I was delighted to be invited to officially open Pumpkin Lane Nursery in Luton South and South Bedfordshire alongside Mayor of Luton Councillor Amy Nicholls!
Pumpkin Lane is doing brilliant work to make high quality childcare accessible for every family. Their approach focuses on building the confidence, social skills and educational foundation to set little ones up for school and get them ready to learn.
The Labour government has made it a key mission to break down barriers to opportunity for young people regardless of their background or postcode. The Best Start in Life Strategy is delivering on this, building on the legacy of Sure Start to revitalise early years education by ensuring it meets the needs of all children and tackles inequality head on.
Working parents are now eligible for 30 hours of government funded childcare through providers like Pumpkin Lane, saving families up to £7,500 per child per year. This allows nurseries across the country to provide an expanded childcare offer- supporting more children to access early education and easing pressure on working families.
Early years support will also be bolstered by Best Start Family Hubs, putting family services back at the heart of our communities. These hubs bring together information, support, advice and guidance on everything from pregnancy, early health and childcare support through to starting school. It was a pleasure to join the Central Luton Family Hub for their opening in August and has been brilliant to see the support they have been able to offer families in our community already.
Alongside this, the government is working in partnership with household brands including Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Weetabix in the rollout out free breakfast clubs in schools across the country. These will give children a nutritious start to the school day, making sure they are ready to learn, and save parents up to £450 a year.
From September 2025, Labour’s new wave of school-based nurseries provided 4,000 extra places across the country following a £37 million investment. The government has also pledged to increase free school meals for half a million more children, limit school uniform costs, and secure the future of HAF clubs.
I am pleased to see the government delivering on its mission to ensure that where our children come from does not determine what they will go on to achieve. Here in Luton South and South Bedfordshire, I know these policies will be transformative in setting our young people up for success and giving them the opportunities they deserve in the future.