About Us Our Mission and Values Our Story Our Evidence and Learning Join Our Team Policies Contact Us

Donate to Lloyd Park Children's Charity. Help fund our vital work to support children and families under extreme pressure brought on by poverty. Donate to help us fight poverty! Record numbers of families are under extreme pressure brought on by the cost of living crisis Current Campaign: Baby Bank Appeal We receive no funding for this lifeline service. Your generosity helps to keep our doors open for families in crisis! Please donate to our GoFundMe fundraiser Donate Here Make a donation Make a one-off donations, or Set-up weekly and monthly donations Pay in your fundrasing Held a bake-sale, run a marathon, climbed a mountain or thrown a party? Pay in your fundraising here Gift Aid Gift Aid allows us to claim an additional 25% of the value of your donation from the HMRC. It won't cost you a penny but means your donation can go even further! Find out more here Please note: Unless otherwise stated your donations contribute to our unrestricted funds which we use to make all of our charitable activities more sustainable. Where we specify that your donations will support a particular campaign or cause they would become restricted funding that can only be used for that purpose. Your donations support children needing help We fight to overcome poverty using your donations to create the support services that families tell us they want, delivered when they need them most! Baby Bank is just one great example of our lifeline services that your donations make sustainable. Some of Baby Bank's day-to-day costs include: Cost-of-Living Support We work with families to link them to services that can help them with the costs of clothing, food and energy. Safer Sleeping Environments Cots Cot matresses Bedding Running Costs Rent Cleaning and m aintenance Salaries Resources and e quipment Refreshments for families Home from Hospital Bundles All the essentials needed for parents to bring newborn babies home from hopsital safely Amazon Wishlist Help us give newborns a good start in life by donating items from our wishlist to families in need. Donate now

Grow Well: A Practice Informed Early Intervention Evidence Paper Prepared by Lloyd Park Children’s Charity Drawing on programme learning, research, and evaluation (2002–2025) Introduction This paper brings together learning from practice, evaluation and research to understand what works in early intervention for babies and families, particularly in communities experiencing disadvantage. It draws on longitudinal insight from services including Ready for School and wider early years delivery, alongside current research evidence. The intention is to set out key principles of effective early intervention, articulate a clear theory of change, describe the mechanisms through which change happens, and explore the implications for policy and practice. The paper reflects a practice-informed approach, where knowledge emerges through the interaction of research, data and lived experience. The Case for Early Intervention The First 1,001 Days Research consistently shows that the period from pregnancy to age two is critical for brain development, emotional regulation, attachment, relationships, and early language and cognitive development. Early experiences shape children’s developmental trajectories, with inequalities emerging early and widening over time. Children growing up in disadvantaged contexts are more likely to experience developmental delay, poorer health, reduced school readiness and longer-term inequality. These outcomes, however, are not inevitable. They are influenced by modifiable factors within the family, the community and the wider system. What We Have Learned from Practice Learning from Ready for School and related work highlights consistent themes about what enables positive outcomes. Relationships are central. The quality of the relationship between practitioner and parent is the strongest influence on engagement and impact. Support is most effective when it is non-judgemental, collaborative and grounded in trust. Parents are more likely to engage, reflect and make changes when they feel valued and understood rather than assessed or directed. Supporting parents is key to improving outcomes for children. Practice demonstrates that parental wellbeing and confidence directly shape child development. When parents are supported, improvements are seen across behaviour, emotional development, communication and relationships. This reinforces the importance of focusing on the parent–child relationship, rather than the child alone. Disadvantage is rarely a single issue. Families often face a combination of poverty, mental health challenges, housing instability, social isolation and limited access to services. These factors interact and compound over time, underlining the need for holistic and flexible support that addresses both practical and emotional needs. Early engagement matters. Families who access support earlier are more likely to experience positive outcomes, while delayed engagement often leads to more complex needs. Reaching families during pregnancy and the first year of life creates opportunities to build trust, identify needs early and prevent escalation. Universal services play an essential role. Accessible, non-stigmatising provision helps reach families who might not otherwise seek support, builds trust, and enables emerging needs to be identified. This creates a progressive model in which all families can access help, with additional support introduced where needed. A consistent barrier is social isolation. Isolation both contributes to poorer outcomes and makes it harder for families to access support. Reducing isolation through group provision, peer networks and community connection leads to improvements in confidence, wellbeing and parenting capacity. Theory of Change Drawing on this learning, effective early intervention can be understood as a connected process. When families are engaged early in ways that feel supportive rather than stigmatising, practitioners build trusting relationships, and parents feel listened to, respected and empowered, meaningful change becomes possible. When practical and emotional needs are addressed together and families are connected to their communities, parents’ wellbeing and confidence improve. This, in turn, strengthens parent–infant relationships, reduces isolation and enables more responsive caregiving. Over time, these changes contribute to improved developmental outcomes, greater school readiness, reduced need for statutory intervention and stronger long-term life chances. Mechanisms of Change Early intervention works through a set of interconnected mechanisms. Increased parental confidence is central, enabling parents to respond more effectively to their child, establish routines and manage behaviour. Confidence acts as a key driver of change. Improved parent–child interaction, particularly in communication, responsiveness and emotional attunement, directly supports attachment, language development and emotional regulation. Strengthening social networks reduces isolation, builds informal support and increases resilience. Improving access to support also plays a critical role. When families are better able to navigate services, they access help earlier, receive more coordinated support and are less likely to reach crisis point. Reducing stress and adversity, including challenges related to poverty or housing, allows parents to focus more fully on their child and engage more positively in caregiving. Implications for Practice This learning points to several core principles for effective services. Relationship-based practice is fundamental, requiring time for trust-building, skilled and reflective practitioners, and consistently non-judgemental approaches. Support must be holistic and grounded in a whole-family perspective, addressing emotional wellbeing, practical needs and wider context. Engagement should begin early and be proactive, with systems designed to reach families from pregnancy, reduce barriers to access and prioritise prevention. Integrated working is essential, with strong partnerships across health, early years and community services, shared understanding of families’ needs and coordinated delivery. Community-based approaches are also critical. Services should be accessible and local, foster connection, and work alongside families as partners rather than providers acting on them. Contribution to the Evidence Base This paper adds to growing evidence that early intervention is most effective when it is relationship-based, holistic and focused on supporting parents as a key pathway to improving outcomes for children. It reinforces the importance of universal and targeted services working together as part of a connected system. It also highlights the need for stronger integration across services, further evidence on community-based and preventative approaches, and continued investment in practice-based evidence and action research. Conclusion Early intervention offers a powerful opportunity to improve outcomes for children and reduce inequality. Learning from practice confirms that relationships are the foundation of change, supporting parents is central, and early, holistic, community-based approaches are most effective. To maximise impact, early years systems need to move beyond fragmented provision towards integrated, evidence-informed approaches that work alongside families, building confidence, connection and resilience from the earliest stages of life. Evidence and Learning Sources This paper draws on longitudinal service delivery and evaluation, including Ready for School, alongside organisational data, practice-based learning, and wider research on early intervention, attachment, and the social determinants of health.

Journal Club Overview This summary brings together learning from a collaborative Journal Club involving staff across Lloyd Park Children’s Charity. It draws on research from multiple disciplines alongside practitioner insight, creating a space to reflect critically on our work with families and strengthen how evidence informs practice. Rather than focusing on a single project, the Journal Club explored a wide body of academic literature in conversation with day-to-day experience. This allowed staff to question assumptions, test ideas, and think more deeply about what works. The overall aim was to review current evidence on early years, family support and wellbeing, while also identifying strengths in our existing work and areas where practice and services could be further developed. At its core, the process reflects our commitment to being a learning organisation, where practice continues to evolve in response to both evidence and lived experience. What Makes This Work Different A key strength of the Journal Club is the way it brings together different perspectives from across teams and services. By combining research evidence with practitioner experience, it creates a richer and more grounded understanding of practice. The focus is not simply on outcomes, but on reflection, learning and continuous improvement. Importantly, it also provides space to identify gaps in the evidence and consider where we can innovate or take a leading role. Throughout the process, a central question has guided discussion: What does the evidence tell us—and how can we do better for families? Key Themes from the Evidence A consistent message across the literature is that relationships are fundamental to change. Approaches that are relationship-based and strengths-focused, such as restorative practice and family partnership models, are shown to build trust, reduce stigma and support engagement. They enable families to take ownership of change, rather than feeling directed or judged. This strongly reflects an existing strength in our work: supporting families through respectful, collaborative relationships. The evidence also reinforces the importance of working with the whole family, not just the child. Children’s outcomes are shaped by parental wellbeing, family relationships and wider environmental factors. Ecological and systems-based models highlight that meaningful support must take account of both family dynamics and the broader community context. Poverty and inequality emerge as a major underlying influence across many studies. Disadvantage affects children’s health, development and long-term life chances, often in ways that accumulate over time. This highlights the importance of accessible and inclusive services that address the wider determinants of health, rather than focusing solely on immediate presenting issues. It also underscores the critical role of early intervention in reducing inequality. Another area of growing interest is social prescribing, particularly in relation to mental health and wellbeing. However, the evidence base for children and families is still developing, with limited established models and ongoing challenges around access and implementation. This presents an opportunity for the charity to strengthen and formalise its approach, while also contributing to wider learning and innovation in this field. The research also emphasises the importance of belonging and community connection. Feeling part of a community is closely linked to wellbeing, yet many families face barriers to participation, including low confidence, anxiety, stigma and practical constraints. Effective group work therefore depends on creating welcoming, flexible and non-judgemental environments, and on designing provision with families rather than for them. This points again to the importance of co-production and strong relationships. There is also growing evidence of the benefits of access to nature for children’s development. Natural environments can positively influence emotional wellbeing, behaviour, attention and cognitive development, supporting the continued development of outdoor and nature-based approaches, especially for families with limited access to green space. Finally, a clear message across the literature is the importance of listening, to both children and families. Services are most effective when they are shaped by lived experience, using participatory and creative approaches, and when they are genuinely responsive to what families say they need. Key Organisational Learning The Journal Club has highlighted important strengths in our current work. In particular, it reflects the consistency of our relationship-based, strengths-focused approach, our ability to work holistically with families, and our success in building trust with those who may not access more traditional services. At the same time, it has identified areas where further development would strengthen our impact. These include improving how we measure and evidence outcomes, especially for children, articulating our model of practice and theory of change more clearly, and developing tools and frameworks to support greater consistency across services. There is also an opportunity to expand our role in research and evidence generation, particularly in emerging areas such as social prescribing. Key Recommendations Taken together, the learning points to a clear set of priorities. These include developing clearer practice frameworks, strengthening data collection and evaluation, and increasing co-production with families so that services are shaped more directly by lived experience. There is also a need to continue expanding community-based approaches, including social prescribing, and to build stronger partnerships that address poverty and inequality more effectively. Underpinning all of this is the importance of maintaining a strong culture of reflection, learning and evidence use across the organisation. Summary The Journal Club has deepened our understanding of what works in supporting children and families, while also providing a valuable space for critical reflection. It confirms that effective services are grounded in relationships, take a whole-family perspective, and actively build connection, belonging and resilience. It also reinforces the importance of early action to prevent long-term disadvantage. Perhaps most importantly, it has strengthened our identity as a learning organisation, one that continues to reflect, adapt and improve in response to both evidence and the experiences of the families we support. Evidence Reviewed The Journal Club drew on a wide range of research across early years, family support and wellbeing, including work on social prescribing, restorative practice, poverty and health outcomes, nature and child development, barriers to participation, and the social determinants of child development. This included: Hayes et al. (2023) – Social prescribing for children and young people Lewing et al. (2020) – Early childhood services and family hubs Williams (2019) – Restorative approaches in family support Sammons et al. (2023) – Equity and Children’s Centres Schickedanz et al. (2015) – Childhood poverty and health outcomes Norwood et al. (2019) – Nature and child development Stuart et al. (2022) – Barriers to group participation Goldfeld et al. (2018) – Social determinants of child development Tabb et al. (2022) – Home visiting and parental mental health Gore et al. (2022) – Family support programmes and wellbeing

Baby Massage Courses All courses have 5 once weekly sessions starting on the dates shown below Autumn 2026 Sold Out 6 days to the event Walthamstow Course 1 Mon 14 Sept Walthamstow Family Hub Learn how to massage your baby, meet other families and share experiences. This course consists of 5 sessions that run on the same day, weekly for 5 weeks. The date show at the top is the first day of the course. Share Details Sold Out 8 days to the event Chingford Course 1 Wed 16 Sept Chingford Family Hub Learn how to massage your baby, meet other families and share experiences. This course consists of 5 sessions that run on the same day, weekly for 5 weeks. The date show at the top is the first day of the course. Share Details

Family Support What is Family Support? Our Grow Well family support services offer 1:1 or group support to help you organise your thoughts, make plans and take action to improve life for you and your child. Request Help or Refer Who is it for? For families with children under 5yrs old. Enabling you to access a range of support in the community: Every family faces challenges from time to time. We're here to help you every step of the way! Some examples might include: child development parenting support sleep feeding parent/infant relationships making friends overcoming low mood How is it delivered? You will be signposted to our service or request help yourself One of our team will contact you for an initial assessment You decide on some goals that you'd like to achieve We'll help you achieve these through group sessions, phone check-ins and helping you to access community services (home visits available where appropriate) When you feel as though you've achieved your goals we'll review your progress with you Request Help or Refer

Venue Bookings September 2026 Today Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

See available post from across our charity. We regularlty recruit to positions in childcare, early years learning and developement, family support, and a variety of support roles. Fundraising Officer Location: Waltham Forest - Office-based and hybrid Salary: £35,000 per annum, 1 year fixed-term contract Probation: 6 months Hours: Fulltime Closing date: Noon, Monday 3rd March 2025 Interviews: w/c 10th March Overview In this exciting newly created role, you will take the lead in growing and sustaining our fundraising income. Your responsibilities will span the fundraising process from identifying funding opportunities and potential grant-makers, designing and developing compelling funding proposals and promoting these opportunities, through to managing relationships with donors. Ideal candidates will have energy, motivation, and the experience to be able to make an instant impact on the organisation; they will understand the wider charity context, have good attention for detail and can make things happen. Candidates are expected to be fundraisers with at least three years of experience and have a track record of success in securing funds. Crucially, we want to recruit an individual who is as committed to Lloyd Park Children’s Charity's vision, and will work with us to make a huge difference to local marginalised and vulnerable children and families. We operate a standard 6 month probation for all of our roles. For this role success will be contingent on increasing the number of funding applications submitted and demonstrable positive fundraising outcomes. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate; this is a requirement of the DBS code of practice. Job Description Apply Now

Early Years Social Prescribing Early Years Social Prescribing: Our Evidence Base Our Commitment to Evidence-Based Practice At Lloyd Park Children’s Charity, our Early Years Social Prescribing Service is grounded in a strong and growing evidence base. We recognise that children’s development is shaped not only by healthcare, but by family wellbeing, relationships, and the wider social factors affecting everyday life. Our work focuses on supporting families experiencing challenges such as developmental delay, financial hardship, parental wellbeing needs, and social isolation. Why the Early Years Matter Research shows that the early years are a critical period for children’s development. Parenting and the parent–child relationship play a key role in shaping children’s emotional, social, and long-term health outcomes. Parental mental health is particularly important: Mothers are around twice as likely to experience depression during childbearing years Children of parents experiencing poor mental health are more likely to develop anxiety and depression Parenting stress can influence how difficulties are passed between parent and child. Importantly, research highlights that many of the risks affecting children are modifiable within the family environment, meaning timely support can make a real difference. What is Social Prescribing? Social prescribing connects families to community-based support, activities, and practical resources to improve wellbeing. Studies show this approach can: Reduce loneliness and isolation Improve mental health and emotional wellbeing Increase confidence, resilience, and coping skills Strengthen community connections and support networks It also helps address the wider determinants of health, such as housing, relationships, and financial pressures, which are often at the root of many challenges families face. Why Social Prescribing for Families? Supporting parents is one of the most effective ways to improve outcomes for children. Research shows that: Parent and child mental health are closely linked and influence each other Interventions that support both parent and child together are more effective Strengthening parenting capacity improves children’s development and life chances By improving parental wellbeing, social prescribing helps create more stable, nurturing environments for children to thrive. The Power of Community and Connection A strong sense of belonging and connection to others is essential for wellbeing. Evidence shows that when people feel part of a community, they experience: Greater emotional support and resilience A stronger sense of purpose and identity Improved overall health and wellbeing This is why our service focuses on building local connections and supportive relationships, not just providing services. Co‑Production: Working Together with Families Our approach is co-produced with families through our CoCo East project. This means parents and community members actively shape the support available. Research shows co-production: Improves engagement and relevance of services Builds confidence, empowerment, and independence Reduces social isolation Leads to more sustainable and effective support It also recognises that communities understand their own needs best, and that tailored, local solutions are more effective than generic approaches. Tackling Inequality Early Children growing up in disadvantaged circumstances experience poorer health and developmental outcomes due to social and economic factors. Social prescribing helps to address these inequalities by: Providing early, preventative support Reducing reliance on crisis services Improving access to community resources and opportunities This approach supports fairer outcomes for children and families. How Our Approach Works Research highlights that effective social prescribing services are: Person-centred and holistic Built on strong partnerships across services Focused on co-producing solutions with families Designed to build long-term resilience and independence Our Early Years Social Prescribing model reflects these principles in practice. Measuring Our Impact We use evidence-based approaches to understand the difference our service makes, including looking at: Sense of belonging within the community Levels of social support Experiences of loneliness or isolation Overall wellbeing and quality of life This helps ensure we are continually improving and delivering meaningful outcomes for families. Summary The evidence is clear, supporting parents, strengthening relationships, and connecting families to their communities can have a powerful and lasting impact on children’s development. Early Years Social Prescribing offers a preventative, holistic, and evidence-informed approach that improves wellbeing for the whole family and helps children get the best possible start in life. Our Evidence Base This work is informed by a range of research, including: Daundasekara et al. (2021) – parental mental health and child outcomes Thomas et al. (2021) – social prescribing and co-production Hassan et al. (2023) – social prescribing systems and implementation Wakefield et al. (2022) – social connection and wellbeing Goldfeld et al. (2017) – social determinants of child development Waylen et al. (2008) – parenting and child health outcomes Kuckertz et al. (2018) – parenting and child mental health

Diary Dates 2026 Important dates such as planned closures, holidays and training days Spring/Summer 2026 January 5th Training Day - All Services Closed February 16th - 20th Half-Term Week Holiday Clubs open Term-time activities closed See Holiday Activity Timetable March - April March 30th - April 10th Half-Term Holiday Clubs open Term-time activities closed See Holiday Activity Timetable April 3rd Bank Holiday - All Services Closed April 6th Bank Holiday - All Services Closed May 4th Bank Holiday - All Services Closed 7th Parents Evening Lloyd Park Centre - 6-8pm Higham Hill Centre - 6-8pm 25th Bank Holiday - All Services Closed 26th-29th Half-Term Week Holiday Clubs open Term-time activities closed See Holiday Activity Timetable June 1st Training Day - All Services Closed June 27th Lloyd Park Summer Fair - 11am-2pm July 4th Higham Hill Summer Fair - 11am-2pm 20th Summer Holiday Club open Term-time activities closed See Holiday Activity Timetable August 28th Summer Holiday Club ends 31st Bank Holiday - All Services Closed Autumn/Winter 2026 September 2nd Training Day - All Services Closed October 16th Parents Evening Lloyd Park Centre - 6-8pm Higham Hill Centre - 6-8pm 26th - 30th Half-Term Week Holiday Clubs open Term-time activities closed See Holiday Activity Timetable 30th Halloween Discos Lloyd Park Centre - 6:30-8:30pm Higham Hill Centre - 6:30-8:30pm December 3rd Winter Wonderland Party Higham Hill Centre, 3-6pm Lloyd Park Centre, 3-6pm 18th Last Day of Term 21st - 31st Christmas Break - All Services Closed Follow us on our socials for updates on scheduled activities and sessions Related Links: Interactive Calendar School Holidays Activity Timetable RolePlay Magazine More Information 020 8527 1737 info@tlpcc.org.uk

See available post from across our charity. We regularlty recruit to positions in childcare, early years learning and developement, family support, and a variety of support roles. Early Years Educator - Level 2 Location: Walthamstow Salaries 36 hours per week - £22,127 or 40 hours per week - £24,586 Closing date: n/a Overview You will be part of an amazing team who provide high quality trusted Early Years experiences and education to all children in our care. Your role will be to implement the delivery of the Early Years Curriculum to ensure that all children reach their full potential. As part of a family group you will build relationships with children and families to promote children’s learning and development and wellbeing. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate; this is a requirement of the DBS code of practice. Job Description Apply Now

Our Evidence and Learning At The Lloyd Park Children’s Charity, we learn by listening to families, reflecting on our practice, and using evidence to improve our work. This page shares research, evaluations, project learning, and our annual impact, alongside real examples from practice showing how we support children and families every day. Together, this highlights what matters most; relationships, trust, and connection, and how these lead to positive outcomes. We are committed to continuous learning and sharing what works to strengthen communities. July 26 Multi-Agency Action Planning: Working Together for Families Bringing partners together to explore data and insight to identify priorities and take coordinated action to improve outcomes for children and families Annual Data Summary: Understanding Our Community Sharing insights from our services to highlight reach, engagement, and the impact of our work with children and families Ready for School: Project Overview, Outcomes and Impact Supporting families and strengthening children’s development across the prime areas and towards a Good Level of Development (GLD) Grow Well: Building Strong Foundations in the Early Years Bringing together research, data and practice-based learning to show how relationship-based support improves outcomes for babies and families Journal Club: Working Together to Strengthen Practice Drawing on shared staff learning and research to understand what works and strengthen our early years and family support approach Early Years Social Prescribing: Building Connections How community connections, parental wellbeing, and early support work together to improve outcomes for children and families Breaking Barriers: Building Confidence and Connection Exploring how a parent-led, inclusive and play-based approach supports families to build confidence, reduce isolation, and strengthen relationships. Somewhere to Belong: Early Support for Families Supporting parents and young children with SEND through connection, confidence, and joined-up early intervention. Musical Climbers and Creators Co-produced with families, children and music-making charity, Soundcastle. Discover the inspiring sounds and creations made by children. Multi-Agency Action Planning: Working Together for Families Bringing partners together to explore data and insight to identify priorities and take coordinated action to improve outcomes for children and families You and Your Child: Insights from Family Support Working alongside families to build confidence, strengthen relationships, and support children’s development and wellbeing.

Information for parents/carers & families Support for you on your parenting journey Top Tips Blog Sleep Play Behaviour Speech & Language Oral Health Trauma Toileting Attachment Parenting Exploring Foods Activities to do at home Fun and educational weekend and holiday activities for your and your children. Discover Parenting Groups Access our sessions on baby massage, sleep patterns, pre-natal support, post-natal wellbeing and more! Discover

Annual Data Summary: Understanding our Community Overview This report brings together our annual data for 2025–2026, highlighting how families and children engage with our services across the community, alongside key trends in early years care and education. Overall, the data shows strong reach across the borough, with continued high registration rates and growing impact through targeted services such as Grow Wild, Baby Bank, and Early Years support. Reach and Engagement Registration across the borough remains a key strength, with 103% of children registered against the community population, exceeding local authority targets. While overall engagement reduced compared to the previous year, 13,488 children were still actively engaged in Family Hubs, delivered by our multi agency team. This represents 71% of registered children and 73% of the wider community. 9568 of these individuals used services delivered by our charity. This decrease reflects changes in delivery, including service redesign and contract changes impacting how new birth families are contacted and supported during 2025, rather than reduced need. Across neighbourhoods, patterns varied: Central saw the strongest growth in registrations South West experienced the largest decrease Engagement reduced across most areas, with some local variation Supporting Families and Target Groups The data shows positive progress in reaching families who are less likely to access support and services: Increased engagement with children with SEND and additional needs Improved reach to male lone carers and teenage parents Continued support for families experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage At the same time, there are areas for development, including: Lower engagement with some carers with disabilities Ongoing need to strengthen consistent engagement across all groups Early Years Care and Education Across our Early Years settings: The number of 0–4 year olds attending has increased, alongside a small rise in older children accessing provision There has been an increase in children identified with SEND Ethnic diversity remains strong, although the proportion of children from ethnic minority groups has slightly decreased Data also highlights changes linked to the 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation update, which has altered how deprivation is measured across areas. Key Services Making an Impact Grow Wild Grow Wild continues to be one of the highest-impact programmes: 2,811 individuals and 1,279 families reached Significant increase in participation compared to the previous year Strong engagement through play-based, outdoor learning opportunities Baby Bank Support for families facing financial hardship has grown significantly: 628 individuals supported, up from 501 403 families received essential items Over 18,800 items distributed, including nappies, clothing, and toys Demand remains high, with strong links to food banks and wider support services. Early Years Social Prescribing 69 referrals received, with 495 support contacts delivered Increased engagement with families living in more deprived areas Strong partnership working to connect families to the support they need CoCo East and Community Programmes 534 individuals engaged through CoCo East activities Family play sessions, wellbeing support, and Grow Wild activities were key drivers of engagement Continued focus on building connection, confidence, and community Ready for School Lower overall reach, but significantly increased depth of engagement Average contact per child increased substantially, showing more intensive, targeted support Communities We Serve Across all services: The largest group engaged remains White British, followed by Other White, Pakistani, and mixed backgrounds Services continue to reach a diverse and changing community, with varying levels of engagement across different groups. Key Insight A clear message from this year’s data is that: Demand for support remains high, particularly for families experiencing financial pressure, SEND needs, and early years vulnerability. At the same time, there is strong evidence that: Targeted, relational services increase both reach and impact Programmes such as Grow Wild, Baby Bank, and integrated family support play a vital role in meeting community need Conclusion Despite changes in delivery and external factors, our services continue to reach a significant proportion of the local community and provide meaningful support to children and families. The focus moving forward will be to: Strengthen engagement across all communities Improve consistency of data and SEND identification Continue building joined-up, accessible services that respond to local need

Request a place for your child on our next Holiday Club. Holiday Club Application Form Subscribe to our newsletter! Keep up to date with our news and activity timetable. Email address Sign Up Thanks for subscribing!

Apply for a childcare place Waiting list Due to high demand for our childcare we have to operate a waiting list for places. Registration Fee A non-refundable fee of £24.08 per child covers our costs. There is no fee for FEEE term-time sessional places Waiting List Position Your place entered at the time that your registration fee is confirmed. Notification Once added to the waiting list, our team will contact you if an appropriate place for you child becomes available. Current waiting list status The Lloyd Park Centre 15 hour FEEE sessional care - Open Daycare - Open Join Waiting List Please note that the Under 2s waiting list at Lloyd Park is currently closed. Applications are still welcome for 2–5 year places and sessional places The Higha m Hill Centre 15 hour FEEE sessional care - Open Daycare - Open Limited places available Join Waiting List

Work, training & further education Throughout our five decade history as a grassroots organisation we've always worked alongside and recruited members of our community, bringing their invaluable lived-experience to our work whilst they learn new skills themselves. Some of our longest serving managers started out that way! Creating much needed training and employment offers is incredibly important to us, so we strive to find ways to generate opportunities that both support our mission and give local people a chance. Can you support local people find their place? Whilst we continue to create opportunities flocallly, we are always looking for ways to support our community to find the skills and employment prospects that are right for them. Through our family-centred approach we build trusting relationships with parents meaning we are well placed to introduce them to trusted partners who can offer work experience, training and mentoring opportunties. If your organisation has social impact schemes centred on raising skills in the community we'd love to hear from you to explore possibilities! Email our team We can support your team or students gain experience We've developed a strong culture of continuous professional development, accredited training programmes and work experience opportunities making us experienced in creating opportunities to help people gain experieince and enhance their professional developement. Get in touch with us if you'd like to explore ways that we could support your team or your students to gain new experience, whether that be through direct training, work placements or research projects. Email our team

See available post from across our charity. We regularlty recruit to positions in childcare, early years learning and developement, family support, and a variety of support roles. Applying online PLEASE NOTE: We receive a high number of speculative applications weekly. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to respond to these applications. We can only respond to applications for positions advertised on our 'Current Vacancies ' page. All candidates must complete our employee application form. Use the job description as a guide to structure your application. Tell us how your knowledge and experiences help you meet the skills, competencies, talents and behaviours we are looking for. If you are new to the role you're applying for, tell us what you know about the role. Please read our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants on our policy page for information on how we handle your data. Back to Jobs

Musical Climbers & Creators A year of exploring music with some wonderful SEND children In 2023/24 we were delighted to bring this wonderful project to life in our Grow Wild adventure play space with the support of Youth Music. This fun and uplifiting session was co-produced by the Lloyd Park Children's Charity's SEND and outdoors play practitioners, parent/carers, children and the amazing music-making charity, Soundcastle. The project delivered unique music-based outdoor learning and sensory experiences for children living with SEND who are often excluded from music-making and outdoors adventure play. Sounds from the Forest Stomp in the Forest 00:00 / 09:06 These beautiful tracks were composed by Soundcastle using vocals, sounds, beats and music made by the children, recorded as they explored the space and made music together. Meditation in the Green Space 00:00 / 09:22 Magical Memories Outdoors music-making in our inspiring 'Grow Wild' adventure playspace Real musical instruments to play led by musicians Freedom for children to play and join in at their own pace Music-making combined with creative play Inclusive music-making for SEND children and their siblings Breakthroughs for SEND children in socialising and personal confidence Building more confidence to jump and tumble with drum beats Children discovered a passion for music-making Parents saw leaps in their children's development Feedback from parents and carers I cannot enthuse about this playgroup/adventure playground and staff more. It is SUCH a supportive environment for not only my son but my daughter too aswell as myself. Staff have gone above and beyond for both my children as they often run in opposite directions and I physically can't keep an eye on both of them! The staff are unfaltering in their care for both the children, this is so important to me as often siblings can sometimes not be so welcomed in my experience which is very difficult for me. The musical element to the session is genuinely magical. At first the musicians would play musical instruments as my children played and slowly but surely my children have actively taken part in playing the musical instruments themselves which they both adore. I feel like my children get so much out of this sen session, they both have gained so much confidence in the setting since coming and both get so excited when they realise we are going to Grow Wild I myself, as their parent, really enjoy coming too! I can never usually relax in other settings as my son can be unpredictable with his behaviour at times, but here I can just breathe and let my children have fun with staff who are always enthusiastic to see them. Thank you so much! We have truly enjoyed our sessions on a Tuesday. My son loves to be outside and to be able to enjoy all the instruments in this free way has been so enriching for him. The musicians are wonderful with the little ones completely working at their pace and direction! Tirelessly playing “train” and offering different instruments and sounds occasionally so he gets a varied experience. All done in a respectful way so he hasn’t felt overwhelmed or too directed. If I had to think of something I’m tempted to say it would be nice to have some more performance group playing from the musicians with flute etc but perhaps that’s more my wanting as the simpler instruments have been generously shared and given access to and the children lead the way!! Thank you all and hope you can keep going …. We will keep coming!! Since we started attending in May my son has made huge progress in his speech, language and communication and these sessions have been a huge part of that. He finds communication challenging and this usually prevents him from interacting with other people. He became very comfortable very quickly at Grow Wild and very quickly started to interact with the musicians and it has been an absolute joy to see. He then repeatedly talks about Grow Wild at home throughout the week so not only is the session beneficial when he's there, but he loves it so much that he wants to talk about it all week, so it's been fantastic for his development at home as well. My daughter has also just started to come out of her shell. She usually only speaks to me but this week she spoke to three different adults at the session too and was much more confident and independent. I also love how safe these sessions are. Being able to run around outside in a safe space with other children and parents who understand his differences is priceless. These sessions are by far the best SEND sessions I have been to in Waltham Forest as they tick so many boxes. A safe outdoor space, access to a wide range of activities like climbing, water play, painting etc. all alongside the musical elements and an energetic, kind and enthusiastic team of adults running the sessions. ....So many of my son's sensory needs are met in one session which helps him to feel calm and regulated throughout the rest of the day. There is something available and beneficial for every child and it's fabulous to see every child enjoying themselves week after week. So thank you so much for everything. I hope that you can secure funding for September as it'll be a huge loss to the SEND community if these sessions were to stop. Both my children have both asked me if they can go to Grow Wild three times today already and this will happen every day until next week 😅 We have a home education journal and at the end of every day, we write down what we've done and my son often likes looking back at the photos of him at Grow Wild and asks for his own musical instruments. Just wanted to say how fantastic the musical element to the play has been and how much both my 19month old and I have enjoyed coming to those special sessions. It has given my son great exposure to music and to different and unique instruments we would not normally come across in our own play. The musicians are all so very talented, professional yet friendly and have a natural ability to connect with the young ones. I feel very fortunate to have attended the sessions we have with you, which have really enhanced my son's learning through song, tune and creativity. This group has been a lifeline to us from the start until now. We attend whatever the weather and my ASD child has thrived and grown from being in such an accepting and accomodating environment. He has gone from a child who was extremely uncomfortable around people, particularly adults, to somebody who seeks out interactions from the Grow Wild and Soundcastle teams. He's changed from being crying and anxious on arrival to shouting "go to see Zoe!" the minute he sees the tree. He has developed a tolerance for other children, for group singing and for music. He has developed so many social skills and even shown a keen interest in making music himself. He gets all of his sensory seeking needs met, has the freedom to explore without any pressure and we are truly fortunate to be able to attend this group. My child has developed and grown into somebody who can be in public without severe discomfort and who actually enjoys the company of other people, and I believe Grow wild has played a massive part in that.....

Volunteer application form