Everton Women’s first team stars Courtney Brosnan and Aurora Galli headed to Everton in the Community’s Liverpool 4 campus this week to discover how the charity is supporting local families through its life-changing work as part of its 36th birthday celebrations.
The Blues duo spent time with participants who attend the charity’s weekly ‘Starting Well’ session which provide parents and guardians across Liverpool City Region with a dedicated time and safe space to bond with their children aged two and under.
The visit coincides Everton in the Community marking 36-years of life-changing delivery this month, and during the session, the Toffees pair engaged in a series of interactive activities with the families in attendance – from building train tracks to crafting cards with the youngsters – before chatting with parents and guardians about their experiences on the programme to date; witnessing first-hand the positive impact it has had on theirs and their infants’ lives.
Reflecting on the visit, Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Brosnan said: “It’s been great to get involved with the ‘Starting Well’ programme today and spend some time with local families, it’s incredibly important that they have access to amazing outlets like these sessions – where they can all come together and enjoy each other’s company.”
Andrew Cousins, Starting Well Coordinator commented: “The local families that we work with absolutely love the programme, some of the parents even started attending before their child was born. All of the sessions we deliver are free to attend and nowadays, that’s incredibly hard to find. Parents and guardians can spend quality one-on-one time with their youngsters during the most important years in their life whilst picking up parenting tips and accessing additional key wraparound support.
“The charity is unique whereby we can support participants throughout their entire life course – from the cradle to the grave – so both the parents and their children can be signposted onto other programmes as and when their needs change.”
‘Starting Well’ participant Janine also touched upon the benefits of the programme: “It’s been a massive help; I’ve been off work for the last 12 months and this has been a huge part of my life. My child has developed so much during that time as well, especially with his communication skills – he’s now able to bond with people outside of our immediate family. Speaking to other parents has been really helpful too, getting tips on weaning and how to help my little one sleep through the night has just been invaluable.”
Funded by PSS, Starting Well supports parents and guardians across Liverpool City Region to build strong and healthy relationships with their children by giving them access to a wide range of activities and classes specifically designed to promote the importance of bonding and attachment including sensory and music play, LEGO, and sing and sign sessions.
The initiative also aims to boost both paternal and maternal mental health by offering parents and guardians wellbeing advice and giving them the opportunity to share their experiences of parenthood with other likeminded families. During the past 12 months alone, ‘Starting Well’ has supported 133 parents and guardians across Liverpool 4 and beyond, totalling 1,000 hours of engagement.
‘Starting Well’ is one of over 60+ programmes and initiatives delivered by Everton in the Community which tackle a variety of social issues including employability, education, mental health, homelessness, poverty and disability.
Established in 1988, Everton in the Community has been providing a lifeline to those most in need across Liverpool City Region for more than three decades through its innovative and impactful delivery. To support the sustainability of the charity’s mission to build brighter futures and stronger communities across Liverpool City Region, click here.
Everton in the Community celebrates its 36th birthday at next week’s home game against Crystal Palace on Monday 19 February, and is calling on Evertonians to mark the occasion by supporting them in their fundraising efforts and ‘Be Sound, Bring a Pound’. EitC staff and volunteers will be out in full force on Monday evening armed with buckets asking fans to spare £1 on the night, with monies raised channelled into developing the charity’s life-changing work in Liverpool 4 and beyond.
