OVER the past few months the team at Flying Start Children's Centre has been busy developing new projects to help children and young families in central Exeter make positive beginnings.

Flying Start, which is a project of local charity Exeter Community Initiatives (ECI), runs and supports a number of toddler and parent groups. There are more than 40 services available through the centre, which has a reception area in Kingfisher House, Western Way, but uses venues across the city.

In addition to these groups, ECI has developed a new family support project called Flying Start Family Resource, which allows ECI staff to offer additional parenting courses and family support, as well as counselling and play therapy to families that need extra assistance.

Gentian Sheer, manager of Flying Start, said: "We have a very transient and diverse population in the city centre. We have a growing number of dads who are full-time carers. We also work with parents in their teens and parents and carers in their 40s."

More information about Flying Start Children's Centre and other ECI projects can be found at www.eci.org.uk.