The Sure Start Centre is a purpose built multi purpose building. It took over 2 years to plan and build and cost £1.2million.

The centre was built in close consultation with local families who gave their ideas, thoughts and experiences of growing up in the local area. The ideas and concepts that came out of these consultations were incorporated into the design of the building by Community Artists Bostin’ Arts and by the Architects West Hart Partnership.



Sensory Room – Fitted with creative Sensory equipment such as bubble tube, fibre optic strands, projector, UV lighting and Interactive Infinity Tunnel. The floor is partially cushioned so children can enjoy the soft play environment. The room also has soothing music and lots of sensory accessories such as furry rugs, net tunnels, ultra violet objects and shapes, herbs, spices, natural materials and treasure baskets filled with natural objects of an amazing variety of shapes, textures and smells.



Information and Resources Area – This area houses a large selection of leaflets, pamphlets and information on key topics such as Early Education, Health, Childcare, Support for parents, advice on specialist services, information on breastfeeding, job seeking, nutrition, health and safety, tax credits, maternity rights, tax credits etc. There is also specialist information from Job Centre Plus and two computers that can be used for job searching or finding out any other kind of information you might need. Information on Sure Start Blakenall’s own services and activities can also be found in this area of the Centre.

The Sure Start Centre has some fantastic facilities that are all available for parents, children, families and agencies in the area to use:

18 place crèche – Well equipped crèche room with lots of stage appropriate toys for your children to play with. Has access to a secure outdoor play area with lots of outdoor equipment such as bikes, scooters and trikes. There will also shortly be a water feature, planting area, sand pit and a live willow feature seating area for children. Also has it’s own kitchenette for snack time and food preparation, children’s bathroom and baby changing facilities.

ICT Suite – State of the art ICT suite fitted with 8 pc workstations all running industry standard software and the Internet. This room is used for our Computer Group and is also used for training, presentations and small group work.



Foyer – This area can have lots of different purposes! We have a large Arts & Crafts area where children can do craft activities and creative play. It is well equipped with lots of art resources and can also be used for Child Minding groups. Also in this area is a self contained Servery where small snacks and drinks can be made. There is also a comfortable seating area with a children’s book section and access to the Information & Resources section.



Meeting Room & Interview Room - The Centre has two rooms that can be used for meetings. The Meeting Room has versatile furniture that can be arranged in various ways to accommodate different types of meetings or groups. The Interview Room is a smaller room ideal for One-to-One meetings, counselling or interviews.

The Sure Start Centre also houses the Sure Starters Nursery. More information on their facilities can be found by clicking on their link to the left.

The Sure Start Centre is open from
9.00am – 5.00pm Monday – Friday.

Sure Starters Nursery is open from
8.00am - 6.00pm Monday – Friday.