Medway Parent and Carers Forum

04/09/2026

🎒 Back to School Resources for you

If you're worried about the start of a new academic year, we’ve been fortunate to have been sent a range of free Back to School resources from Lumi Nova which may be helpful for families navigating those worries this September. 💜

There are lots of different resources available, covering areas such as anxiety, confidence, resilience and managing the transition back into school, as well as information and activities for parents, carers, children and professionals.

Rather than trying to squeeze them all into one post, we’ve popped the resources below so you can scroll through and simply click on anything that feels relevant to you or your family. 👇

🎥 Interactive Assembly Video – a short, interactive resource exploring fears and worries and helping young people learn ways to build resilience: 🔗 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1f6nafCap6pY0LKV3T9kFcI7R6V4rtvL0

🎒 Back to School Missions – activities within Lumi Nova designed to help children build confidence and manage anxiety as they transition back into school. 🔗 https://luminova.app/missions

04/09/2026

☕ Find out more about Experts at Hand!

We’re delighted to be welcoming Marie Woolston, Experts at Hand Programme Lead, to our September Coffee Morning to talk to parent carers about this new SEND programme being developed in Medway.

Experts at Hand (EAH) aims to make it easier for children and young people to access the right support earlier, by bringing specialist knowledge and expertise closer to schools, early years settings and colleges.

Come along to our Coffee Morning to:

• Hear directly from the Experts at Hand Programme Lead
• Find out what the programme could mean for children and families in Medway
• Ask your questions
• Share what currently works/what doesn’t
• Tell us what earlier SEND support should look like
• Help shape the developing Medway model

📅 Wednesday 9th September
⏰ 10am–12pm
📍 Room 1, Medway Park Sports Centre, Mill Road, Gillingham, ME7 1HF

☕ Free to attend • No need to book • All parent carers welcome

This is a chance to have your say while the programme is still being developed. We’d love to see you there! 💜💚

03/09/2026

☀️ Our End of Summer Newsletter is now live! 💜

If you're not already subscribed to our newsletters you can read our latest one on our website now.

Find out what your local Parent Carer Forum has been up to over the summer months with our recent meeting with Lauren Edwards MP, and upcoming coffee mornings, what we got up to all this summer as stallholders, current send consultations that you can have your say on.

Whether you’ve been following along all summer or want to catch up on what you might have missed, grab a cuppa and have a read! ☕💜

👉 Read our Summer 2026 Newsletter on our website:
https://medwaypcf.org.uk/news/mpcfs-end-of-summer-newsletter-2026/

Our Medway Parents and Carers End of Summer Newsletter is here Find out what your local Parent Carer Forum has been up to over the summer months.Read about our recent […]

03/09/2026

🚌 Some good news to share!

From April 2027, eligible disabled bus pass holders will be able to travel for free at any time of day, with the current time restrictions being removed.

Full details from Medway Council below 👇💜

03/09/2026

☕ September Coffee Morning – with Experts at Hand

Join us for our September Coffee Morning, where we'll be joined by Marie Woolston, Experts at Hand Programme Lead, to talk about the new Experts at Hand SEND programme being developed in Medway September 2026

Experts at Hand aims to make it easier for children and young people to access the right support earlier, bringing specialist knowledge and expertise closer to schools, early years settings and colleges, without children necessarily needing to wait for a diagnosis.

The Medway model is still being developed, which means parent carers have an opportunity to ask questions.

Come along to find out more, ask questions, share your experiences and tell us what matters most to your family.

📅 Wednesday 9th September
⏰ 10am–12pm
📍 Medway Park, Sports Centre Mill Road Gillingham ME7 1HF - ROOM 1

No need to book - Open to all - Parent Carers welcome

Find out more: https://www.facebook.com/events/1585661996388838/

02/09/2026

☀️ What a busy summer we've all had!💜

Throughout the school holidays, you may have spotted the MPCF team out and about at events across Medway!

From family fun days and community events to careers fairs and activities for children and young people, we’ve loved having the opportunity to meet so many parent carers, hear about your experiences and share more about how Medway Parent and Carers Forum can support and represent local families.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall for a chat, asked us a question or simply came over to say hello. 💜
.. As the summer holidays come to an end, here’s a little look back at some of the places we’ve been! 📸

01/09/2026

💜 Back to school…

For some families, today might bring excitement and a welcome return to routine. For others, it might mean nerves, difficult transitions, uncertainty or a very different start to the new school year.

However the start of September looks for your family, we hope the transition into the new term is as positive as it can be. 💜

26/08/2026

Every conversation counts 💜

You might have spotted the MPCF team out and about at events across Medway this summer.... Every conversation we have with a parent carer gives us an opportunity to listen.

It might be a quick question, a conversation about something your family is struggling with, something that's working really well, or simply a chance to find out what MPCF does.

So if you spot the purple MPCF stall, come and have a chat. What you have to say matters. 💜

24/08/2026

💜 Can our Parent Support Team help you?

Our Parent Support Team is made up of parent carers themselves, or people with experience of SEND. They can offer advice and guidance, help signpost you towards relevant services and information, or simply be a listening ear and a friendly face when you need one.

Our team are also trained to support parent carers with completing DLA, PIP and Universal Credit applications.

Parent Support is available to MPCF members, so you'll need to be registered with us to access the service. Membership is free for parent carers of children and young people with SEND aged 0–25 living in Medway.

Find out more about our Parent Support Team or become a member through our website: 👉 https://medwaypcf.org.uk/ 💜

24/08/2026

We have just been informed that due to unforseen circumstances the Chatham Hub drop in today has been cancelled