This year (2004 - 2005) has seen the continuation of the projects work.

Families move in and out of the houses and flats in Murston, travellers re-locate or move into housing, and so the families that use the Project change. Due to links with the local housing association, Health Visitors, Traveller outreach and the organisatons represented on the Management Committee as well as the recommendation of the families that use the local schools and existing elements of the Project it does not take long for families to find out what is on offer at the Poppyfields Centre and for first contact to be made. A regular release of information to the press also remind the local community of the range of opportunities here.

The parent and toddler group has had several new families join the group as well as new babies being born. Many of the older children were able to move on to Poppyseeds Pre-school and made the transition with ease. Familiarity with the building and the routine of eating at the table as well as sharing a book or ‘speech and language/singing time’ come so much easier when they have already had ‘a taste’ of this at the parent and toddler group. The monthly visit from the health visitor is also very welcome.

The Breakfast Group is funded by the Children’s Fund and meets every morning during term time. Breakfast is available for children who attend the local infants and junior school from 8 a.m. The young people that attend this group have tried ‘taster sessions’ and been involved in the choices of cereal and cereal bar offered a the group. The introduction of a ‘hot food’ morning has been very successful, with hot-dogs, beans on toast, scrambled eggs and sausage sandwiches being very popular with those attending. The range of activities offered alongside breakfast has been extended, with group activities and co-operative play with the cooper blanket by far the most popular.

The Child Health Clinic continues to offer opportunities for local parents to meet with the health visitor, exchange their milk tokens for powdered baby milk and have their child weighed.

Alongside the regular groups a few time limited/taster sessions led by the Project were held at the Poppyfields Centre. Cooking skills and First Aid Taster Sessions were the most popular. Pre-school coffee mornings were offered this year to welcome the families to the Project. They were well attended and those who attended found out about the story sack loan library and the singing sack scheme. We also received additional funding to heavily subsidise a family outing to Legoland. This trip was fully booked in less than 2 days!

The work of the Poppyfields Centre is broad, and with successful capital funding this year from both the Community Hub and the Community Learning Centre there will be more opportunities for families of all ages and the organisations that support them via the

Poppyfields Centre. The Children’s Fund funding will enable the successful Breakfast Group to continue (and expand to include an ‘on site’ facility at the Junior School), offer a new After School Club as well as the innovative Enrichment Days which will offer outreach holiday opportunities and support to the local traveller community.