A CENTRE for supporting families and children has been extended at a cost of more than £40,000 to allow it to expand its work.The project has been carried out at the Trinity Family Centre in Felixstowe and has provided it with two new rooms to allow experts such as health and education staff, doctors and youth advisors, to work with families.

A CENTRE for supporting families and children has been extended at a cost of more than £40,000 to allow it to expand its work.

The project has been carried out at the Trinity Family Centre in Felixstowe and has provided it with two new rooms to allow experts such as health and education staff, doctors and youth advisors, to work with families.

County councillor Tony Lewis, portfolio holder for children and young people, opened the new extension.

He said: "The county council changed three years ago to having our children's and families' services all under one councillor, and it will soon be run as one service.

"There is interest from all over the country in seeing how Suffolk is doing it, now that these ideas have become government policy.

"The Trinity Family Centre is a prime example of what we're doing in our Children's Futures projects. There are lots of different organisations working together here – it's all about people, not buildings.

"There are people going out from here, bringing people in and working with families at home. That's what Children's Futures is all about."

The new rooms at the centre, which is situated in the grounds of Grange Primary School in Grange Road, are being used by health and education staff, as well as voluntary groups such as the Aspergers support group.

One of the rooms is aimed at older children and enables them to be able to attend groups and individual sessions, and is already in use for work to build self-esteem in children, and for confidence and story groups.

The youngsters have had enormous input to what they want from the room, including its contents with a wide range of musical instruments, karaoke machine, play station, and scatter cushions.

The other room is for parents and they have been involved in deciding its features and what groups they want to have running.

Staff from the Trinity Family Centre work at the centre and in the community with activities including a self-esteem group working with children at Maidstone Infant School, advice sessions, and a tea, toys and toast drop-in event.

Several dads are involved in early evening workshops, and one is now starting a father's group to develop work with more dads in the area.

Do you use the centre? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk