HUNDREDS of people attended the launch of a pioneering multi-million pound scheme aimed at helping and supporting parents of children under four in Redditch.

The Surestart programme will see centres set up to cover Abbeydale and Riverside, Smallwood, Batchley and Lodge Park and Lakeside.

On Thursday a fun day was held at Abbeydale Social Club to give parents and carers the chance to say what facilities they would like to see.

The caretaker's bungalow, on the site of the former St Stephen's Middle School, is to be transformed into a Surestart base for the area.

Family link officer Caz Joesbury said: "The fun day was set up to consult members of the community to find out what they want.

"One of the main things highlighted was a desperate need for something for families, such as a toddler group, where people can go and socialise."

The Government-funded Surestart project has a 10-year lifespan but the facilities and provisions set up during the scheme are expected to become established and be carried on afterwards by other agencies.

The Surestart team, which includes midwives, speech therapists and health visitors, has a number of targets to meet, including reducing the number of mums who smoke and cutting the number of children on the child protection register.

Identifying children with special needs and speech and language problems are also targets.