| DfEE News Release 23/99
19 January 1999 |
60 Areas Chosen To
Give Sure Start To Children And Families
Tessa Jowell, Minister for Public Health, and
David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education and Employment, today pledged to help
sixty areas of the country to pioneer Sure Start programmes. These will be a vital element
in the Government's work to increase opportunity and create equal chances for young
children and their families in disadvantaged areas.
Sixty disadvantaged areas of the country have been identified as trailblazer districts
and have been asked to work with all local partners to develop programmes which can meet
the key values and aims of the Sure Start strategy. These areas will be the first of 250
programmes to be established over three years from a budget of 452 million.
Speaking at a Gingerbread Conference in London today, Ms Jowell said:
"Today David Blunkett and I can announce the sixty areas up and down the country
which will lead the way. These areas have been asked to put forward their proposals for
local Sure Start programmes in March. I look forward to seeing their ideas. Within a few
months our 452 million Sure Start strategy will be making a real difference in communities
throughout England. In the years ahead, children who are healthier and more ready to
learn, stronger families and communities, less crime and fewer school age pregnancies will
benefit us all.
The trailblazer programmes are only the first step in implementing Sure Start. We plan
at least 250 local programmes by the end of the Parliament, and trailblazers will have an
important role in setting the standard for those which follow. They will work with later
programmes as Sure Start is rolled out across the country, helping them learn from what
works and build on best practice and existing expertise."
The Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett said:
"Today is just the beginning of a new era of support for parents and families.
Sure Start will bring together early education, health services, family support and advice
on nurturing for families when they need it most. It will enhance the life chances of
children by ensuring that they are ready to learn and to thrive when they start school.
"Sure Start programmes will make a difference to parents and children from the
beginning of a child's life. Parents will be offered advice and information on child
development, on reading with their children, on learning through play and on healthy
living. Sure Start programmes will bring together childcare, health services and social
services. We hope that Sure Start will help parents in the hardest task of all - bringing
up children."
Sure Start will offer:
A home visit for each family with newborn children, to provide details of what services
and support are available; local services,
including health, education and childcare, working together in the interests of families
and children; better access to a range of
early support, including childcare, toddler groups and toy libraries; better physical, social, emotional and intellectual
development of children, through more supportive services for families, including better
access to health services and educational programmes.
The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott said:
"Investment in services for young children and their families in deprived areas is
an essential element in our efforts to tackle social exclusion and promote regeneration. I
warmly welcome this interdepartmental initiative which fits well with other measures we
have introduced on health, education, housing, regeneration and crime to improve the
quality of life for local communities in areas of need."
Notes to Editors:
1. Guidance for trailblazers was published today. It has been sent to key
players across the country. Expressions of interest from the 60 districts are invited by 9
February and trailblazer areas have been asked to submit their applications by 19 March.
Decisions will be taken on them in April 1999 and local Sure Start programmes will be
established later in the year. Further districts will be announced in due course.
2. Each district will identify one catchment area and encourage local partners
to come together and develop their ideas for action within it. Trailblazers will not be in
competition with each other. Applications will need to meet certain standards and show
partners from different sectors working together with the local community to meet the
needs of families and children. The Sure Start Unit will be providing expert advisers to
ensure partnerships are inclusive and help them make proposals which meet the Sure Start
key principles and deliver coherent services which work for local peolple.
3. The 60 trailblazer areas are:
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Barrow-in Furness
Birmingham
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackpool
Bradford
Leeds
Brighton and Hove
Bristol
Camden
Copeland
Corby
Derby
Doncaster
Enfield
Fenland
Great Yarmouth
Greenwich
Hackney
Halton
Haringey
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Hastings
Kingston-upon-Hull
Kirklees
Knowsley
Lambeth
Brent
Leicester
Liverpool
Luton
Manchester
Mansfield
Middlesborough
Newcastle
Newham
N.E Lincolnshire
North Tyneside
Norwich
Nottingham
Oldham
Oxford |
Penwith
Plymouth
Redcar & Cleveland
Rotherham
Salford
Sandwell
Sedgemoor
Sheffield
Southampton
Southwark
St Helens
Stoke-on-Trent
Sunderland
Telford and Wrekin
Thanet
Thurrock
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest
Wealden
Wolverhampton |
4. Media copies only of the guidance are available from the Department of Health
Press Office, tel: 0171 210 5221 or DfEE Press Office, tel: 0171 925 5392. Other copies
are available from Government Offices for the Regions and NHS Regional Offices; regional
contact numbers are available by telephoning: 0171 273 5389.
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