The last 12 months have been especially tough for parents with young children. Viva’s Charlotte Pearson-Miles shares the stories of two individuals, and the larger-scale collaborative impact of a new Early Years Network in Oxfordshire. I’d like to frame this story with two sets of neighbours. Neighbours with young children. The first family moved in […]
Tag: Oxfordshire
Collaborate with us for stay and play
Following the closure of children’s centres across Oxfordshire, Doorsteps is committed to provision for under-5s. Our dream is to start a stay and play for East Oxford which brings together other services, such as opportunities to meet health visitors, breastfeeding clinic, and other signposting… essentially a one-stop-shop for under-5s care and needs! There is enthusiasm […]
Conference sows seeds for future families’ work in Oxfordshire
As several council-run children’s and families services in Oxfordshire face cuts, more than 100 people attended a conference last Saturday (5 November) to pledge to work together more effectively to meet the needs of vulnerable people in their communities.
Oxfordshire churches to fill void left by Council cuts
Oxfordshire churches and Christian organisations want to fill the gaping void left by the County Council’s decision to shut children’s centres across the region.
The vision: a home for good for every child
Every day more than 50 children need to be taken into care in the UK. They are likely to have come from chaotic, neglectful, abusive or desperate situations and will have suffered trauma. Some will need a home for a few nights, some for a few years, and some will need a permanent home for […]
Turkey sandwiches, balloon antlers and fairy lights: Christmas comes early in Grove
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon in July, so why could the strains of ‘Jingle Bells’ be heard drifting across the field? Even more bizarrely, why were people lounging around on picnic blankets and humming along to ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ whilst eating turkey and cranberry sandwiches and mince pies?
Churches’ crucial role in supporting local families
‘Father to the fatherless, defender of widows, this is God, whose dwelling is holy. He places the lonely in families.’ (Psalm 68: 5-6a, NLT) This scripture perfectly sums up what our growing Oxford-based network Doorsteps is all about. This action is needed now more than ever in Oxfordshire as the County Council is closing 44 […]