Cornwall Council’s Early Years Service has secured a grant of £80,000 to help nurseries and pre-schools support children under five from armed forces families. 

The money, which comes from the Armed Forces Covenant, will go towards a new project called Armed Forces Children in Cornwall.  

It will be delivered in partnership with experts from other sectors and at nurseries and pre-schools located close to military bases at RAF St Mawgan, RNAS Culdrose and HMS Raleigh, supporting their work in listening to and engaging with children and their families from the armed forces community. 

The project includes the offer of training to raise awareness of the specific needs of young children in that environment, with a particular focus on emotional wellbeing and resilience. The aim will be to establish a stronger support network for armed forces families across Cornwall. 

Cllr Barbara Ellenbroek, cabinet member for children and families at Cornwall Council, said: “It’s fantastic news that our Early Years Service has managed to secure this grant.

“It is one of the council’s key priorities to make Cornwall a brilliant place to be a child and grow up, and that means making sure young people from every community are listened to, understood and supported in the right way.”