Childhood: How it impacted who I am today

About this webinar

The First 1,000 Days (from conception to a child’s second birthday) are widely considered to be the most significant in a child’s development. Rapid brain development in this period means the relationships, environment and nurture a child experiences have a profound effect on their development and life chances. A child’s care and experience in this critical period will have a long-term impact on their development, health and wellbeing. But is focusing on this ‘critical period’ a deterministic and fatalist approach? Many challenges in children’s lives can be addressed and remedied if we consider the whole of infancy and childhood as a time when positive changes can be made.

Expert communicator and previous Bishop of Bradford, Rt Revd. Nick Baines will host the event and in conversation with Lemn Sissay MBE , Bradford’s very own Kirsty Taylor,  and entrepreneur Sonya Bachra-Byrne, Co Founder and Director of AVIE will reflect on what they know of their childhood and the impact they believe this has had on their life.

The event will consider factors that can change the context of children’s lives, the importance of education, a focus on childhood health, the influence of role models, the environment they are brought up in, culture and family circumstance and much more. Key contributors, including Rt Hon Justine Greening, Professor Neil Small and Kersten England will each bring their perspective from education, health and the City to discuss the importance of childhood to the future health and prosperity of our children and the City.