Healthy parents, healthy kids

Teamwork (from left to right): Jackie Elvidge of the Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust, Pam Eastburn of the Lemon Tree Children’s Centre in Bransholme, Cllr Mary Glew, crèche coordinator Kim Stabler, and Shellie Young of Nappy Venture and Baby Naturally. Together they are backing the health initiative at Woodford Leisure Centre.

A crèche at a Hull leisure centre is providing a convenient and perhaps unusual setting for the health needs of parents and children to be addressed.
As well as being a place that looks after children, the crèche at Woodford Leisure Centre, on Holderness Road, is also a place where parents can gain a wide range of information on health matters from dental problems to first aid and emergency resuscitation for babies.
It’s all part of a well-being initiative called Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids - and it’s proving so popular that a similar crèche will be launched at Ennerdale Leisure Centre in September.
“Some parents find it difficult to get appointments at dental surgeries and health centres at convenient times, so coming along to our creche really works for them,” says crèche co-ordinator Kim Stabler.
“It is run as a once-a-month drop-in for parents to find advice either for themselves or their children.
“They can see a dental nurse and a health visitor, or get advice on a wide range of other matters such as swimming lessons, reading for children, first aid for babies, fire safety in the home, healthy eating, and making sure child seats are correctly fitted in cars.”