A NEW baby and toddler hub is to be launched by charity the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) at Petersfield United Reformed Church.

The launch will take place on Thursday,

September 7, from 10am-noon and follows the demise of two NCT groups in Liss.

Katy Neal, Petersfield and Liss NCT branch co-ordinator, said: “The

Petersfield and Liss branch  as experienced significant challenges over the last 18 months and as a result we have had to take a very difficult decision to close our Liss Baby Talk and Small Talk groups.

“However, in order to continue to support the growing families across Petersfield, Liss and surrounding areas, we have worked together to concentrate our efforts and build upon the support we already provide to our parent/carer, toddler and baby community and have redesigned our services and groups to form a new baby and toddler hub, which will run weekly from Petersfield United Reformed Church.

“The hub will have a new look and feel and has been tailored to meet the growing demands of new and established families in the area.

“We will be able to provide safe areas for babies, crawlers and toddlers to play, plus a safe outdoor space and offer an opportunity for parents and carers  to meet and relax, while providing snacks and activities such as arts / crafts and story time.

“Most importantly we will now have the opportunity to provide expert advice all under one roof with our practitioners on hand to provide advice on feeding, antenatal and post natal care, weaning, baby carrying and more.

“The launch will be an opportunity to invite the community to the hub  to meet the NCT team and celebrate our new venture”