PJ
Junior
ANNUAL REPORT
2025
Families Like Us trading as Juniors Play Centre
Email address-.
Tel: 07301082856
contactus@familieslikeus.org.uk
33 Campbell Street,
Website: www.familieslikeus.org.uk Hamilton, ML3 6AS
6et ready lo PLAY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview
Page 3
Looking Ahead
Page 4
Timeline
Page 5-12
New sponsorships and community partnerships Page 13
Board members
Page14
Thanks
Page 15

OVERVIEW
Message from the Chalr
Celebrating ten years of Juniors gave us time to reflect on how the charity has grown from
the early conception of working with single and lone families in a small shop in Larkhall,
into the current form we see today. Our mission to tackle child poverty for every child
growing up in Scotland has seen us working to produce seNices for all families from all
different backgrounds. The Juniors team has risen to the challenge and continues to make
a positive impact in Hamillon and beyond. Responding to increasing demand on the
service with limited funding has been no small task but as always, Juniors makes a little go
a long way. It's a privilege to be part of an organisation that works tirelessly to improve the
lives of families with small actions making huge differences.
John McDonough, Chair
Our Mlssion
To remove feelings of isolation and loneliness for families with young children and to
eradicate child povety in Scotland.
We achieve this by offering a warm welcome to all families attending the play centre,
creating community within the community by offering friendship and removing stigma and
barriers to success by providing bespoke support services designed with families to build
capacity and leave no one behind.
Program Highlights
Visitor numbers continue to increase as we greeted
23, 989 people through our doors in 2025.

Looking Ahead
In our centenary year we have the benefit of hindsight to see how we have grown, but a
chance to pause and think about what comes next.
Coming from a small venue in Larkhall with a seating capacity of 21 people. small play
area and a team of two, we have grown to our current location in ￿ntral Hamilton with a
seating capacity of 70+ visitors, large play area incorporating soft play. imagination play
and structured play sessions, a bespoke sensory room and community larder and a staff
team of 8 plus volunteers and visiting students.
Our success can be attributed to our ability to react and respond to the needs of the
families who use our seNices, offering wrap around whole family care and support when
needed in a family friendly space. We've created a strong team of responsive practitioners
that ensure every family feels welcomed, safe and included and can respond to challenges
as they arise, giving parentslcare givers the tools they need, when they need them.
From our humble beginnings we are now seen as a ￿ntre of excellence for Early Years
and Whole Family Support provision with a strong track record of making meaningful
impact in the lives of children and families. This has resulted in many students studying a
range of subjects including social work. health visitor, community education, early years.
hospitality, choosing our centre to complete valuable industry experience and placements
in.
This year we want to expand our reach to deliver our unique style of whole family support
across our communities. Thinking about all family members means we can offer a range of
support services to a variety of age groups and needs including parenvcaregiver advice
services within schools and nurseries, to enlrepreneurial workshops in high schools, to
one off workshops teaching skills and tips including back to work programs, cookery skills
or baby feeding groups. We will continue to work wilh all stake holders to design and
deliver sessions and events that meet the needs of the families within our community.
Lesley Robertson
Chief Executive Offi￿r
October 2025

TIMELINE
How do we know we are making an impact on the lives of children and
families? By making space for families to tell us what they need, observing
children to ensure their needs are met, reflecting on our practise to ensure
we are offering the best service and by capturing magical moments as they
happen. A picture says 8 thousand words, so here's a look back at another
amazing year at Juniors. Our monthly newsletter sums up the month
perfectly and is shared across our network of sponsors, partners and
stakeholders.
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Total number of visits tolhe (£ntre- 23989
Totsl number of families supported . 3900

SPONSORS, FUNDERS AND COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIP
FUNDERS
Scottish Children's Lottery
SSE
The Big Lottery
The Robertson Trust
The Volant Trust
SPONSORS
Cleanme
JB Marketing
Northwest Roofing
Rocca
Sainsburys
Scotwaste
Stewarts Scotland
The Regus Business Centre
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Hamilton Bid
The Rocca Foundation
Social SeNices
Local primary, high schools and nurseries
Liber8
Routes2Work South
NHS Community Health and Social Care Partnership
Community Links
ARCH
University West Of Scotland, South Lanarkshire College, Queen Margaret University,
Glasgow Clyde College
Local MSP'S Christina McKelvie & Monica Lennon
REACH Autism
Kear Campus
PAMIS
Women's Aid East Kilbride
Sainsburys Hamilton, Asda Scotland Wide

BOARD MEMBERS
Chair
John McDonough
Derek Robertson
Treasurer
Secretary
Kelly Graham
Trustees
Diane McGhee, Rodderick Robertson, Stephen
Mahon, Jacqui Blair, Megan Jones, Gregg Ross
Charity Advisor
Kenny Lane

THANKS
The Families Like UslJuniors family wish to thank everyone involved for their continued
support allowing us to best serve the families of Hamilton and the wider community.
Without your help, support and time we would be unable to provide a lifeline to those most
in need.
To our board members, thank you for sticking with LSS through some nerve-wracking times
and working tirelessly to ensure we have the funds ne￿SSary to deliver our services. Your
advice, time and patience are priceless.
To our sponsors and funders who continue to understand our vision and come on this
adventure with us by providing not only much needed financial support but also offering
services to help us keep the building running smoothly, promoting our service, and buying
our coffee and cookies range, you are our superheroes.
To the staff team and volunteers who constantly offer a warm welcome, friendship and
respect to every person who steps through Ihe doors and who always give 100¥0 to deliver
our vision of a better fulure for families, we salute you!
To our partnership organisations, your skills, talent and information are invaluable to us
and our families we refer to your servi￿. Thank you for promoting us and referring families
to our seNice as we share resources, information and lime with each other to best meet
the needs of our community.
And finally, to the families who continue to utilise Juniors Play Centre and all additional
services, without you we would have no purpose orjoy. Your willingness to share your
hardest and best days, your ideas for projects, your commitment to us as an organisation
gives us the motivation to continue pushing forward to make Scotland the best place for
children to grow and families to flourish. Thank you for being part of our community where
no one is left behind.
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