The challenge
Too many parents in deprived areas of the UK lack the knowledge, confidence and support networks to help their young children thrive. Without access to trusted guidance or a supportive community, children may face poorer long-term outcomes in health, wellbeing, education and inclusion – ultimately limiting their ability to reach their full potential.
Founded in 2019, Babyzone was created to address this gap in the early years.
Their approach
Babyzone provides free, accessible, evidence-based development classes for parents and young children, delivered in welcoming and inclusive spaces. The programme combines high-quality content with community-building, helping families build confidence, skills and supportive relationships.
Babyzone partners with OnSide, a national network of state-of-the-art youth facilities, to deliver sessions from Youth Zones — providing safe, high-quality environments for families to attend regularly.
Why we funded
We have been long-term supporters of OnSide, including funding the construction of new Youth Zones in Wolverhampton and East Croydon, as well as providing unrestricted core funding. Babyzone offered an opportunity to build on this partnership while backing a promising, evidence-led organisation working at a critical early stage of life.
We are funding 50% of the running costs of a new Babyzone hub in Blackburn over a three-year period.
Impact targets
- Reach 180 families per week by the end of 2025, with 70% from disadvantaged postcodes
- Establish strong links with local early years partners, including Family Hubs, GPs and dentists
- Deliver a full programme of evidence-informed classes for parents and children
What’s next
Babyzone currently operates eight hubs across the UK and aims to reach 20 hubs by 2027. The organisation also plans to publish open, self-generated curricula — including Babyzone Everyday Maths and Babyzone NEST — and, through the Babyzone Academy, train thousands of early years practitioners in its evidence-based approach.