North Wales MS praises “vital work” of The Venture

A North Wales Member of the Senedd has praised the work of an integrated children’s centre in Caia Park.

Carolyn Thomas, Welsh Labour MS for North Wales, visited the Venture with the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee, as part of an inquiry into childcare and parental employment.

The Venture was established in 1978 as an adventure playground to help combat youth crime, with early years provision following in 1987 and 1988.

In addition to the adventure playground, The Venture hosts an early years centre that provides Flying Start childcare.

The much-loved facility also provides an alternative learning project for young people who are at risk of becoming unemployed or leaving education – along with a youth club and weekly sessions for the community including a community advice surgery and community policing sessions.

Carolyn Thomas MS, said: ‘I was thrilled to visit the Venture in Caia Park, Wrexham and meet the incredible team including Chief Officer Malcolm King OBE, who has been involved for 46 years, along with staff and project workers.

“I visited the early years area and then was guided around the adventure play area by a group of young people.

“It was such a joyful, happy environment and I congratulate all those involved in creating and sustaining it.’

Carolyn Thomas MS added: ‘Three of the five wards in Caia Park have the highest rate of child poverty in Wales, so the Venture plays a vital role in helping tackle this, with 70% of the children who attend the Venture living within 500 yards of the centre and around 90 children attending the centre each day.”

The Equality and Social Justice Committee’s inquiry is designed to measure the progress that has been made to improve childcare provision in Wales, and what work there is still to do, including analysing the progress of the Welsh Government’s commitment to expand 12.5 hours of free childcare per week to all two-year olds in Wales.