A new initiative to create better access to children and family services for families who may be hidden by social or geographical isolation across four districts of Gloucestershire will begin this autumn, through a project funded by Summerfield Charitable Trust.

The new Family Hubs Catalyst Programme will create a network of community-based support for families with young children which reaches beyond buildings and deeper into neighbourhoods, to connect with families and children.

These improved social connections will support wellbeing, assisting and encouraging residents to take action to improve their lives.

Eight new Neighbourhood Connector roles have been created, thanks to the £2 million grant awarded by Summerfield Charitable Trust. The roles will be managed by local community organisations across Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and the Forest of Dean.

The Neighbourhood Connectors will be responsible for building local networks, brokering relationships between families and relevant services, and supporting individuals and organisations to pursue opportunities which benefit children and families. In addition, they will carry out research to determine what really matters to, and is needed by, the hardest to reach families.

The programme will be overseen by the Gloucestershire Gateway Partnership, a group of local organisations which came together in April 2025 to support Gloucestershire Gateway Trust with its successful bid to manage Children and Family Hubs in Gloucester and the Forest of Dean.

Jane Bee, chair of the Gloucestershire Gateway Partnership, said: "The new Neighbourhood Connector roles fit beautifully with what we aim to achieve through the Children and Family Hubs. We have always understood that individual communities themselves know what they need and that this is often different for each community.

"The Hubs and the Neighbourhood Connectors will complement each other by listening to local people and building local community networks for all families."

To ensure a wide approach, which will complement the service delivery at the 14 family and children's centres now managed by Gloucestershire Gateway Trust and the Aspire Foundation, Neighbourhood Connectors will be based at organisations across Gloucestershire, including The Venture, Fair Shares, Aspire Foundation, Move More, the Forest Voluntary Action Forum (FVAF), Fresh Hope and Artshape.

Maud McLoughlin, children and family centres strategic lead for Cheltenham, said: "Aspire Foundation are delighted to be a part of this project and look forward to building on existing connections and forging new relationships with families in the communities we work in."

The Summerfield Charitable Trust has been working with the Gloucestershire Voluntary Community Sector Alliance (GVCSA) to support the development of co-produced proposals from local communities and their partners.

David Owen, chair of Summerfield Charitable Trust, said: "As we researched our new strategy to transform the way in which the Summerfield philanthropic model works, one of the initial findings was that it came as no surprise to discover, was that experiencing poverty at the start of life and in early childhood can be highly damaging. This can have potentially profound effects on children's long-term wellbeing and opportunities.

"The proposal which GVCSA co-produced with providers demonstrated how our investment could play a part in reversing this trend.

"Gloucestershire Gateway Trust puts children and families at the heart of its work and, by listening to local people and responding to what communities say they need, GGT creates safe, supportive spaces where children and families can grow in confidence, wellbeing and opportunity.

"The Trust could see that this wasn't just about providing activities, but about building stronger communities where children feel they belong and can thrive. Through close partnerships with schools, charities and health providers, GGT ensures every pound goes further, reaching children who might otherwise miss out. Summerfield's funding helps give these children not only services for today, but stronger foundations for the future."

Matt Lennard, chief executive of the VCSE Alliance, said: "The Gloucestershire VCSE Alliance is proud to be working in partnership with The Summerfield Charitable Trust to help identify and support projects that address some of the county's most pressing strategic challenges. At the heart of this collaboration is a commitment to co-production, truly listening to communities and shaping services around what people say they need."

 Mark Gale, chief executive of Gloucestershire Gateway Trust, concluded: "This is a landmark investment by the Summerfield Charitable Trust. It will enable residents to connect with lots more people, have more influence over local services and more opportunities to create the events, facilities and the provision they want."