Children's Charity Celebrates 'The Space' Expansion

A Jersey children's charity has committed to expanding its childcare provision to improve the level of support it can offer to youngsters with complex needs.

Centrepoint has officially opened 'The Space' - which incorporates a breakfast, after-school, weekend, and holiday club for the children it cares for.

A celebratory tea party was held at the charity's Green Street nursery to mark the expansion and its new strapline: "Children at the heart of everything we do"

It was attended by the Centrepoint patron, the Countess of Jersey.

"We have always taken pride in supporting our families in every way we could, and it became very clear that there was a huge void in the services available to these children.

"Over the past year we have taken the opportunity to take a breath and reflect on our organisation, and the services that we provide. We undertook a strategic review, examining how we can most effectively deliver on our purpose; to make sure that childcare is possible for every family in Jersey." - Jane Moy, Centrepoint CEO.

The charity is planning to move into a purpose-built premises to cater specifically for these children.

'The Space' is currently based in an area of its La Pouqelaye site, with the specialist holiday club located within a local primary school.

"We started the weekend club, which was just a Sunday session. This went really well and then a couple of our parents were asking about after-school care because there is nowhere on the island that provides after-school care for children with complex needs.

"We had a good look at ourselves and we looked at our facilities and the staffing and things like that, and we decided actually, yes we can do this.

"There is a lack of provision for children with special needs on the island. It's very close to my own heart, so the more we can help these children, and the more things we can provide them with, it just helps them to lead a normal life as possible." - Jane Moy.

More than 450 children are cared for by the charity, which has 140 full and part-time employees.

Mrs Moy hopes this will help to raise awareness of their work and raise vital funds.

"We do have a contract to provide seven-week holiday care during the year, but as everyone is aware, there are 14 weeks holiday during the year so we're desperately trying to raise funds to fund the other seven weeks."