First Family Hubs Big Barnsley Baby Shower brought families together to celebrate and connect with support services

On Saturday 14 March, Family Hubs hosted their first Big Barnsley Baby Shower at The Metrodome, welcoming local families who were expecting a baby or had a baby under six months old.  

The event offered families the chance to celebrate this special milestone, connect with key services that support them, and meet other parents from across the borough. 

Building on the success of smaller Baby Shower events previously held in the community, the Big Barnsley Baby Shower marked the service’s first large-scale celebration of its kind. 

The event welcomed more than 160 local people, with parents and parents‑to‑be joined by siblings, babies and grandparents to enjoy a memorable family celebration. 

Families enjoyed a range of fun and memorable activities, including a professional photoshoot, bump painting, hand and foot inkless crafts, and interactive games designed to celebrate life with a new baby. 

A wide range of support services were also in attendance to provide information and advice to families during pregnancy and throughout the first 1001 days of a child’s life. The teams held taster sessions, helping families feel more prepared for life with a new baby and promoting the local healthy babies offer. 

Joining the Best Start in Life Family Hubs team, services in attendance included 0-19 Public Health, Infant Feeding, Childcare Entitlements, Parent Education, Barnsley Libraries, Healthy Mums, and Registration services.  

Families who attended shared positive feedback, praising the event for being well organised and offering a wide range of activities to enjoy. 

Cllr Ashley Peace, Cabinet Spokesperson for Children’s Services, said: 

“I’m delighted to see the success of the Big Barnsley Baby Shower, which brought together families and provided an opportunity to celebrate this important stage of family life while connecting with local support services. 

“Ensuring families can access the right support at the right time is central to our approach in Barnsley, supporting both the physical and mental wellbeing of parents and children from their earliest days.  

“Through early support, shared experiences, and welcoming community spaces provided by our Best Start in Life Family Hubs, we are supporting children to get the best possible start and enabling families to build strong foundations for the future.” 

Barnsley’s Best Start in Life Family Hubs deliver joined-up early help services for children, from pre-birth to 19 years (or 25 years if the young person has a disability). With locations across the borough, they offer support, information, and activities to local families.  

Find out more on the Family Hubs page on our website.