Parents and carers in St. Helens are being offered a sequence of funded activities this August designed to support children making the transition into school. The events, delivered by St Helens Libraries' Outreach Team and paid for by Right to Succeed CIC, form part of the Parr Cradle to Career programme and combine play, storytelling and an educational outing.
What is on offer and when
Organisers have arranged three distinct sessions aimed at developing early social and learning skills and easing the practicalities of starting school.
- Friday 7 August, 10am–4pm — coach trip to The World of Glass (from Derbyshire Hill Bus Depot). Includes a guided museum tour, a special library visit, coach travel, lunch and a gift-shop voucher. This session is currently sold out.
- Friday 14 August, 11am — Imagination Play at Parr Sports & Community Centre. A one-hour dress-up and party-game session; snacks provided and each child receives a book to take home.
- Friday 21 August, 11am — Read & Rhyme bedtime-stories session at Parr Sports & Community Centre featuring songs, stories and a cosy story time; snacks and a book to take home are included.
Who can attend and how to book
The activities are aimed at children preparing to start school and their carers. Places for the museum trip were limited and have already been filled; spaces remain for the two Parr Sports & Community Centre sessions at the time of publication. Tickets are being distributed via Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/mpujrfb9.
Local context and purpose
These sessions sit within the Parr Cradle to Career initiative, a local effort to improve outcomes for children across early years and into formal education. Offering practical experiences such as museum visits and structured play helps families familiarise children with routines, social interaction and early literacy — all factors that schools and early-years professionals say ease the transition and improve readiness.
By providing snacks, books and travel where relevant, the programme also reduces immediate financial and logistical barriers for families who might struggle to arrange transport or cover incidental costs associated with educational outings.
What this means for parents and the council
For parents and carers, the events are a low-cost way to introduce school-related experiences, meet other families and collect take-home resources. For local services, the gatherings present an opportunity to identify additional support needs early — from basic literacy help to signposting families to wider local services — and to engage directly with parents who may not otherwise use library outreach or early-years provision.
| Event | Date | Location | Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| World of Glass trip | 7 Aug | Derbyshire Hill Bus Depot (coach) | Tour, library visit, lunch, shop voucher |
| Imagination Play | 14 Aug | Parr Sports & Community Centre | Dress-up, games, snacks, book |
| Read & Rhyme | 21 Aug | Parr Sports & Community Centre | Songs, stories, snacks, book |
Further details and ticket bookings are available via the Eventbrite page: tinyurl.com/mpujrfb9. Families seeking additional early-years support should contact St Helens Libraries' Outreach Team or local family-services providers linked with Parr Cradle to Career.
