Representation by Early Years Alliance (Early Years Alliance)
- Date submitted
- 4 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Non-statutory organisations
Response as a Grant Recipient I am writing to share how much the Early Years Alliance values the support we are given by the Luton Rising scheme, funded by the Luton Airport. The Alliance has been working in Luton for more than twenty-five years and has been a recipient of funding from the Luton Rising Community Investment Fund for more than fifteen years. This funding supports our work with families and children in Luton. The Alliance is one of the largest early years educational charities in England, reaching more than 800,000 families nationally each year. We do this through our own early years provision as well as through our member groups and successful projects. The funding we receive from Luton Rising has allowed us to support local families through a range of joint interventions, working alongside Luton Council and wider community groups. Since 2014, we have received annual funding for our Flying Start project. Starting life as a National Lottery bid, it later became the Luton town-wide 10-year strategy for early years and has focused on the importance of the early years – from the antenatal period through to a child starting school. We know the importance of getting it right at the earliest point in a child’s life – often referred to as the 1,001 critical days. Luton Rising, through its Community Investment Fund, has been pivotal in giving support to all families in Luton, through a range of services under the Flying Start umbrella, including the Flying Start Children’s Centres. While the project benefits from a range of different funding streams, it was the Community Investment Funding from Luton Rising that kept Flying Start running in 2021, when significant savings had to be found during Covid-19 and the Children‘s Centres were closed. Thanks to this support, the Early Years Alliance was able to keep a framework of Flying Start services in place to support families in Luton. Although smaller in capacity, and with a renewed community approach to partnership working, this funding allowed Flying Start to start a journey towards becoming Family Hubs. Without this funding, the impact of Covid-19 could have been even more devastating for families and children. The Luton population was hard hit by the pandemic, and it has seen an enormous impact on child development in the local area. We feel fortunate to have the support of Luton Rising and the varied support that it provides us with in the local area. This includes the efficient transport links through the local authority’s Green Controlled Growth plans but, equally important, keeping profits from Luton Airport in the public purse, ensuring that communities in Luton can benefit. Funding from Luton Rising not only supports community groups and charities, but it also provides a framework for supporting children to reach their educational attainment and later access jobs provided by the airport. It is a whole system approach to supporting the Luton 2040 vision of eradicating poverty in the town. Through the innovative approach of cycling money back into the local eco-system, it means the Luton pound stays in the Luton pocket. The success of Luton Airport directly supports levelling up in Luton – an area with high levels of deprivation and need. While projects such as Flying Start help children to have a good start in life, we also empower families to develop their own social capital and in time build their own community assets. Our joint vision is that we provide the framework for families to thrive for generations to come. Christine Rogers Flying Start Implementation Manager Early Years Alliance