Barnsley Council is proud to launch the Great Childhoods Ambition, a borough-wide, collaborative approach to support all children and young people to thrive in the place of possibilities.
The ambition is part of the Barnsley 2030 vision, which seeks to foster and grow ambition, enabling everyone to be the best they can be.
We recognise that children and young people today will face quite different challenges as they prepare for their future. That’s why we’re forward-thinking, empowering children, young people, and their families with the skills, qualifications, abilities, behaviours, and experiences that enable pathways to work and a better quality of life.
As part of this initiative, £1.6million is being invested to enhance educational support. This includes bolstered GCSE Maths and English support to help students catch up and excel, and the expansion of the 'Every Child a Coder' programme, equipping young people with essential digital skills for careers in AI and automation.
The successful piloting of the Children's University in local schools has shown promising results in engaging students in a wide range of educational activities outside the traditional classroom. The development of family hubs and expanded childcare services further reinforces our support for families at all stages.
Additionally, with the upcoming opening of the Youth Zone next year, we will provide more opportunities for youth engagement and development. These efforts underscore our dedication to empowering our young people and fostering a brighter future for our community. Together, we are building a stronger foundation for the next generation.
We are also adding our current support, activities, and events to our webpage. Keeping you up to date with our growing offer online on our great childhoods ambition webpage.
Cllr Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, said: "We’re delighted to launch the Great Childhoods Ambition, which is a testament to our commitment to improving the lives and futures of our children and young people.
Barnsley is a place that fosters and grows ambition, and we want to make sure that everyone, no matter their background or starting point, can benefit from opportunities that help them to live productive and happy lives.
The Great Childhoods Ambition will help us to achieve this by creating enriching experiences for children and young people to learn, grow and be inspired by the possibilities in Barnsley."
The ambition is not a standalone initiative; it’s a collaborative effort. It will involve working across council services with key partners, businesses, communities, and grassroots organisations. This will help to support more children and young people of all ages, stages, and levels of need.
Councillor Trevor Cave, Cabinet Spokesperson for Children’s services, said: “At the heart of this ambition, we want families, communities, and businesses to feel encouraged to inspire children to dream big and believe anything is possible.
We’re passionate about building on our excellent foundation of opportunities that are already established. The ambition will incorporate upcoming and planned developments across the borough. The new dedicated funding will help us to increase support for those who need it; so that no child is left behind.
Our approach aims to improve wellbeing and ambition, enabling positive destinations for young people with improvements for attendance and attainment.”
Want to know more? Watch our video, which tells you about our great ambition for the children of Barnsley.
