social responsibility Projects
Penplas Family Centre
Penplas Family Centre, which opened in January 2003, is situated in the most deprived ward in Swansea with regard to indices of child poverty. This has been re–confirmed in a recent audit by City and County of Swansea.
The premises are owned by the Gwalia Housing Group. Our own Core Services Team and two Flying Start Health Visitor’s are based at the centre. Although we continue to host ‘contact services’ for separated families within the centre on most days ‘Nimo’s’ which was the dedicated centre for contact has been refurbished to provide accommodation for the Communities@One Project.
The usual family centre services, as described under Bonymaen Family Centre continue on a day to day basis a including Parent and Toddler groups, Playgroup, crèche for supported learning, Healthy Child sessions, healthy lunch and breakfast club, Beauty/Relaxation Therapies and a rolling programme of Arts and Crafts
3 local people are on placement for their NVQ Childcare training at the centre.
We also offer out of school activities including After-School Club, Holiday Play Schemes and Family Trips, Treats and parties during the school holidays.
The centre attracts over 50 different families each week with an average daily attendance of 40.
Penplas Community Cards/ Communities@One
This project was previously financed by the Social Risk Fund and the Working Neighbourhoods initiative with a view to training 6 parents in transferable employment skills. The project closed in March 2006 but re-opened in September 2006 with a new remit to utilize IT in a creative way encouraging ‘technophobes’ to learn IT skills through creativity. Previously the project employed paid staff however local people now taking part in the project are volunteers/trainees. 4 parents are currently involved with the project and we hope to recruit more this autumn. Current trainees will be offering card making workshops to community groups and we anticipate that this will be a fertile recruitment ground.
- Staff Team
- Hazel Coull Centre Manager
- Lynn Brownlow Centre Deputy/ Family Worker
- Jackie Bennet, Shirley Kerrison, Sarah Watkins, Tracey Austin Play Workers
- Anne Griffiths Administrative Assistant