Campaign win for Aylesbury MP as new Best Start Family Hub confirmed

The hub forms part of the Labour Government’s nationwide rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, bringing together vital services for parents and young children under one roof, and follows sustained campaigning by Aylesbury’s MP, Laura Kyrke-Smith.

Buckinghamshire Council has been awarded over £216,000 in government funding to support the development of the hub, which will provide a wide range of support for families with children aged 0–5, from early development and parenting advice to health services and help with the cost of living.

The new hub will be based at Elmhurst Family Centre, a well-established site in the heart of Aylesbury, making it easily accessible for local families. It will soon begin delivering integrated services designed to give children the best possible start in life and ensure parents can access support in one convenient location.

Laura Kyrke-Smith MP, who has long campaigned for the return of family services locally, welcomed the news as a major local victory: “I’m absolutely delighted that Aylesbury will be getting a new Best Start Family Hub at Elmhurst Family Centre. This is something I’ve been pushing for since the day I was elected - because I’ve heard time and again from local parents about how vital this kind of support is.

The MP added: “For too long, families in our area have been left without the joined-up services they need, after years of cuts to early years provision. This investment is about putting that right. This hub will make a real difference: bringing together support on early development, health, SEND and parenting all in one place, right here in our community. It’s about making sure every child in Aylesbury and the surrounding villages gets the best start in life, no matter their background. This is what a Labour government working with a local Labour MP can deliver - real change for families, and a renewed focus on giving every child the opportunities they deserve.”

Best Start Family Hubs are a central part of the Government’s “Plan for Change”, aimed at improving school readiness, breaking down barriers to opportunity, and ensuring that a child’s background does not determine their future. The hubs build on the legacy of Sure Start, which transformed early years support for families across the UK.

The Aylesbury hub will act as a “one-stop shop” for families, offering services including early language support, health visiting, mental health services, parenting programmes, and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Families will also be able to access advice on housing, nutrition, infant feeding, and financial wellbeing.

The announcement marks a significant step forward for local families, particularly following years of reduced access to early years services. Nationally, cuts to children’s centres and family services over the past decade under previous governments left many communities without the support networks parents rely on in the crucial early years of a child’s life.

This investment builds on a wider package of support for families being delivered by the Labour Government, including the expansion of government-funded childcare, new school-based nurseries, free breakfast clubs in primary schools, and additional support with the cost of school uniforms and meals.

Together, these measures are designed to ease the pressure on working families while ensuring children have the support they need to thrive from the very start.

Local residents and families will have opportunities to help shape the services offered at the Elmhurst hub in the coming months, ensuring it reflects the specific needs of the Aylesbury community.

The Best Start Family Hub at Elmhurst Family Centre is expected to become a cornerstone of family support in Aylesbury, providing a welcoming, accessible space where parents can access advice, build connections, and get the help they need, all under one roof.