Google Pay. There is no expectation or pressure for anyone attending to donate.
Making new friends and creating a support network:
Attending any of our groups or courses are a great way to make new friends and to create a social support network locally.
If you are pregnant or have a baby under 12 months old, we have created a What's App chat group to create a support network of local parents and carers. If you would like to join the group, please email or Facebook message us with your postcode, and age of your baby/due date and we will send you a link to join.
Parenting Courses:
The Family Links Nurturing Programme is a 10-week parenting programme, and the Family Links Parenting Puzzle is a 4-week parenting programme for those with children aged 0-5 years old. These programmes helps to improves the emotional health of both adults and children and strengthens family relationships. They provide strategies and support through your parenting journey. GroW Staff are trained to deliver these courses. To register your interest in attending a Parenting course, please email contact@growfamilies.co.uk to find out more and to reserve your space. Find out more at: https://www.growfamilies.co.uk/nurturing-programme-for-parents
How is GroW funded?
All of our groups are free to attend, so we are funded by grants, donations and local fundraising. To remain sustainable into the future, we are actively seeking further grants, donations and additional sources of funding. Do you work for a company that supports local charities or community groups? We would be very grateful for any help you can give in terms of fundraising or obtaining grants or donations. If you would be willing to volunteer to support us on our fundraising team, please get in touch.
Community Lottery:
https://www.whitehorselottery.co.uk/support/grow-families-grove-parochial-church-council
£1 per ticket, 50% goes to GroW, a further 10% to other good causes, £25,000 Grand Prize.
Amazon Smile:
Do you, or your family, shop on Amazon? Use Amazon Smile instead and select us as your chosen charity and Amazon will donate to GroW every time you make an eligible purchase. We are officially part of St Johns Church, but all of Amazon donations will go into the GroW account and be used to deliver our service. Click the link, or search 'St Johns Grove' at www.smile.amazon.co.uk. Please share with your family and friends! https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1129066-0
Make a donation:
You can make a donation at any of our groups by either cash, card, apple pay or google pay. If you aren't attending a group but are generously donating to GroW, please contact Michelle Rozer, Manager on 01235 376037.