Children Don’t Grow in Boxes… They Thrive in Communities!

Childrens’ Quarter Members and guests meet at SENTRE Childcare, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7EY on Thursday 23 March. Members will be sharing news and information about new, inclusive services that work on the basis of what children and young people can do – rather than what they can’t.  Hosts SENTRE will be talking about their approach. …Read moreRead more

Inclusive Youth Work

Two full days training for youth workers, community groups and anyone looking to involve disabled and vulnerable young people. Enjoy learning to: •Create proactive welcomes •Engage effectively with young people and their families •Invest in comprehensive and creative planning •Include disabled young people who are most at risk of isolation.   Led by Simbi Folarin…Read moreRead more

Fit for All – Winter Sessions

Fit for All is the programme of inclusive school-holiday sessions run by Children’s Quarter members at Easter, Summer and Christmas.  These sessions are funded in part from the government’s HAF fund and provide physical activities, play, youth activities, sport and games and a healthy meal to children and young people: with Special Educational Needs and…Read moreRead more

CQ Members’ Meeting: Focus on Inclusive Youth Services

Children’s Quarter Members meet on 12 September at the Factory Youth Centre, Longbridge.  You’re welcome and so are your guests – so please do join us?  We’ll be hearing from member groups; creating space for catch-ups; and, this time, focusing on inclusive youth services. CQ Member groups Seven Up and ATHAC have both been highlighting…Read moreRead more

Green Light for Inclusive Easter Holiday Clubs

Inclusive play and youth services for disabled and vulnerable children will be running in Birmingham during the Easter school holidays.  The Fit for All programme run by Children’s Quarter members successfully bid for just over £50,000 to run holiday activity and healthy food sessions across the city during the two week school break.  The sessions…Read moreRead more

People Power – sharing skills for inclusion

Children’s Quarter is a cooperative alliance that brings people together… as staff, volunteers, parents and carers, trustees, funders, researchers and policy-makers, children and young people. We all have skills, ideas, experience and passion that translate – through the groups and organisations that make up the CQ Co-op and the services we run – into social…Read moreRead more

Learn For Real at Coronation Road

We know that access to suitable spaces and venues limits our Members’ ability to provide inclusive services for children and young people.  At the same time, CQ Members and others have spaces they share.  This informal session over brunch 10-11.30am looks at sharing space and developing shared space for inclusion: making more of what we…Read moreRead more

CQ Members Serve Up Holiday Help

Our Members provided more than 12,000 meals and thousand of hours of inclusive sessions for children and youth people during the Summer Holidays.  In Birmingham, 19 CQ Member groups worked together through our Fit For All project – part of the city’s Bring It On Brum programme of holiday activities and food.  In Solihull, Meriden…Read moreRead more

growing UP!

1 in 4 children is disabled or made vulnerable to exclusion by the way we manage the process of growing up.  Changing that experience depends on families, communities and services working together.   We’re hearing from parents, professionals, employers and young people sharing insights and experience of giving children and young people: more resilience; easier transitions; better…Read moreRead more

Develop Local Potential to Serve SEND Children Right

Councils are working out how to spend an increase in the higher needs block funding they get to provide education to SEND children.  In Birmingham, the Council is encouraging mainstream schools to improve the way they serve vulnerable children through partnerships aimed at developing local potential.  In the light of widespread off-rolling of SEND children…Read moreRead more