Bridport came together with more than 50 community leaders from schools, councillors, businesses, community groups, charities, health and other public services uniting around a shared vision of making our town a place where every child and young person can thrive.  

Adam Shelley, Headteacher of the Sir John Colfox Academy, who led the meeting at Bridport Youth & Community Centre, said: “Our community cares deeply about the future of Bridport’s children, this was clear at our meeting, where the enthusiasm, ideas and commitment to support our young people was inspiring. 

“Our Cradle to Career Bridport programme is an exciting 10-year commitment for our community to work together to give every child in Bridport the very best start in life and the best chance for a bright future. Cradle to Career is for every child, every family and every future.” 

Cradle to career is a community-led, place-based approach designed to support children and young people through every stage of life, from birth through to adulthood and employment. Rather than treating education, healthcare, social services and other support as separate systems, this model aims to integrate them to create a seamless pipeline of support for disadvantaged families. 

Mr Shelley added: “We know that schools play a vital role in children's lives, but we also know that many of the challenges young people face – such as poverty, mental health pressures, educational disadvantage and limited opportunities – cannot be solved by schools alone. It takes a whole community working together. 

“Bridport has an incredibly strong and caring community. Our strong community spirit that so many people in our town contribute to, makes me very optimistic that our 10-year Cradle to Career project will thrive here, and we will be able to come together to improve life chances for Bridport’s children and young people. 

“This is not a short-term project or another initiative that will come and go. It is a shared commitment to our community and to future generations. Together, we can build a Bridport where every child feels safe, known, supported and inspired to achieve.” 

The challenges that some children and families in Bridport currently face and the practical ways our community can work together to address them was examined at the meeting. Three areas of focus have been identified, educational coherence, relationship coherence and systems coherence – this means strengthening relationships, creating a coherent educational journey from early years to adulthood and ensuring services work together effectively for our families. More information about Cradle to Career Bridport is available here: colfox.org/cradletocareer