The Happy Early Years (HEY!) Fund
Formerly Parents in the Lead
2017-2024
Since 2017, we have provided more than £260,000 to over 170 parent and carer-led groups.
The Happy Early Years (HEY!) Fund gave parents and carers in the Better Start Bradford area the opportunity to develop their own ideas and initiatives for expectant parents and families with children aged 0-3, helping them to:
🍎 Eat well and be healthy 🍎
💬 Talk and communicate well 💬
💖 Be confident, friendly and understand their emotions 💖
The Happy Early Years (HEY!) Fund launched in September 2022 after a review of the Parents in the Lead Fund, which ran from 2017 – 2021.
The HEY! Fund brought about the following changes:
▶ A new brand and identity
▶ A full-time funding coordinator role
▶ An introductory session for successful applicants before their projects started
▶ Funds being held on a Soldo card rather than with a holding organisation
▶ Enhanced one-to-one support for applicants
▶ HEY! Fund webpages and resources developed
▶ Training provided such as Paediatric First Aid and Learning through Play: Messy Play and Outdoor Play
▶ Post project sustainability support
The variety and creativity of applications over the years has been incredible, from exercise in pregnancy, to sensory play, hungry caterpillar and book themed play sessions, woodwork sessions for dads and toddlers, bug hunting, cook and eat groups, gardening with grandparents and even pop-up zoos, all making their unique impact on participants and group leaders alike.
Not only have hundreds of children benefitted from the wide range of activities, the parents leading the initiatives have:
🌟 Been empowered by providing them with the funding, platform, support, tools, transferrable skills and opportunity to deliver their initiatives.
🌟 Developed skills such as project management, budgeting, social and community engagement, language and communication and learning about child development through interaction and play.
🌟 Been empowered to have the confidence to grow and continue volunteering/working in the early years sector in Bradford beyond the life of Better Start Bradford.
HEY! Fund Panel Members
The HEY! Fund decision making panel was also made up of parents and grandparents from the Better Start Bradford area.
The panel members were responsible for:
- Assessing applications and making funding decisions
- Attending and contributing to panel meetings
- Attending celebration events
- Promoting and representing Better Start Bradford locally
- Sharing their expertise and knowledge of the local community and area
A selection of parent-led initiatives...
Thornbury Tots received £2030 to offer various activities for children and parents, including soft play, sensory play, messy play, singing, dancing and exercise.
Imagination Tree received £2,232 to deliver fun and playful sessions with creative storytelling activities by exploring different stories and bringing them to life with interactive play.
Grandmother of 13, Shaheena received £2,500 to deliver a soft play group at Horton Park Primary School.
Toddle Ball received £1,705 to deliver fun and engaging football sessions for families with 0-4s.
Little Farmers received £2,204 to offer various activities for children and parents, centred around learning about farm animals. Activities included crafts, dancing, messy play, rhymes, singing, stories and much more.
Wonder Tots received £2,500 to offer a stay and learn group to give young children a head start before joining nursery education in a fun, interactive and safe environment.
Funded through the Happy Early Years (HEY!) Fund, Sensory Art Adventures provided sessions using various art activities for families with 0-3s and expectant parents.
Where the Wild Things Are received £2,499 to deliver a six-week stay and learn group offering families with 0-4s the opportunity to meet live animals up close.
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Over 140 adults and children came together on Wednesday 5 February at the Life Centre in Bradford to celebrate the completion of their projects under Better Start Bradford’s Happy Early Years (HEY!) Fund.
Grandmother of nine, Shaheena Perveen, received funding from Better Start Bradford’s Happy Early Years (HEY!) Fund to set up her Tiny Toes Soft Play Sessions. In this blog she shares what inspired her to set them up.
The Happy Early Years (HEY!) Fund enables parents and carers in the Better Start Bradford area to apply for up to £2,500 to develop ideas and initiatives for local families and their 0-3s
From a range of outdoor play ideas to healthy snack ideas to guidance from Early Years experts, there should be something to help and inspire everyone.