Families in Andover will soon be able to access a wide range of support and advice closer to home, as Hampshire County Council prepares to officially open the town’s new Best Start Family Hub later this month.
The new hub, based at Spring Meadow Children’s Centre, will officially welcome families at a special opening event on Thursday 29 October, from 2pm to 5pm.
The event will also bring together the team from the Andover Library network site, which will work alongside the main hub to help ensure support is accessible to families across the local community.
The opening forms part of Hampshire County Council’s wider rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, a Government-funded initiative designed to give children the best possible start in life while providing parents and carers with practical help, advice and guidance.
What Will Andover’s New Family Hub Offer?
The Best Start Family Hub will act as a one-stop shop for families, bringing together services from health, education, social care and local community organisations.
Designed to support families from pregnancy through the early years and beyond, the hub will offer access to a variety of services, including:
- Parenting advice and practical family support
- Early learning and child development guidance
- Health visiting services
- Infant feeding support
- Help for children with additional needs
- Information about local activities and community services
- Support to help children prepare for starting school
Families will be able to access support both in person and online, making it easier to find the right help when they need it.
Each hub will also have a dedicated Hub Connector, who will help families navigate available services, alongside an Inclusion Practitioner to support young children who have, or may have, additional needs.
Outreach Coordinators will also work to ensure that families who may otherwise struggle to access services are made aware of the support available.
Andover Families Invited to Opening Event
Local parents, carers and families will have the opportunity to find out more about the new services during the official opening event at Spring Meadow Children’s Centre.
Opening event details:
Date: Thursday 29 October 2026
Time: 2pm – 5pm
Location: Spring Meadow Children’s Centre, Andover
The team from the Andover Library network site will also be joining the event, highlighting how the two locations will work together to support families throughout the area.
Part of a Major Hampshire Expansion
Andover is among the first communities in Hampshire to benefit from the expanding Best Start Family Hub programme.
The county’s first hub opened in Leigh Park in March, with further hubs in Andover, Gosport and Alton preparing to launch.
Hampshire County Council has also announced seven additional locations, bringing the total number of areas served across the county to 11.
Hubs in Aldershot, Basingstoke and Eastleigh are expected to open by April 2027, followed by Farnborough, Winchester, Fareham and the New Forest by October 2027.
The programme aims to provide earlier intervention and support in communities where families may face additional challenges.
Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children’s Services, welcomed the expansion.
She said: “This is a really exciting development that will bring timely, accessible support closer to even more of our communities where there is the greatest need.
“We know that being proactive and providing support at the earliest possible stage leads to the strongest long-term outcomes for children and families. These hubs will make that support available in the very heart of our local communities, in welcoming, inclusive places that families know and trust.
“A huge thank you and well done to everyone involved for working at pace to ensure that critical support reaches families when and where they need it most.”
Helping Andover’s Youngest Residents Get the Best Start
The introduction of the Best Start Family Hub represents another resource for Andover families, offering a central place where parents and carers can seek advice, access services and receive support during the important early stages of their children’s lives.
By bringing different organisations together, the initiative aims to make it easier for families to get help without having to navigate multiple services independently.
Residents can find out more about Hampshire’s Best Start Family Hubs through the Hampshire County Council website and follow the programme’s Facebook page for updates on activities and services.
Andover’s official opening event takes place at Spring Meadow Children’s Centre on Thursday 29 October, between 2pm and 5pm.