Groups & Courses
The Centre has a number of community rooms including a sensory room, large community room, meeting room, health room as well as a large outside play area.
The Centre offers a number of weekly drop-in groups as well as a wide variety of courses and other services. These generally operate during term-time only. The Community team consists of a Family Support Outreach Worker, a Community Facilitator, Early Years Practitioner and creche assistants.
Weekly Drop in Groups
- Bumps and Babes
This is an informal drop-in for pregnant ladies and mums with young babies. This group runs on a Friday morning from 10am to 11.30am and provides an ideal environment in which to mix with and meet other mums/carers with young babies.
- Toddler Groups
The Centre runs two toddler groups a week, on a Monday and Thursday afternoon from 1pm to 3pm. These groups allow you and your child to play and enjoy time together as well as providing an opportunity for you to meet and socialise with other children and parents. These groups are for children who are walking confidently up to the age of 5 years. - Stay and Play
This drop in session is run on the first and third Saturday of the month from 10am to 12 midday. This group is for dads, step dads, male carers and their children (under 5 years). This session allows male carers to spend time with their children and to socialise with other adults.
- Adult Keep Fit
This fun fitness session is for adults and is run by a qualified instructor on a Monday morning in Park Primary School Hall. Each session runs from 9.15am to 10.15am. A free creche is available at the Children's Centre. Creche places are limited and need to be booked in advance.
- Adult Choir
This singing group for adults meets on a Wednesday evening from 7.30pm -9.30pm. This is a fun and lively evening led by an experienced singing coach. The choir performs at several fundraising events throughout the year.
- Taking Steps
Taking Steps aims to look at ways of supporting your safety and personal issues regarding domestic abuse. These drop-in sessions run on a Monday morning from 10am to 11.45am. Free creche facilities are available.
Courses
Parents and carers are welcome to attend any of the courses that run periodically at the Centre. To find out dates and to secure a place, please contact the Community Facilitator.
- Music Time Courses
These fun music courses are run by an experienced music tutor on a Monday morning. These courses introduce children and their parents/carers to lots of instruments, basic rhythms and songs. There are three courses depending on the age of your child.
9.30am - 10.15am : Mums/carers and toddlers, 2 years +
10.30am - 11.15am : Mums/carers and toddlers, 1 year - 2 years
11.30am - 12 midday : Mums/carers and babies, 6 weeks to 12 months
- Pram to School Course
This course offers useful and helpful support to parents of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. This course consists of six weekly sessions and is facilitated by Childcare Practitioners. A free creche is available.
- Practical Parenting Course
This course is ideal for parents of young children, 3-8 years, who wish to learn more about their child's behaviour and to receive practical advice on tackling common behavioural difficulties. The course consists of eight weekly sessions and is run by qualified and experienced tutors. All course materials and handouts are provided. Evening and daytime courses are available. A free creche is provided for the daytime courses.
- Baby Massage Course
Run by a trained Dimensional Touch Holistic Therapist, this course introduces parents to basic baby massage. All oils and worksheets are provided. Each course consists of five weekly sessions and is ideally suited to parents of young babies (under six months).
- Paediatric First Aid Course
This course is highly recommended for all parents and carers of children. This course is run by St Johns Ambulance and consists of 3 weekly sessions. A certificate is awarded at the end of the course. A free creche is available.
- Sign and Sing Course
'Sign and Sing' offers early communication skills for parents and children under 2 years. It consists of six weekly sessions.
- Families Exploring and Achieving Together (FEAT) Course
This is an accredited course designed to help build parent's confidence in communication through sharing stories and rhymes with their children. The course will help parents to encourage their children to explore the wider world around them, and will develop parents/carers skills as their children's first educators.
- Transition to School Courses
Consisting of six weekly sessions, these courses are run in conjunction with Park Primary School and St. Michaels Infants School for parents and children in their last year at nursery. These courses are designed to ease the smooth transition from nursery to school and are run during the summer term.
- Early Start Course
This course is designed to help parents/carers explore ways of playing, talking and listening to their children and to enhance early language development. The aim is to provide relevant activities for babies and toddlers to extend their range of vocabulary and communication skills.
- Basic Numeracy Skills and Literacy Skills Courses for Adults
These weekly sessions are on-going and enable parents to improve their numeracy and/or literacy skills and work towards a recognised qualification. These courses are funded and tutored by Farnborough College of Technology. This course is supported by a free creche.
- ICT Courses
- Pottery Courses
- Money Management Courses
In addition the Centre also accommodates:-
- Baby Health Clinic - this clinic is held at the Centre every Wednesday afternoon between 1pm and 3pm. It is run by the Aldershot team of Health Visitors.
- Antenatal Drop-In Clinic - this clinic is held at the Centre every Wednesday evening between 7pm and 9pm. It is run by the Aldershot team of midwives.
- Parentcraft classes for parents to be.
- Post-natal support
- Parents Reference Library - a small reference library is available for regular users of the Centre. The books cover all aspects of family life and are aimed to inform and support parents and carers who are looking after children. Areas include weaning, potty training, behaviour issues and teenagers.
- Adult Book Club - this group meets once a month on a Tuesday evening at 7.30pm. It is an informal group for people who read and enjoy books.
- CAMHS (Child and Adolescence Mental Health Service) consultations
- Healthy Living workshops
- Help & sign-posting for Family Tax Credits, Maternity and Other benefits, Job Centre Plus and CV writing
- Advice, support and guidance by a Family Support Outreach Worker
- Chatterbox Speech and Language Group - for children referred by a Speech and Language Therapist. This group runs on a Tuesdays from 1pm to 3pm.
- Quit 4 Life - Hampshire stop smoking service. This service operates on a Thursdays from 1.30pm to 3pm.
- Energy Advisor - This service offers valuable advice on how to claim grants and benefits to help cope with rising fuel costs. The advisor is available on Thursdays from 1pm to 3pm.
- Outreach services at various locations in the area.
For further details, please contact the Community Facilitator or Family Support Outreach Worker on 01252 338607.