Group for new parents saved by National Lottery

The meet-ups are designed to help new parents make new friends

A community service initiative has been saved from closure by a £20,000 grant from the National Lottery.

Parents Village, which is run by Educafe, is a weekly group held at Newbury Library in Berkshire.

The group had warned its future was uncertain after £30,000 of local government funding expired.

Claire Middleton, Educafe's founder and director, said the national lottery grant had come as "a huge relief" to local families who "rely" on the Parents Village sessions.

“By supporting mums and parents, Educafe gives our next generation the best start in life," Ms Middleton said.

She added that the sessions helped new parents "stay connected, make new friends and feel supported at this special yet vulnerable time of life".

Claire Middleton is Educafe's founder and director

Parents Village sessions are casual meet-ups for parents that are led by expert volunteers, including physiotherapists and early years specialists.

Subia Azmat, who manages Parents Village, got involved in the initiative after visiting when she became a mum.

“I knew nobody when I first arrived in Newbury, but Educafe’s Parents Village quickly allowed me to make a whole new friendship and community network," she said.

"It helped me to feel supported, informed, settled and happy to be raising my little boy here - I want to help others have the same experience I did.”

Parents Village will now re-start in September, following its fresh cash injection.

The organisation has warned that it's other projects remain at risk, and still require urgent funding.

That includes its Chatty Corner group - which focuses on teaching English to newcomers to the area, including migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.