Louis Baylis Trust grant goes towards games consoles at contact centre

Games consoles that can help children rebuild relationships with their estranged parents will be bought with money donated by the Advertiser’s owner.

Church Street Child Contact Centre, based in Slough, will buy games consoles and video games with the £680 grant that it received from the Louis Baylis Trust.

The centre provides a safe place for children to meet their estranged parents, and playing together on the games can often be an effective icebreaker.

Jean Smith, of the Church Street Child Contact Centre, said: “We are going to buy some more modern PlayStations and things like that because the ones we have are second-hand and not very good.

“We find it’s a good way of breaking the ice, especially with older children that haven’t seen their estranged parents in a long time, it’s a way of working together.”

Jean also hopes that the children will complain a little less about broken consoles.

The centre, which is based in St Mary’s Church, in Church Street, does not generally receive much money besides what it needs for insurance and operational costs, so the grant allows it to get luxury items, like games consoles, that help improve the experience of the children.

The centre itself is designed to give youngsters a neutral place to meet with parents they no longer live with.

The facilities are designed to have a relaxing atmosphere, and the games consoles, as well as other activities like board games, help the child feel more comfortable and at home.

Jean said: “We provide a safe and friendly environment for the children and support relationships with estranged parents if there’s not a place for them to meet.

“We probably wouldn’t be able to run the way we do without grant money, it’s absolutely brilliant and fantastic.”