Sunnymead Minnows provide fun groups, activities and support for children under five and their families. All sessions are FREE and aim to promote children’s development and school readiness while empowering carers to feel happy and confident in their roles and relationships with their children. Our sessions are great places to meet other parents and make friends, helping to build vital support networks.
Our sessions
Find out what’s new on our Facebook page
Our team of amazing volunteers introduces little ones to a variety of songs, stories, shadow puppets, sign language and play opportunities. We offer a free weekly healthy lunch, and a monthly Forest School and Messy Play session. In the holidays we deliver special activities to promote active play, literacy and a curiosity for the natural world. Download our current timetable of activities here
About us
Sunnymead Minnows is a community venture supported by Cutteslowe Community Centre, Cutteslowe Primary School and North Oxford Association, funded entirely through grants and donations. It was created in 2017 following the closure of the North Oxford Children’s Centre. Sessions are run in Cutteslowe Community Centre, Cutteslowe Primary School and the Pavilion in Cutteslowe Park.
Meet the organiser
Leanne McClement has been with Sunnymead Minnows since its creation in 2017. She was a regular visitor to the Children’s Centre with her own toddlers and ran drop-in toddler groups in Wolvercote for six years before coming to Sunnymead Minnows. Before having her three boys she worked as a librarian, a bookseller, a bookbinder and in publishing. She loves the creative side of the job and enjoys seeing children happy and learning through play. You may have spotted her cycling round on her trusty cargo bike, and believe it or not she loves collecting vinyl and writing poetry too!
” It’s wonderful to enable children to engage in new experiences” …Sunnymead Minnows “helps nurture children’s wellbeing and fosters a commitment to lifelong learning”. Local parent and teacher
“Following my maternity leave I structured my working week and my child’s nursery days around the Minnows timetable to ensure that he could still attend ‘Stay and Play’ and ‘Tiny Town’ as I feel that these groups have been so valuable for us both and provides him with opportunities for development not present at nursery”. Local parent
