“I was invited to visit Peterborough’s family hubs during the 2024 summer holidays. Peterborough has a small team driving the programme, and I learnt so much from the day I spent with them. I left feeling inspired by the team’s passion and enthusiasm for transformation and I want to share their achievements and future plans.”
Anna Bedford, Deputy Head of Early Years and Prevention and Regional Implementation Advisor at the National Centre for Family Hubs
Peterborough’s family hub development so far
Peterborough is one of 75 local authorities funded by the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme to enhance their offer for families. The family hub approach already has strategic buy-in from senior leaders and elected members in the area, and the city council has collaborated with partners to create integrated support for families across the city.
Commissioned partners on the programme include health services and organisations from the voluntary sector. This collective effort is paying off, with the city making some remarkable achievements over the past year.
Peterborough’s plans for the future largely centre on increasing awareness of the programme and ensuring that families in the area know what family hubs have to offer them.
Key achievements of Peterborough’s Family Hubs programme
Diverse partner network
The programme includes 31 varied organisations and partners, working together to provide support for local families. Partnered services include:
- Midwifery
- The National Childbirth Trust
- Cambridge, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind
- Boxing Futures
- Change Grow Live.
Increased engagement
Footfall at Peterborough’s Family Hubs increased by 139% between 2022 and 2024. This is largely due to the expansion of services and growing public awareness.
More face-to-face support
The number of face-to-face sessions increased by 17.5% between 2022–2023 and 2023–2024. These in-person interactions provide direct and personalised support for families making it more impactful.
Peterborough has also seen improvements in their data since the family hub launch. These include:
- uptake of healthy start vouchers tripled between 2022-2024
- scores on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire for developmental progress increased from 76.5% in 2022 to 85% in January 2024
- Early Years Foundation Stage scores for good development increased from 60.7% in 2022 to 63.1% in 2023
- uptake of the second dose of the MMR vaccine increased by 2.5% between January and April 2024 following a vaccination campaign
- 80% of participants improved their mental health mood scores following a perinatal mental health support session
Summer activities and community engagement
Peterborough Family Hubs hosted a variety of summer activities for children, young people and families. They’ve also had a presence at citywide events such as festivals. These events are open to all families, although some are targeted towards specific groups.
Throughout the 2024 summer holidays, Peterborough’s Family Hubs programme hosted a events every Thursday, offering 1,360 free places for a range of family activities. This included sessions at the local athletics park and a family picnic. All sessions were free, and all of the summer’s events were fully booked.
These activities provide local families an opportunity to learn about the range of services family hubs offer and to give their feedback. Previously, families have been encouraged to complete a short feedback survey in exchange for entry into a raffle.
Promoting the programme
Branding and promoting the family hubs programme is a priority for Peterborough. The borough is aiming for 90% of parents to recognise and understand the family hubs brand by March 2025. The team’s summer campaign of events and activities was a step towards this goal, as the campaign was targeted at the entire community.
Attending community events has been a key strategy for spreading awareness. The family hubs team had a presence at Peterborough Celebrates and Open Farm Thorney, where they engaged with over 1,000 families. Over 250 children participated in scavenger hunts, and more than 700 beach balls featuring family hub programme information were distributed. Additionally, over 100 parents participated in a feedback survey for the chance to win a hamper. The team will continue to attend community events in future, to connect with even more families.
The future
Peterborough’s Family Hubs are making a significant impact, creating a supportive environment for families with a wide range of support services and activities. With continued community engagement and an ongoing effort to raise awareness, the programme aims to reach even more families and provide them with the support they need.
Visit the Peterborough Family Hubs website for more information on their transformation programme.
