AVOW Little Sunflowers childcare is based in Plas Madoc, Wrexham and is at the centre its community supporting both parents and children to be able to learn and be supported in a nurturing environment.
The Little Sunflowers breakfast club was established in 2023, in response to an increasing awareness of children arriving at the centre without having had breakfast. For many young people, particularly those from food-insecure households, breakfast will provide the energy they need for the day ahead and stop feelings of hunger that might affect their ability to focus and learn effectively. Numerous studies have established a clear link between healthy breakfast consumption and improved cognitive function in children. There is also research that suggests that over the course of an academic year eating a healthy breakfast can boost learning age and attainment by several months and create better learning experiences and enhanced well-being.
The Neumark Foundation began funding breakfast club at Little Sunflowers in February 2024. Since then, over 1300 breakfasts have been provided to nurture and support young minds and bodies.
In addition to the breakfast club provision, funding from the Foundation also supports the Little Sunflowers family support drop-in group. This is an opportunity to support families informally through mentoring, advice, arts and crafts, play activities and advice sessions. These sessions are vital in providing parents and carers with education, employment, well-being and support networks whilst also supporting isolation and social disadvantage.
The Foundation have recently announced a further award to Little Sunflowers to enable them to continue to provide Family Support and Breakfast Club.
“We have watched Little Sunflowers develop their offer over the last year and seen how impactful this is to the children and their parents. We understand how much this support is needed, and we are delighted to be able to make a further award to enable them to continue to provide a safe space in the community for children and parents to be nurtured and supported. The team at Little Sunflowers are really at the heart of their community, they understand what support is needed and always go over and above to make sure that they are there for the children and parents who need them. It is a privilege to be able to support their work in this way.”
Rebecca Neumark – CEO of The Neumark Foundation
“I would like to thank the Neumark Foundation for financially supporting Little Sunflowers for another year. This ensures continuity for both breakfast and fun club, these groups are desperately needed in our community to support and encourage parental participation. We wouldn’t be able to do this without the help of the foundation.”
Sharon Evans – Manager at Little Sunflowers
If you would like to find out more about Little Sunflowers Childcare, you can take a look at their website https://www.avow.org/little-sunflowers-childcare/