Daycare Trust: Circus celebrating childcare comes to Salford

Event takes place in Buile Hill Park, Salford on Monday 9th June.
Photography and filming opportunities from 11.20am approx.

Interviews with Alison Garnham and Emma Knights, Joint Chief Executives of Daycare Trust, Barbara Keeley MP and Steve Endler of Catalyst Lend Lease are available by request.

To mark the end of the 11th annual National Childcare Week, on Monday 9th June young people from children's centres in Salford have been invited to share the celebrations along with clowns, acrobats and fire eaters from Big Top Mania Circus.

After the Circus the children will have the opportunity to play with some of the circus acts at close quarters, have their faces painted and take part in making a huge mural with local artist Michele Leigh.

Emma Knights, Joint Chief Executive of Daycare trust said:

"It's great to be in Salford celebrating the end of a successful National Childcare Week. All the children here today will have a great time which they will hopefully remember for years to come."

Catalyst Lend Lease have kindly agreed to sponsor the day's activities.

"It's great to be working with the Daycare Trust again," said Steve Endler, who leads the Catalyst Lend Lease bid for Salford's Building Schools for the Future project. "Last year we sponsored their 21st birthday party for 200 children in St James's Park and we're aiming to repeat that success in Salford with another memorable event."

The theme of National Childcare Week this year is "Building brighter futures". National Childcare Week has taken place from 2-9 June 2008. The week is designed to promote the importance of investing in childcare, out-of-school activities and early years provision for children to strengthen and contribute to children's play and learning.

As part of National Childcare Week events have been taking place in childcare settings all over the country, winning praise from Prime Minister Rt Hon Gordon Brown who said this week:

"High standard childcare and early learning give children the very best start in life, as well as helping parents balance the demands of work and family life. National Childcare Week is a great way to mark the importance of childcare and I extend my best wishes to all those parents, childcare professionals and young people up and down the country who are taking part in events to mark it."


Ends.


NOTES TO EDITORS

About Daycare Trust

Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity, campaigning for quality affordable accessible childcare for all and raising the voices of children, parents and carers. We advise parents and carers, providers, employers, trade unions and policymakers on childcare issues. We recognise that everyone is unique and we value difference in our communities. We listen to all views and are committed to act without prejudice. We oppose all discrimination and promote equality in all we do.
Daycare Trust is calling on the Government to
1. Meet parents' aspirations for universal childcare services by:
- expanding free places for two, three and four-year olds to at least 20 hours a week, for 48 weeks in the year and
- subsidising out of school activities for all 11-14s and for younger children from poorer families, aiming ultimately to make them free.
2. Tackle the affordability crisis by giving local authorities the means to develop sustainable services in poorer areas and provide free places for those missing out, including places for disabled children, parents needing out of hours care, Further Education students and parents of under-threes who want to train.
3. Set new standards for the pay of childcare workers, either through national benchmarks or incentives such as the Graduate Leader Fund.

Daycare Trust runs an information line (020 7840 3350) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am-5pm. Parents can also visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk for information.
Daycare Trust is a member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, www.ecpc.org.uk.
For further information, contact Daycare Trust on 020 7840 3350.

Catalyst Lend Lease

Catalyst Lend Lease is one of the UK's leading owner/operators of community assets and infrastructure funded through the Private Finance Initiative. Founded in the 1990s and now owned by Lend Lease Corporation, Catalyst's £2.5 billion PFI portfolio includes investments in education, healthcare, student accommodation, government offices and waste management.

The company combines innovative design with an emphasis sustainability to provide attractive, functional and durable buildings run by skilled management and maintenance teams who provide measurable value at a predictable cost. Projects completed since 2000 include 15 schools and colleges, seven NHS hospitals, over 2,000 furnished student accommodation units and the London headquarters of HM Treasury and Revenue and Customs. Current projects include eight new BSF schools in Lancashire and a campus-style redevelopment of five Manchester hospitals.

For further information, contact press office at Daycare Trust on 020 7840 3350, ext 217 (out of hours 0780-4508768).