The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood

Since we published our business case for investing in early childhood, we have been working with companies of all shapes and sizes to talk about how they can get involved and play their part. It was a pleasure to be in Belfast talking to people from across the Northern Irish economy, as we look to mobilise this movement right across the UK. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eX88ApWw

Meet our new advisory group member Emily Samuel, a child psychotherapist who has been working with children and adolescents for over 14 years. Our advisory group members all have a shared passion for the fundamental importance of early childhood, from pregnancy to the age of five. Her guest essay delves into the impact of attachment on social and emotional development. Read more on our website: https://lnkd.in/eV_zts5H

Earlier this year, The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood published a report setting out the business case for prioritising early childhood. Since then we have heard so many inspiring stories and examples of tangible action that businesses are making. The opportunity for business to drive, and benefit from, prioritising early childhood in the workplace and wider community is huge. We’re welcoming more businesses to join this movement and focus on how they can support early childhood to help create a healthier, happier society. https://lnkd.in/eF77USze

Kinship Care Week (7-13 October) has officially landed and so has our new #ThisIsKinshipCare animation. 🎥 To ensure this poignant animation travels far and wide this #KinshipCareWeek, please hit the share button. 🌎 Written in their own words, #KinshipCarers speak to the joy, the warmth, the humour, the love, as well as the challenges of being a #KinshipFamily. They have graciously shared their true and authentic experiences to help raise awareness of how beautiful and complex #KinshipCare is. 💛 #KinshipCareWeek #ThisIsKinshipCare

This #worldmentalhealthday, we caught up with three of our Business Taskforce members, IKEA, Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation and the LEGO Group, to discuss the importance of workplace mental health. Parental well-being is the biggest single factor in determining a child’s well-being, and we know that becoming a parent places additional pressure on mental health. We also know that parents make up a significant part of the UK workforce – 76% of mothers and 92% of fathers are in work. Employers have a huge role to play.

It is wonderful see another Business Taskforce inspired project go live! Taskforce member IKEA and the Baby Bank Alliance were brought together through The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood. Supporting initiatives which help families facing the greatest challenges to access the support and essentials they need, is one of five areas of opportunity, identified in our business taskforce report, which, if systematically tackled by businesses, could have a game-changing impact – not only for young children and their families, but also our economy and wider society.

A greater focus on early childhood could generate significant social and economic return, by improving early childhood experiences and increasing support for the adults around them. We're looking forward to the insightful conversations that will take place at this event! #UNGA

It is wonderful see how our Business Taskforce member Deloitte is making improvements within their organisation that will have an impact on their workforce (and their families). As employers, all businesses have a huge opportunity to prioritise early childhood amongst their workforce – no matter how big or small. By providing support and resources, alongside flexibility and choice, employers will not only be boosting the wellbeing and productivity of their colleagues, they will also be contributing to a society which is better positioned to take on the challenges of the future. https://lnkd.in/eF77USze

This time last week we were in Manchester with businesses from across the North West to discuss the societal and economic case for investing in early childhood. We heard so many inspiring stories and examples of tangible action that businesses are making. The opportunity for business to drive, and benefit from, prioritising early childhood in the workplace and wider community is huge. We’re welcoming more businesses to join this movement and focus on how they can support early childhood to help create a healthier, happier society. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eF77USze James Gent MCIOB, City Building Engineering Services (CBES) Gordon Mitchell, Challenge-trg Recruitment Ross Taylor, Buffaload Logistics Eve Wasmuth, GRAYCE Andy Parton, Greencore Andrew Ridge, Kellanova Chris Stott, KPMG UK Duncan Everett, Noble Foods Ltd Lucy Williams, Pets at Home Neil Mistry, THG James HurrellWincanton Alexander Troughton, Uber Eats

Thank you to everyone involved in the event we were so proud to co-host last week with the The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood at our head office in Manchester. We were so pleased to see the interest and engagement from some of Co-op’s key strategic partners, suppliers and community experts, as well guests from businesses across the North West. Supporting early years development has enduring, positive impacts on society as a whole and we, alongside the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce, recognise the important role that businesses can play in adding value to the lives of the youngest people in our nation and their families. A greater focus on early childhood would create a happier and more productive workforce today, and transform the health and wellbeing of the UK economy and society for generations to come. There are many ways in which businesses can make a significant contribution to this vital work - including supporting their own colleagues, contributing products and services, or engaging with early years community initiatives such as the Little Green Sock Project. Another option is to join our Apprenticeship Levy Share Scheme to create 600 early years roles 👇 https://lnkd.in/ehcj4ff9 My sincere thanks to Amanda Berry and Christian Guy for their amazing leadership, and to those business leaders who contributed such positive energy and ideas to this important discussion. Lucy Williams Alexander Troughton Chris Stott Neil Mistry James Hurrell Andy Parton Philip Ponsonby Eve Wasmuth Duncan Everett Catherine D’Albertanson Ross Taylor Ruth Welford James Gent MCIOB Alison Last Alex Robinson Rose Marley Clare Law Gordon Mitchell Russell Gill Rebecca Birkbeck Serena Smallman