£183,052 in funding has been allocated to borough as part of the national roll out of ‘Best Start Family Hubs’

Headshots of the four MPs representing the borough of Barnet — Left to right, Barnet MPs Catherine West (Hornsey and Friern Barnet), Dan Tomlinson (Chipping Barnet), David Pinto-Duschinsky (Hendon), and Sarah Sackman (Finchley and Golders Green)

Barnet MPs are celebrating today after the government announced funding for new hubs to support local children and families.

A network of 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs will be rolled out across the country, with education secretary Bridget Phillipson using the announcement to remind voters of Sure Start, a popular scheme under the previous Labour government. Funding of £183,052 has been allocated for facilities in Barnet.

The new hubs will be a one stop shop for parents seeking a range of support, including on difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children’s early development and language.

The aim is to reassure families that they have convenient access to support in their local area and to provide efficient connections to specialist local services.

Explaining the thinking behind the policy, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “It’s the driving mission of this government to break the link between a child’s background and what they go on to achieve – our new Best Start Family Hubs will put the first building blocks of better life chances in place for more children.

“I saw firsthand how initiatives like Sure Start helped level the playing field, transforming the lives of children by putting in place family support in the earliest years of life, and as part of our Plan for Change, we’re building on its legacy for the next generation of children.

“Making sure hard-working parents are able to benefit from more early help is a promise made, and promise kept – delivering a lifeline of consistent support across the nation, ensuring health, social care and education work in unison to ensure all children get the best start in life.”

In a collective statement welcoming the news, MPs Catherine West (Hornsey and Friern Barnet), Dan Tomlinson (Chipping Barnet), David Pinto-Duschinsky (Hendon), and Sarah Sackman (Finchley and Golders Green) said: “Every child in Barnet deserves the best start in life. This funding from the Government will mean that parents can access a one-stop shop with a range of support.

“We regularly meet with young parents struggling to navigate early years services – often having to travel miles to get the help they need. For them, this £183,052 investment to open a local Best Start family hub will be transformative. Access to essential services right here in Barnet.

“This is the difference that Labour MPs working with a Labour-run council and a Labour government can make for children and families in our area.

“Alongside free breakfast clubs in Ashmole Primary, Claremont Primary School, and Tudor Primary School, and last month’s roll out of government-funded childcare, this announcement shows that we are delivering on our Plan for Change.”

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