Moray Childcare Network Event Celebrates Partnership and Major New Investment for Children and Families

Almost 100 people from across Moray came together on Friday 21 August for a successful Moray Childcare Network Event, providing an opportunity to connect, share learning, celebrate progress and look ahead to an exciting new chapter for children and families across the area.

Hosted at UHI Moray, the event brought together childcare providers, schools, community and third-sector organisations, employability services, activity providers and local and national partners.

The morning was opened by Councillor Kathleen Robertson, who spoke passionately about the importance of childcare to children, families, communities and Moray’s wider economy.

A major highlight of the event was the announcement that Moray has been successful in securing significant Scottish Government investment to develop a new programme of wider after-school activities for primary school-aged children.

Up to £1.6 million investment in Moray

Moray Council has been offered up to £1.6 million of Scottish Government funding between August 2026 and March 2028 to develop and test new approaches to wider after-school activity provision.

Moray is one of a small number of areas across Scotland selected to help explore how locally designed activity programmes can improve access to opportunities for children and families who may otherwise experience financial or practical barriers to participating.

The new Children’s Activities Programme will initially see locally designed models developed in the Buckie and Forres areas, supporting primary school-aged children and their families after the school day.

Activities could include a broad mix of sport and physical activity, arts and crafts, drama, dance, digital activities, outdoor experiences, social activities and team-building opportunities. The programme will also consider some of the practical barriers families face, including transport, affordability and access to suitable provision.

Importantly, this will not be about creating a one-size-fits-all model or replacing the valuable services already operating in Moray. The programme will be developed with communities, children, families and existing providers, building on local strengths and complementing current childcare and activity provision.

Learning from the initial phase will help shape the programme as it develops and will also contribute to the Scottish Government’s wider understanding of how after-school activities can support children and families.

The investment has the potential to help:

• reduce inequalities in children’s access to activities;
• improve health, wellbeing and opportunities for children;
• provide families with greater access to reliable after-school activities;
• reduce practical barriers that can prevent parents and carers from accessing employment, education or training;
• strengthen partnerships between childcare, activity providers, schools and community organisations; and
• develop evidence about what works in rural communities such as Moray.

The announcement provided a particularly positive backdrop to the Network Event and reinforced the importance of the partnerships already developing across Moray.

Sharing what is already happening

The event was also an opportunity to showcase some of the excellent work already underway.

Attendees heard updates from a range of organisations and projects, including Extra Time with Elgin City FC, Flexible Childcare Services Scotland, M-Connect transport, Step into Childcare, the CALA Moray Staff Bank and UHI childcare pathways, demonstrating the breadth of work taking place to improve childcare, activities, workforce development and support for families.

Bringing these different strands together highlighted an important message from the event: improving opportunities for children and families cannot be achieved by one organisation or service alone. Childcare and children’s activities are closely connected to employability, education, transport, family wellbeing, tackling child poverty, economic development and strong communities.

Listening to the sector

A significant part of the morning was dedicated to facilitated table discussions, giving attendees the opportunity to share their experiences and identify what is working well, where challenges remain and what they would like to see developed in the future.

Conversations explored themes including affordability, rural access and transport, workforce recruitment and retention, flexible provision, additional support needs, communication with families and greater partnership working.

There was a strong emphasis on ensuring future developments build on existing provision rather than duplicating it, while recognising that different communities across Moray may require different solutions.

Looking to the future

Participants were also asked to contribute to a Future Ideas Wall, sharing one idea or action they would like to see happen for childcare and children’s activities in Moray. The wall quickly filled with ideas, demonstrating the knowledge, creativity and enthusiasm within the sector.

Feedback gathered through the table discussions, Future Ideas Wall and post-event evaluation will now be brought together and used to help inform future planning and partnership activity. This is particularly important as work begins to mobilise the new Children’s Activities Programme. Engagement with children, families, communities and existing providers will be central to developing approaches that respond to local need and are realistic, inclusive and sustainable.

Stronger together

Perhaps the clearest success of the Childcare Network Event was simply seeing so many different people, organisations and services in the same room, sharing ideas and making connections. Moray already has a wealth of experience, commitment and innovative practice across its childcare, activities and community sectors. The new investment provides an exciting opportunity to build on that foundation rather than start again.

A huge thank you goes to everyone who attended, presented, hosted information stands, facilitated discussions and helped organise and support the event. Most importantly, thank you to everyone who contributed their experience, ideas and ambitions for children and families in Moray.

With significant new investment secured and strong partnerships already in place, the Childcare Network Event marked not an end point, but the beginning of an exciting next stage for children’s activities and family support across Moray.