Better Start Bradford celebrates 10 years of collaboration, research, and impact at two-day conference
22 October 2025
Better Start Bradford and Born in Bradford were proud to host a special two-day conference celebrating 10 years of partnership, community collaboration, and positive impact in giving babies and young children in Bradford the best possible start in life.
The conference, held on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 October at The Great Victoria Hotel, brought together community partners, researchers, early years practitioners, local community members, and local and national policymakers to reflect on a decade of innovation, evaluation and collaboration, and to look ahead to the future of early childhood support across Bradford, and what has already been embedded thanks to the Better Start Bradford programme.
Over the past ten years, Better Start Bradford has worked with families, local organisations, and national partners to transform early years services across Bradford, focusing on pregnancy and children aged 0-3.
Through community-led programmes, along with pioneering research carried out by the Better Start Bradford Innovation Hub at Born in Bradford, the initiative has supported thousands of families, trained hundreds of members of the early years workforce and contributed valuable evidence on what works to improve early childhood outcomes. Many of the work streams and systems are now embedded across Bradford through the Government’s Start for Life programme.
Conference highlights included:
- Keynote sessions from leading voices in early years development and public health.
- Insights from the Born in Bradford research team and other local and national experts.
- Stories from parents, volunteers, and community champions who have shaped Better Start Bradford’s journey.
- Interactive workshops and panel discussions exploring lessons learned, data-driven impact, and the power of partnership in creating lasting change.
- An exhibition showcasing the impact of 20 plus projects that Better Start Bradford have delivered over the past 10 years.
Gill Thornton, Director, Better Start Bradford said:
As we come to the end of the Better Start Bradford programme, this milestone is a moment to celebrate the incredible collective effort that has gone into supporting Bradford’s youngest residents and their families. From the very beginning, our mission has been to give every baby in our area of Bradford, the best start in life, and thanks to the passion and collaboration of our community, we’re seeing the long-term difference that commitment makes.
Dr. Josie Dickerson, Director, Better Start Bradford Innovation Hub at Born in Bradford, said:
Our research provides strong evidence of what really works to make sure every family can access the support they need—and that this support truly improves children’s health, development and life chances. This work places Bradford at the forefront of early years research nationally and internationally. I’m really excited to share our findings at this conference to show how services can be transformed to better support all families and help children thrive.
Better Start Bradford has been funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, which has supported the programme since its inception in 2015. The initiative continues to inspire change in the early years landscape locally and nationally by sharing evidence, strengthening partnerships, and championing community voices.
While the conference celebrated 10 years of impact, it also looked to the future to explore how lessons from Bradford can inform and inspire the next decade of early years innovation.
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