Children North East open new premises in the centre of Sunderland

Part of the charity’s Families and Parenting Service, which was formerly based in one room at Grace House Hospice, it has moved into three-storey offices in Bridge House, Bridge Street.

Amongst the projects that will benefit families is an intensive intervention service commissioned by Together For Children Sunderland which helps parents who have local authority involvement with their children.

The team, led by Mandy Brown and Mark Thompson, will also run a number of other family support services, including Caring Dads, a domestic abuse programme aimed at fathers who wish to learn how to change their behaviour and improve their parenting.

There will also be a domestic abuse recovery programme for parents and their children.

Team leader Mandy said the move to new premises would enable the team to provide an improved quality service to local families across Sunderland.

Mandy said: “We have so much more space at Bridge House, including a room in which to deliver a variety of parenting/family programmes and another that we will use for training purposes including paediatric first aid sessions and, hopefully in the future, musical activities for babies and toddlers.”

Children North East’s Families and Parenting Service also provides support to families living in Tyneside, where the service is located within the Cowgate Community Centre in Newcastle’s west end.