News

The Sunshine Centre have been very busy continuing to support our local community in Bretch Hill and the surrounding area during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jill Edge was recently interviewed by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire on the work that we have been doing.

*This article was originally posted in Banbury Guardian, the article can be viewed here. Banbury families on lockdown are benefiting from the Sunshine Centre’s quick response to the now very different needs of the town’s children during the coronavirus pandemic. The doors may be locked, but during the month of April staff from The Sunshine Centre have distributed 127 activity packs to children and their families, 237 food parcels which have supported 134 adults and 231 [...]

This article was originally posted in Banbury Guardian, the original article can be viewed here. A Banbury children’s centre is putting its weight behind a survey that will hopefully result in improvements to children’s mental well-being. The Sunshine Centre on Bretch Hill, Banbury is working with Healthwatch Oxfordshire to find out about parents’ and carers’ experiences and understanding of supporting mental health and well-being in children from birth to five-years-old. Centre manager Jill Edge said: [...]

This article originally appeared in the Oxford Mail, the original article can be viewed here. A Children’s Centre in an Oxfordshire town has opened its new extension. The Sunshine Centre in Banbury welcomed parents, staff and local dignitaries to celebrate the opening. The extension, which was funded through Section 106 funding and by Cherwell District Council, will allow for the further provision of outreach and advice services for the centre in Banbury’s Bretch Hill area. The Sunshine [...]

This article originally appeared in Banbury Guardian, the original article can be read here. Parents, children and staff at Banbury’s Sunshine Centre are celebrating following an Outstanding rating on all aspects of childcare and learning by Ofsted; the Government’s regulator of quality care for children. Inspirational leadership, high aspirations for the children and the expert skills and knowledge of the staff were all highlighted in the report, released May 1. Centre Manager Jill Edge said: “I am [...]

This article was originally posted in Banbury Guardian, the original article can be viewed here. A £440,000 extension to the Sunshine Centre in Bretch Hill to provide more space for outreach and advice services has been announced today Preparatory works on site are currently underway ahead of builders getting on site on early June with construction scheduled to last 24 weeks. The funding comprises £320,000 of Section 106 funding, contributions secured from the developers of [...]

This article was originally posted by Banbury Guardian, the original post can be viewed here. Directors and staff at The Sunshine Centre are feeling very proud after becoming the first early years provider in the county to achieve an ‘outstanding’ rating in the Oxfordshire Caremark Awards. The centre in Edmunds Road, Banbury, demonstrated how children in care are supported to achieve their full potential in a fun and nurturing environment. The assessor commented she had [...]

I started working with the Sunshine Centre twelve years ago. I was taking my granddaughter Megan to drop-ins at the Sunshine Centre which was then in a Portakabin in the grounds of the old Neithrop School. Tracy and Jill noticed at the drop-ins that I was a natural clearer-upper and so approached me to do a few hours cleaning and that’s how it started. I used to take my mum, who was in a wheelchair, [...]

I joined in spring 2000. We were in a Portakabin and I shared a desk between 3 of us (me, Jill and administrator). I was hardly ever at my desk though. We had a long open room in the Portakabin. It was open all day, people could call in to make a cup of coffee and stay all day. Families used it as a place to hang out. There were six staff. My first day [...]