Better Start Better Futures

24/09/2026

The Crucial Role of a Health Visitor:

📻 Ten years of taught us how much a good Health Visitor relationship can change a family's start in life.

In this podcast episode, Zak and Kerry are joined by Dr Sharin Baldwin (Institute of Health Visiting (iHV)) and Edwina Lintin (Bradford MECSH Champion) to unpack the MECSH programme and why evidence-based health visiting reduces inequalities.

That evidence doesn't stop with the programme. It now feeds directly into the Partnership, where practitioners, academics and families keep shaping how health visiting works across Bradford District.

🎧 Listen: https://www.betterstartbradford.org.uk/earliest-years-of-life-podcast/



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17/09/2026

Our new website is now LIVE 🙌

To understand what Better Start Better Futures has now become and how YOU as parents can get involved, please visit us today! You will be able to meet the team, get in touch with us, and read about our Conception through Reception Evidence (CoRE) Partnership

Please take a look around and reach out to us if you want to learn more or get involved!

Https://cabad.org.uk/better-start-better-futures/

Better Start Better Futures is an independent, trusted and well aligned forum with community at its heart. Applying insight and evidence to drive early years change.

17/09/2026

Our third CoRE Partnership meeting is underway at Shipley Library

We are joined by 20+ parents, professionals, practitioners and people with an interest in the 0-5 world!

Education Alliance For Life Chances are asking the CoRE question: What is the best way for nursery or school staff to engage with parents and carers when staff think that the child is not developing as expected?

What are your thoughts? Drop them in the comments👇

Visit our new website now to learn more about the new Better Start Better Futures Project.

Https://cabad.org.uk/better-start-better-futures

03/07/2026

Are you a parent, carer or grandparent in the Bradford district? Are you interested in shaping and influencing early years systems and services?

We are looking for parents, carers and grandparents who are passionate about their community to join our CoRE Partnership. Your voice and experiences will help to influence how services for children aged 0-5 are designed and delivered.

Why not come along to our next meeting to find out more?
Taking place:

📅Wednesday 8th July,
🕙10:00 am to 12:00pm
📍at Strong Close Nursery, Keighley, BD21 4LW.

Time and travel expenses are reimbursed!

📧Email [email protected] or
📲call 07727 378984 to find out more and book your spot.

We’d love to have you!



The VCS Alliance Community Action Bradford & District CNet Bradford Best Start in Life Born in Bradford's Better Start Born in Bradford Baby Week UK Better Place Bradford

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03/07/2026

📢 Better Start – Better Futures was proud to attend the School Health Hub Showcase event in Bradford.

This pilot, running since March 2025, brings together partners including Alliance for Life Chances, Dixons Academies Charitable Trust, Oastlers School, Centre for Applied Education Research, Citizens UK and Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust Children's Services to deliver earlier support and better health outcomes for children and young people, directly within the school setting.

🤝 As an organisation committed to giving children and families across Bradford District the best possible start in life, it was fantastic to hear the learning from this joint delivery model, from the benefits for pupils and families through to the practicalities of scaling and sustaining this kind of partnership working.

It was fantastic to be one of the first to receive their interim report and listen to the story of the pilot scheme in Bradford

Did you manage to see our very own Gill Thornton representing our newly formed BS-BF Programme?

31/03/2026

That’s really all folks! The Better Start Bradford office door closed for the final time today!

Thank you so much to everyone who has been part of the Better Start Bradford journey.

And what a journey it has been and all documented on a brand new section of the Better Start Bradford legacy website, helpfully called ‘Our Journey’

https://www.betterstartbradford.org.uk/our-journey/

It’s now over to you! We need you to continue the work: to continue championing the first 1001 critical days, to consider the voice of the child in your work, to continue empowering communities, and continue the learning.

To help, you can:

• Use our toolkits
• Explore our extensive evaluation, learning and resource library

Please also keep an eye out for Better Start – Better Futures: A From Conception through Reception Evidence (CoRE) Partnership, which brings Bradford community members and system leaders together to embed best practice and create sustainable early years improvements.

https://www.betterstartbradford.org.uk/

30/03/2026

Our final ever News Update has now been released and is landing in inboxes.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has subscribed over the years and championed the work of Better Start Bradford 💛

In this final edition, you’ll find:

💬 A farewell from Director Gill Thornton
🎙 Launch of the Earliest Years of Life podcast
🔢 A 2015–2025 statistical overview of our impact
🌐 A legacy website full of learning, evidence and reports
🛠 A roundup of practical toolkits
🔮 A look ahead to Better Start… Better Futures

If you haven’t received your copy, you can read it here: https://bit.ly/4bF5fQO

Thank you for being part of the journey.

26/03/2026

This is wonderful news Bradford United Dads.

We are beyond thrilled that this Dads led group originally set up through our Happy Early Years (HEY!) Fund has been able to sustain its activities and services long beyond the life of Better Start Bradford.

Huge congratulations.