When we find something we think might help, we’ll make sure to add it to our funcare blog. This is our latest list of local harrogate activities, groups, events and centres for parents:

Minos

If you are a new mum feeling low, isolated or struggling with the demands of a baby, ask your GP, Health Visitor or PSA about the MINOS group. This friendly and informal group of mums and volunteers are here to support you. MINOS is open to mums who have been referred only.

Speech Therapy Drop in Sessions

Is your child talking? Do you have any concerns? Open sessions with qualified speech and language therapists. No appointment needed. Please arrive 30 minutes before the end of the session. For more information contact the Child Development Centre on 01423 553122.

Portage Playtime

For children with additional needs. Music and play sessions for children and their carers. They help children to build on their communication and social skills. A chance to meet other parents in a relaxed and safe Environment at Bilton Children’s Centre.

If you have a local event, activity, group or centre and would like mention on our blog, please contact us.

To celebrate its 20 years of excellence, Funcare are inviting children, parents and staff past and present to join them for a Fun Day at Woodlands Day Nursery on 23rd May.

They’ll be a bouncy castle (be careful on there, you dads!), ice cream, face painting and all manner of fun things as we celebrate not just 20 years of our existence, but 20 years of success and outstanding work.

To reflect the levels of excellence and we’ve achieved and maintained over 20 years, North Yorkshire County Council will be presenting us with a plaque to designate our nursery as the official childcare provider for Harrogate Town Children’s Centre.  The nursery and the children’s centre on Wetherby Road  work closely together to provide high quality services for local parents and carers.

We would really, really love for as many children, parents and staff past and present to join us for this special occasion, as it’ as much about all you who’ve attended or sent your children to our nurseries over the years as it is about us: we think of you all as being part of part of our big family, and we would love for all or as many members of that family to be here with us on our special day. It’ll be great to see how some of the older ones have turned out!

We’ll be promoting the Fun Day in the Harrogate Advertiser leading up to the event, and hopefully the kind people there will be writing a feature about the big event, too.

Fun Day at Woodlands Nursery, Wetherby Road, Harrogate on 23rd May, 1pm to 5pm

Play Away Nursery, part of the Funcare Ltd group of Harrogate Nurseries, will be taking part in this year’s Toddle Waddle, the annual fundraiser for The Meningitis Trust, with the toddlers themselves raising funds for what is a very important cause.

Taking place on 15th May, The Toddle Waddle is a fun way for under-5s to help to raise awareness of meningitis with their very own sponsored walk through Harrogate’s wonderful Valley Gardens.

Although meningitis can affect anyone, of any age, at any time, over half of the reported cases are in children under the age of 5. Toddle Waddle was created to engage this age group and their parents, grandparents, nursery teachers and child minders – thus spreading awareness of the disease and its signs and symptoms where it is needed.

The under-5s are an ‘at risk’ group for the disease, with meningitis killing more of this age group than any other infectious disease in the UK. It’s not hard to see why it’s also the disease that parents fear the most.

Toddle Waddle organiser Steve Williams of The Meningitis Trust says: “Over the last eight years, this event has raised £2million for the Trust. With no Government funding, we rely on voluntary donations to continue our work. Events such as Toddle Waddle are essential to raising these funds. Toddle Waddle not only raises vital funds to help in the fight against meningitis, but it also promotes important awareness of the disease.”

Though the purpose of the event is to raise money for a very serious cause, the Toddle Waddle itself is a fun event for all the family, with toddlers and other under-5s waddling alongside their parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters in a party atmosphere.

For more details, please email playaway@funcareltd.co.uk

National Childbirth Trust

As well as taking a stall at the recent National Childbirth Trust Nearly New Sale, we will also be showcasing our nurseries at the forthcoming morning at Winkies in Knaresborough.

The event will run from 9:30am-12:30pm and for only £4 per adult families can come along and get free play at Winkies, sample activities with their children, including French for Fidgets, Enjoy-a-ball, Singamajigs and Baby Ballet. Every adult will be given a goody bag with the NCT out and about guide inside.