Published: 01 August 2025. The English Chronicle Online.
A Labour-backed commission has called for a significant expansion of family centres under the well-known Sure Start brand, urging the government to restore the label as part of efforts to regain the trust of voters in areas hit hard by austerity. The proposal comes amid concerns that the new government initiative, currently named Best Start, lacks the recognition and emotional resonance needed to engage communities formerly served by Sure Start centres.
Hilary Armstrong, Labour peer and former cabinet minister, who chairs the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, emphasised the importance of the Sure Start brand, which enjoys broad public recognition. According to polling by the commission, 62% of people are familiar with Sure Start, and a substantial 76% expressed a desire to see the programme revived. Armstrong argued that reinstating the name would help reconnect with neighbourhoods that suffered cuts and closures over the past decade.
The government’s current plan, announced by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, aims to open up to 1,000 family hubs by April 2026 under the new Best Start initiative. This ambitious £500 million programme is designed to ensure every council in England hosts a family centre by 2028. These hubs are intended to provide a comprehensive range of services for health, education, and wellbeing, serving as a single point of access for families. The Best Start brand was chosen after extensive focus group testing involving parents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, who viewed the name as clear and aspirational.
Yet the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods believes that returning to the Sure Start name would amplify the initiative’s impact. Sure Start centres, which peaked at more than 3,600 under the Labour government led by Gordon Brown, were widely regarded as one of the party’s landmark social achievements. Since 2010, more than 1,400 of these centres have closed, leaving gaps in community support services.
Jo White, a Labour MP and chair of the party’s “red wall” grouping in parliament, stressed the need for tangible signs of progress in left-behind communities. She noted, “Labour’s reconnection with left-behind communities, including in the ‘red wall’ constituencies, has to be tangible. People need to see and experience change, and the reopening of Sure Start centres is a very good start.”
As the government prepares to roll out the Best Start hubs, the debate over branding underscores the broader challenge of rebuilding trust and addressing the social needs of communities most affected by austerity policies. Whether the Sure Start name is reinstated or not, the success of these family centres will be closely watched as a measure of the government’s commitment to supporting families and neighbourhood renewal across England.
