New purpose-built children's centre in the Choppington area of Northumberland

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

A 400,000 purpose-built children's centre in the Choppington area of Northumberland will create almost 220 new childcare places in the county's most disadvantaged wards. The local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership has secured public funding of 208,000, matched by a further 203,000 from the European Regional Development Fund, to provide for 61 children aged up to five. The centre is a satellite extension of the Sure Start Bedlington and Scotland Gate Children's Centre. Sure Start manager Paula Mead said the centre would 'enable us to extend existing Sure Start and neighbourhood nursery programmes, both in services and area covered, reaching an additional 157 children aged nought to five'.