News

First Babysitting Course is a success

26 Aug 2025

Girton Town Charity is supporting a new ten-week Babysitting Course, organised by the Connections Bus Project and open to Village residents aged 14-17 years. The first course has now been completed – and received very positive feedback from participants.

The sessions covered such topics as: what makes a good babysitter, the law and what we expect, building effective relationships and learning, listening and communication skills.

There was also guidance on what a baby needs, with practical advice on handling babies, changing their nappies (including gathering all the equipment beforehand), feeding them and putting them to bed, as well as toys and activities, accident prevention, creating a babysitting checklist to prepare and dealing with challenging situations.

First Aid essentials
An important element of the course was a two-hour Basic First Aid Training session, delivered by TJ Training, an external provider who tailored the content to include resuscitation techniques for babies, children and adults. It also covered choking, bleeding and other essential life-saving skills  to equip participants with knowledge that will benefit them throughout their daily lives.

Ten young people took part in the first course and shared their feedback through a short survey. Most joined hoping to gain knowledge, experience and confidence in looking after children, with specific interests in First Aid, baby care and managing difficult situations. Their responses showed they learned a wide range of useful skills and many also developed a better understanding of safety, fairness and resilience.

Learning valuable skills
Ellen Fisher, who ran the course said: “The First Aid session stood out as the most enjoyable and memorable part of the course, along with activities like nappy changing, role-play scenarios and group discussions. When asked if they would recommend attending, the answer was a definite yes—they described it as fun, informative and confidence-boosting, with valuable skills for anyone interested in babysitting. Overall, the course was seen as both educational and enjoyable, helping young people feel more prepared for real babysitting situations.

"It was a pleasure to see all the young people gaining skills that will help them be fantastic babysitters, as well as better members of their communities, at their school sand in wider society. They have also grown in confidence and responsibility and I am excited to hear where our course takes them!"