Ardleigh Green Family Centre was established in September 2009 and is now a registered charity run by Ardleigh Green Learning Federation. The centre celebrated its tenth anniversary in September 2019. It offers services including, Baby Club, community choir, toddler groups, police drop-ins, community meetings and ante-natal groups to name a few.

One of the initiatives of the Centre is a The Hub, which provides families with information, support, advice, and effective signposting opportunities on a variety of subjects. They work with partners across the Borough and once a month, professionals from the partner organisations come together at The Hub to meet with parents and carers to offer free, face to face, instant help and advice.

The Hub not only gives parents the opportunity to come together for a coffee and a chat, but they can speak directly to school nurses and health visitors from NELFT’s 0-19 Havering Children’s Services and STAR workers from the NELFT Havering CAMHS Team in addition to clinicians from NELFT Primary Mental Health Team.

HBBS Counselling are also present to provide private advice and practical support and Peabody provide one-to-one support, information, and advice for housing related issues. The list of partners attending each month is growing all the time.

Jenna is a Havering parent who has used The Hub. Here is what she had to say:

“The Ardleigh Green Hub has been a wonderful support for myself and my family.

From my first visit, I was signposted to the teams that are able to give great advice and support to both me, and my children.

I would highly recommend The Hub to anyone needing help and support.”

Councillor Gillian Ford, Deputy Leader of Havering Council and Cabinet Member for Adults and Health visited The Hub on Tuesday 7 March:

Theresa Jordan runs the Ardleigh Green Family Centre and was instrumental in setting up the hub. She is confident that the Hub will grow so that more families can benefit from the services and support provided at the monthly meetings.

Sarah Evans is a School Nurse at NELFT who attends along with other members of the Havering 0-19 Children’s service and Havering CAMHS:

The Hub meets monthly at Ardleigh Green Family Centre, 165 Ardleigh Green Road Hornchurch RM11 2LF. Session times are 9.15am to 11am. The next drop-in sessions are:

18 April, 16 May, 13 June & 11 July 2023

NELFT Havering 0-19 children’s services support the health and development of all children from their birth to when they leave school, empowering parents’, and carers to enable children to reach their full potential in life. Visit their webpages: click here.