BRINGING up young children can be tough. Financial difficulties and isolation are just some of the problems that can face new families. A Government-backed initiative launched in Dursley and Cam aims to help ease the lot of some new parents. Gazette feature writer KIRSTY RAMSDEN met Sarah Birch, programme manager for SureStart Cam and Dursley, to find out more.

A GOVERNMENT initiative to help young families in Cam and Dursley may just be in its infancy but it promises an exciting future.

SureStart Cam and Dursley was launched this spring with funding to take it to March 2006.

Funded by central Government, it becomes one of three SureStart initiatives in Gloucestershire - there are existing schemes in Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Sarah Birch, the project's programme manager, will be working with people in specific pockets of Cam and Dursley to achieve the aims of the scheme.

Nationally SureStart aims to achieve better outcomes for children, parents and communities by increasing the availability of childcare.

The scheme also aims to improve health, education and emotional development for young children and support parents in their role and in developing their employment aspirations.

SureStart nationally aims to achieve this by helping services develop in certain areas of need, while providing help to enable parents to afford quality childcare.

Providing quality childcare is a target almost at fruition in Dursley with the launch of a neighbourhood nursery expected to open to children in January 2004.

At present Ms Birch is based at the home of the GL11 project in Cam.

Once the neighbourhood nursery arrives, it will become her base.

The neighbourhood nursery, which is partly funded by SureStart, will arrive as a prebuilt portable building.

As well as a nursery, the building will include an adult education room to be a venue for classes or a forum for advice on subjects such as benefits.

The SureStart scheme has a remit to support and supplement existing services in four areas - health, play, community and education.

Ms Birch added: "Part of the remit of SureStart is very much to work with the families."

Issues particularly highlighted in the area have included lack of public transport, resulting in young mothers experiencing isolation.

Certain estates in the area suffer higher unemployment than others, which again can lead to a sense of isolation.

Dursley and Cam has a combined population of more than 11,000 and of that more than 600 are aged four and under.

SureStart activities include working with outside agencies to provide low cost transport to areas the parents of young children in Dursley and Cam need and want to visit.

SureStart plans to work with the volunteer service Home Start to help parents access services.

The aim of the home visiting service will be to assess parent/family support requirements and provide trained volunteer visitors to enable parents to access the range of services to meet family needs.

The home visit volunteers may act as advocates in communication with agencies.

SureStart has a board made up of childcare professionals, councillors, representatives from Cam and Dursley organisations and parents.

Other aims include the development of groups for new and young mothers.

These groups will introduce parents with very young babies to the range of family support opportunities available to them and to provide direct support to parents.

The aim will be to establish groups with times and venues convenient to parents and supported by health and childcare professionals.

Although, the project is in its infancy in Cam and Dursley there are plans for some form of childcare provision during the forthcoming summer holidays.

This would include courses for parents and a few trips out, explained Ms Birch.

SureStart was launched in Cam and Dursley with a teddy bears picnic and organisers were thrilled to have up to 60 families attending the event.

Cllr Maureen Rutter, cabinet member for children and families on Gloucestershire County Council, said: "Delighted to have SureStart in Cam and Dursley, a facility that is very welcome, much needed and will hopefully be well supported."

Pictured: Sarah Birch, Sure Start programme manager, with some of the parents and youngsters at the GL11 project in Cam GSR596H03