SURE Start has a new manager at the helm of its West Northumberland operation in the shape of Lesley Grieve.

Formerly the co-ordinator for Hexham Children’s Centre, she was appointed to her new post when the previous incumbent, Jackie McCormick, was promoted to the county-wide role of children’s centres improvement partner.

Lesley began her career working at Cambo First School, where she set up the pre-school. It was during her time in her next job with Northumberland local education authority, arranging statements of special educational needs for youngsters about to start school, that she was offered the opportunity to work specifically for Sure Start.

She moved over in 2007, just as the foundations of Hexham Children’s Centre were being laid. Rugby star Jonny Wilkinson cut the ribbon when it opened for business the following year.

“That was the beginning of Sure Start in West Northumberland,” she said. “The centres were built in Haltwhistle and Prudhoe and then Hexham.”

“The focus then was on universal services and while we still have some today, we work with our health colleagues on the healthy child programme and our services are much more targeted.”

They run courses designed to polish up parenting skills and there is a highly trained team in place ready to work with youngsters identified with speech, language and special educational needs. They also offer one-to-one support and advice on breast feeding and weaning, besides running play activities and delivering the 15 hours a week free childcare entitlement for two-year-olds that qualify.

And they also deliver a highly successful adult learning programme. In the most recent Northumberland Adult Learning Awards, Hexham students won two first prizes and a runners-up prize. The courses are accredited and designed to boost employability.

Lesley is particularly proud of the fact that Sure Start has a 98 per cent registration rate for all children in the west locality: 3,126 children in total, as of last week. “We can drill our data down street by street,” she said. “We know how many youngsters under the age of five there are in any given location.”