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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Waterside Sure Start service coordinator Natasha Burke.
As Waterside Sure Start celebrated its sixteenth birthday on Friday, nobody was prouder than long-standing staff member Natasha Burke.
Natasha has been Waterside Sure Start's service coordinator for the past year, but her journey began there 14 years ago when she started off as a creche worker.
“I progressed to supervisor, then went to the early intervention team based in our building, and I'm now back co-ordinating Sure Start, so I've kinda gone full circle.
“All four of the Action for Children services that work across the Waterside are all here in the one building, so we like to call ourselves 'Team Ebrington'.
“Each service has different roles within the community and works with different partnerships, but essentially we all work collaboratively together to support the children and families of the area.
“Sure Start is from ante-natal right up to the fourth birthday, so we provide a whole range of services that cater for all those different stages.
“We work in partnership with midwives, so those with a baby on the way would be told about the service. That early intervention is a core part of what we do.
"As well as play, learning and development for the children, we have creche facilities here so the parents can avail of our parent and baby programmes and other programmes such as positive parenting, walking groups and baby massage.”
Natasha, who has seen firsthand the huge benefits the services based in the building have brought to so many families in the area, said it was a 'privilege' to come to work each day.
She added: “You may help families with similar issues, but every single person is different and you adapt your approach to each and every family member.
“And that's why I love my job as much as I do; every day is different, but you're making a difference every day that you work.”
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