Early Years Cocoon C.I.C offers a range of primary and secondary services to support families in Barking and Dagenham. PRIMARY SERVICES consist of four weekly stay and play group sessions which are hosted at four local venues. Each session typically accommodates 25 to 30 families and lasts for approximately two hours. These sessions are provided free of charge and are aimed at children up to 5 years of age. They offer a variety of engaging activities including 1 Child Led Play A chance for children to explore a diverse range of resources. 2 Arts and Crafis Creative activities to foster artistic expression. 3 Singing Group sing alongs for musical enjoyment 4 Movement Physical activities for children to stay active. 5 Story Time Interactive storytelling sessions. Additionally we regularly book external specialists and artists to deliver music performances workshops and other entertainment further enhancing the quality and variety of our sessions. As part of our SECONDARY SERVICES we offer a variety of additional support services and events consisting of SPECIAL EVENTS I Eco fair at Eastbrookend: swap of elothes and toys for young children 2 Series of six swap events where families can exchange toys books and clothes 3 Four Rcady Steady Go sessions at local parks focusing on being active and well being 4 Lets go outdoors event a guided walk with special activities for families. ADDITIONAL REGULAR SERICES Our ongoing services include the following weekly sessions 1 Yoga for Adults 2 Yoga for Children 3 Outdoors Learning and Forest School 4 Weekly online workshops covering parenting topics COLLABORATIONS with I All Womens Network who deliver a 6 weeks programme for cconomic resilience focusing on mums and celebrating Womens Empowerment month by running a Discover your business spark workshop 2 Adult College in promoting their family learning workshops 3 NHS NELFT to celebrate Parents Mental Health Day 4 ELWA running a swap event at Eastbrookend 5 The Flying Seagull project to bring their shows to our community 6 ELBA Toy Appeal to distribute 250 toys to the community 7 Hcalthy Lifestyle team of Barking and Dagenham Council to run the HENRY programme with local families over 8 weeks 8 Mums Matter programme by promoting their services and on site referrals at our venues 9 various local organisations delivering four Family Fun Days at local parks. INFORMATION SHARING We are committed to sharing valuable information with the families we serve through following activities I We produce Parenting Booklets featuring contributions from local families and organisations covering a wide range of topics relevant to families and providing information about available services. Our Parenting Booklet is now in its fourth edition. 2 Signposting to Support Services We assist families in accessing additional support services including housing benefits SEND support and NHS services among others. 3 Educational and Parenting Resources We carefully select and share educational and parenting resources based on the specific needs of our familics. This is done through our WhatsApp group ensuring that families have access to valuable information and resources. OUTPUTS In the financial year to which the report relates the organisation 1 delivered 303 service sessions 2 received a total attendance of 9175 3 employed 1 part-time employee 4 engaged a team of 8 local residents in a freelance capacity and 3 volunteers. IMPACT According to our December 2023 annual survey, over half ofthe respondents reported being motivated to regularly attend our playgroup sessions due to several key benefits 1 Supporting the development of their childrens social, communication, and creative skills. 2 The opportunity to connect with other parents and share experiences 3 Offering stimulating and enriching learning opportunities for their children 4 Fostering a stronger sense of community 5 Enhancing mental health and overall well being for both parents and children.

The companys stakeholders encompass 1 Families with Young Children 2 Employees and Self-Employed Individuals 3 Volunteers 4 Funders 5 Partner Organisations 6 Suppliers including Venues. We are committed to ensuring the voices and needs of families with young children are central to our projects. To achieve this, we conduct an annual survey among the 590 families registered with our services as of January 2024. This survey serves as a crucial tool for gathering feedback improving our services and fostering community support. Based on last years responses we introduced Forest School activities offered additional workshops led by specialists and organised extra performances for families including music puppetry and dance. In addition to this, our team actively engages with familics through one on one interactions providing a valuable opportunity to gather direct feedback. These conversations help us understand how we can improve our services and identify new activities and support offerings. By listening to the unique needs and experiences of each family we continually refine and expand our programs to better serve our community.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration