Published on Tuesday 16 September 2025
From left to right: Theresa Birch, Regional Manager Dingley's Promise, Lee Friend, Chief Operating Officer Dingley's Promise, Paul Reidy, Project Manager BCP Council, Cllr Richard Burton, BCP Council, Tracy Harley, Centre Manager Dingley's Promise, Catherine McCleod, Chief Executive Officer Dingley's Promise.
Following on from a successful year in their Bournemouth centre, national charity, Dingley’s Promise is set to open another two local centres in Poole and Christchurch, funded and supported by BCP Council.
The Poole centre will open this September, closely followed by the Christchurch centre in January 2026. The centres provide short term nursery placements and support families to access early education in their local area.
The Dingley’s Promise team will be working with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, to assess the needs of young children in the area and direct children who could most benefit from specialist early intervention via ‘learn through play’ sessions to the centre. Through targeted child-centred activities, based around the early years framework and an enriched and varied curriculum, the aim is to provide greater support to the children who really need it at this vital stage in development.
The centre will also offer Family Support Outreach for families of children with SEND, providing practical and emotional support as well as signposting to local services and helping families to access their entitlements. They will also offer coffee mornings, stay and play sessions to develop networks of support for the child and family. Holiday playschemes for under-fives will be provided to offer respite for families and a safe and practical environment for children with additional needs to play supported by specialist practitioners.
Lee Friend, Chief Operating Officer, Dingley’s Promise said:
“We are thrilled to be building on our partnership with BCP Council early years SEND teams and offering more places for children to support this vital stage of development. Our fantastic Bournemouth centre has demonstrated the positive impact our services have for local children with SEND and their families and we are keen to grow this and our links with the community further.”
Councillor Richard Burton, Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People, Education and Skills at BCP Council, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to announce the opening of this new centre which will benefit under-fives with SEND in the Poole community. I want to thank everyone involved in the project including, Dingley’s Promise team, BCP Council Early Years SEND team and all the contractors and trades that have repurposed and transformed the old Children’s Centre in Branksome into this new high-quality provision.
“Our under-fives with special needs deserve the right to access quality provision in their local area without having to travel miles. We now have specialist provision in both Bournemouth and Poole, and a new centre being planned in Somerford Christchurch due to open early next year.”
Cathi Hadley, Corporate Director for Children's Services at BCP Council, added: “Following the successful opening of Dingley’s Promise Bournemouth centre last year, we are excited to welcome children and families to our new Poole centre. BCP Council have been working closely with Dingley’s Promise to provide this new setting to give all children the best possible start in life and go on to thrive in local early years settings and schools alongside their peers.”
To learn more about Dingley’s Promise visit dingley.org.uk.
Families who would like more information about the centres and referral and admissions process please email admin.bournemouth@dingley.org.uk.
Address: Dingley’s Promise, Poole Centre: Branksome Children’s Centre , 350 Poole Road, Branksome, Poole, BH12 1AW.
BCP Council Information on services and activities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities: fid.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/send-local-offer.