Midwife opens play centre for children in Bedlington

Feb 2 2010 by Karen Dent, The Journal

AN award-winning midwife has branched out into business while continuing to work in her NHS job.

Sarah Chalhoub decided to open her own children’s educational play centre to fill the gap in the market she discovered when looking for suitable places to take her son Daniel, three, and daughter Rachel, two.

Unhappy with the lack of educational play and parent-friendly facilities in Northumberland, she set up the Space to Play centre in Bedlington.

Alnwick-based Ms Chalhoub, who won the NHS Achievement of the Year award for innovative practice when she started a midwifery group practice while living in London, researched her idea to ensure it ticked all the right boxes for the Government’s strategy on exercise and play, as well as meeting parents’ and children’s needs.

The centre caters for children up to the age of 10 and includes music, craft-making and dressing-up activities, as well as a library, a cafe and a baby area.

Three jobs for qualified staff have been created at the enterprise, which is based at the Barrington Industrial Estate in Bedlington.

Ms Chalhoub is continuing to work as a midwife while running the play centre and caring for her two young children. But she reckons that juggling her numerous duties have helped to give her the experience she needs to start a business.

“Being a mother is the biggest job ever so running Space to Play and my midwife’s role is no effort compared to that,” she said.

Ms Chalhoub worked with Go Wansbeck’s enterprise coach team to get Space to Play up and running. The organisation provided advice on issues such as cashflow projection and helped her to deal with the practicalities of taking on staff.

Go Wansbeck enterprise coach Lisa Scott said: “This is a great facility that the children absolutely love.

“What they probably don’t realise is that they are learning through play which can only benefit everyone involved. We are really proud we have been able to help Sarah on her way.”