The Essex coastal town of Jaywick appears bleak on a grey January day, but the brightly signposted Sure Start building provides a cheerful landmark on its seafront road. This is the hub of a community parent programme that is winning accolades for its ability to reach out and engage families, turning parents themselves into the strongest ambassadors for the services offered.
As project manager Benjamin Mann is keen to explain, the needs of local parents have dictated this parent-led approach.
'Jaywick is lacking in a community infrastructure and there is a real need for a range of services for parents,' he says. 'We find that once they access these they become fully engaged and many parents have gone on to become volunteers, providing one-to-one parent contact where ideas and information can be exchanged.'
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