Physical development in the Early Years sector is one of the 3 prime areas outlined in the Early Years Foundation Framework, which means that it plays an important part in children's development and progress.

Being physically active starts as soon as a child is born, for example, a new born baby will quickly develop the skill to grasp things in their hands and follow objects with their eyes. As children grow their physical development expands, and as practitioners it is our role to provide as many different opportunities as possible for children to engage in.

At Get Berkshire Active we are passionate about embedding positive messages early on around being active and moving more.

Being active can mean simply encouraging tummy time, having a dance or getting outside. In Early Years there are lots of activities to promote this in your settings and the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework is a great place to start.

As described in "The first 1001 days" document, "There is clear, compelling evidence that the first 1001 days, beginning in pregnancy, are a significant and influential phase in development."

Meaning that unborn babies are their development, as well as their mothers development forms part of the influential phase in a child's life.

To enhance delivery and progression we, at GBA, are able to support projects within settings and services who work with unborn babies and families from conception – five years old to deliver activities and sessions to a range of users.

We are looking for services in Slough and Reading to be part of our new Early Years project, which can provide funds and resources to make delivery of a course of sessions or activities to your children and families. As well as supporting with funds, we will have training, practical resources and networking opportunities to offer to you and your teams to be part of.

If you think that you would benefit from being part of the project and have a service proposal we would love to hear from you.

Please note that as funding for the project is limited it will be prioritised to areas in the county where physical activity levels are lowest and where children and families face multiple barriers to accessing physical activity.

For an informal conversation contact Sarah Ashton Earlyyears@getberkshireactive.org. If your ideas fit within the requirements of the project you will be asked to submit an expression of interest.