Cyngor Gwynedd launches new Flying Start provision

The local community in the Deiniolen area came together to celebrate Cyngor Gwynedd's investment in resources that help ensure the best start in life for children in the area.

More than 70 children are already benefiting from Flying Start provision in the village, and many of them, their families and community leaders came together for a day of fun and to mark the official opening of the new facilities.

Flying Start is a Welsh Government project that supports families with children aged 0-4 by offering an intensive Health Visitor service, family support, language and speech support, and 12.5 hours of free childcare for two-year-olds.

Cyngor Gwynedd successfully secured almost £600,000 from the Welsh Government’s  Childcare and Early Years capital funding to improve facilities and to implement the Flying Start programme in the area.

This has resulted in Cylch Meithrin Deiniolen benefitting from a brand new building which will enable them to offer more free childcare places to two-year-olds in the area. Thirteen children are already receiving high quality childcare in the new building, which helps their parents to be able to progress into work or training.

As part of the exciting development, the new office for the Flying Start team will be based in close proximity to the Cylch Meithrin. A Flying Start Health visitor, Nursery Nurse, Family Support Officer and Play and Early Development Officer will work from the new office with visits with the Health team available from Monday to Wednesday.

Sue Layton, Family, Children and Family Support Team Leader, said: “We are pleased to bring our Family Support service to Deiniolen. Our mission is to ensure support for individuals and families in the community. We look forward to continuing to support the Deiniolen families.”

The new facilities in Deiniolen were officially opened by Councillor Elfed Williams, the Local Member for Deiniolen on the Council.

He said: “It was great to have the opportunity to open the new site, chat with the families and to see which new resources and facilities that are now available to us locally in Deiniolen.

“I’m delighted that Cyngor Gwynedd's Early Years Unit has worked successfully to expand the scheme – it's good news for the children and families of Deiniolen and also for one of the most deprived areas in the county.”

On behalf of the childcare provision managers, Leia Jones, Treasurer of Cylch Meithrin Deiniolen, said: “It’s been an extremely busy time behind the scenes as we worked hard to establish a new Cylch here at Deiniolen. We are delighted to announce that the Cylch is now open, bringing so many opportunities to two-year-olds within the local area.

“We are grateful to Flying Start, Cyngor Gwynedd, and the Welsh Government for this valuable opportunity. This has enabled us to take in more children and to employ more staff – with five out of the current seven members living here in Deiniolen. We have also been able to offer apprenticeships to bring new team member in.

“We especially want to thank those who volunteered their time to help set up the new Cylch – for helping to move everything from the old site, to paint the building and to plant flowers outside. We are truly grateful.

“We look forward to seeing the Cylch go from strength to strength over the coming months and are very excited about the future.”

Councillor Menna Trenholme, Cyngor Gwynedd 's Cabinet Member for Children and Family Support, added: “Having access to good childcare locally can make a world of difference to a child's development. Schemes like this give children the best start and also address deprivation. I look forward to seeing more Deiniolen children and families benefit from the scheme, and the positive impact it will have on their future.”

The Flying Start scheme is run locally in Gwynedd by the Council's Children and Family Support Department.

For more information about the Flying Start scheme in Gwynedd, visit the Council's website,  www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/TeuluGwynedd and select Flying Start.