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Describe the need your project addresses and the evidence for it.
Without organisational context
Early Years Cocoon works with families with young children in Barking and Dagenham. We run free playgroups and family sessions for children and their parents. From our work locally, we know there is a lot of need for welcoming, accessible early years support in the area. The project would support one of our weekly stay-and-play sessions. This gives local families a free place to come with their young children, spend time together, play, and connect with others. For families who may not otherwise be able to access regular activities, a free local session can make a real difference. Our evidence is the need we see through our existing work with families in Barking and Dagenham.
Material gathered by hand
Early Years Cocoon supports families with young children in Barking and Dagenham through free playgroups, stay and play, Forest School, yoga and parenting support. The need for our project is clear from the level of demand we see each week. Around 110 families come to us weekly across four venues, and sessions are often full. Barking and Dagenham is one of the most deprived boroughs and has a very high number of young children, so accessible local support for families is important. Our own records show that families are regularly using our services, and feedback from parents shows how valued they are. One Google review said, “There simply wouldn’t be many playgroups available for us in the area if it wasn’t for those offered by EYC.”
Structured Funding Knowledge Base
Families with young children in Barking & Dagenham face significant social, economic and developmental challenges. The borough is one of the most deprived in the UK, with high levels of child poverty, income deprivation and pressure on family wellbeing. Many parents also experience isolation, language barriers, insecure housing, financial hardship, or difficulties accessing suitable early years support. There is clear evidence of demand for free, local provision. Only around one third of families in our 2023 survey felt there were enough free services for young children locally. Around 110 families currently attend our weekly stay-and-play sessions across four venues, and sessions are regularly oversubscribed. Our wider WhatsApp community of 850+ families also shows sustained engagement and need. This project addresses that gap by keeping one trusted, accessible stay-and-play session available for families who may otherwise have nowhere affordable and welcoming to go.
What difference does your work make, and how do you know?
Without organisational context
Early Years Cocoon makes a positive difference by offering free playgroups and family sessions for families with young children in Barking and Dagenham. Our weekly stay-and-play sessions give families a welcoming place to come together, spend time with their children, and feel part of their local community. We know our work matters because families seem to really value these sessions. As a small early years organisation, we see the importance of having free, regular support available locally. We believe our stay-and-play sessions make a real difference by helping families access early years activities without cost being a barrier. This funding would help us continue one of these weekly sessions for families in our area.
Material gathered by hand
Our stay-and-play sessions help parents feel more confident and less isolated, while supporting young children’s development, confidence and communication. We know this from parent feedback, staff observations and reviews. In last year’s survey notes, most parents said our sessions improved their confidence and their children’s development, with scores around 4.6 out of 5. One parent told us: “I feel less alone and I can see improvements in my children after each session.” Staff also observe children growing in confidence and communication over the weeks they attend. Alongside this, we have lots of positive Google reviews. Together, this shows that our weekly sessions make a real difference for families with young children in our area.
Structured Funding Knowledge Base
Our stay-and-play sessions help children develop stronger social, communication and emotional skills, while giving parents and carers a welcoming place to build confidence, feel less isolated and connect with other families. Through child-led play, sensory activities, singing, story-time and informal guidance, families practise early learning and wellbeing approaches in a relaxed, non-judgemental setting. This matters because it supports children’s wellbeing and early development while strengthening family relationships and local peer networks. We know this through our mixed evaluation approach, combining attendance data, annual family surveys, facilitator observations, parent feedback, case studies and Google reviews. In our 2025 family survey, families rated our contribution to children’s wellbeing at 4.65/5, social development at 4.67/5, communication skills at 4.55/5 and parents’ wellbeing at 4.53/5. We also use feedback continuously to adapt sessions and respond to families’ needs.
Why is your organisation well placed to deliver this work?
Without organisational context
Early Years Cocoon is a small early years organisation based in Barking and Dagenham. We have been part of the local community for years, and families know and trust us. Our team cares deeply about the families we work with and understands the value of a warm, welcoming space for parents, carers and young children. We are well placed to deliver this work because the funding would support what we already do: providing a weekly stay-and-play session for families with young children in our area.
Material gathered by hand
Early Years Cocoon is well placed to deliver this work because we have been supporting local families since 2018 and became a CIC in 2020. Over the years we have been trusted by funders including the National Lottery, and we have recently won a family learning award. Our team are mostly local parents who used to come to our sessions themselves. This gives us a strong understanding of the needs of families with young children in our area, and helps us create a warm, welcoming and practical stay-and-play session. We already work with Family Hubs, libraries and health visitors, so we are connected to local support networks and can reach families who may benefit. We are a Living Wage Employer and have safeguarding policies in place, which helps us deliver this work safely, responsibly and with care.
Structured Funding Knowledge Base
Early Years Cocoon is well placed to deliver this work because weekly stay-and-play sessions are at the heart of what we already do. Since starting as a community group in 2018 and becoming a CIC in 2020, we have built a trusted, locally rooted early years offer in Barking & Dagenham. We currently run five weekly sessions across four accessible venues, welcoming around 110 families each week. Our delivery is led by people who understand the community. Our Executive Director has over 15 years’ experience as an Early Years Teacher and is trained in Peep Learning Together and HENRY. All facilitators are local parents who previously used the service, which helps families feel welcomed and understood. We also have strong systems and partnerships, including Salesforce monitoring, around 36 local collaborations, and a strong track record of positive family feedback and public recognition.
