What our partners say...(For participants' reviews including Google reviews click here)
"Early Years Cocoon are a vital resource for our community, providing valuable support to young families in the country's youngest Borough, at a time when statutory support services are struggling and the cost-of-living crisis is hitting the most vulnerable families the hardest. They are one of Green Shoes Arts' most important partner organisations, elevating not only the people they directly work with, but achieving a tremendous positive impact on the entire third sector in the Borough and beyond. Their above and beyond approach to helping their community is inspirational, and Natalia and her team work tirelessly to help Barking & Dagenham's children have the best start in life, leading other organisations by example and filling a gap in available services". Sam Miller (he/him), Green shoes art, Artistic Director 
From Boathouse Barking CIC
Since its arrival on the Barking and Dagenham landscape in 2018, Early Years Cocoon CIC has been a transformative force in our local community. Under the visionary leadership of Natalia Lema, EYC has taken a holistic and empowering approach to filling a critical gap in under-fives child-centered learning within one of London's most deprived boroughs. From the outset, Natalia has drawn on her personal experiences as a parent and her background in education to open meaningful conversations about the pivotal early years in a child's life. Her insight and passion have created a nurturing environment where parents, grandparents carers and children grow and learn together, fostering cohesion and resilience. As Floella Benjamin wisely commented , "childhood lasts a lifetime," and EYC's work exemplifies this leaving a lasting impact not only on individual families but also on our wider community. The dedication and impact of Early Years Cocoon are exemplary. So much so that we at The Boathouse Studios are thrilled to have them as partners in our latest Arts Council England-funded initiative to establish a drama group for children. Together, we are confident in nurturing creativity, connection, and growth for the next generation. Early Years Cocoon CIC is truly a beacon of inspiration and a vital asset to Barking and Dagenham. We look forward to seeing how their work continues to enrich lives and build a stronger, more resilient society. "Early Years Cocoon CIC are a trusted provider in the local area amongst families and local businesses. It has been a great privilege to work alongside them, to bring more joy and experiences to the local families that engage with our services. We value their partnership and look forward to more collaboration".
Wander Wild Forest School |
"Early Years Cocoon provides a valuable service for LBBD residents, they are engaging, innovative and respond to local needs".
Sarah Robertson, CEO Future MOLDS Communities (FMC) & John Smith House Lead “It has been a great pleasure for Youth Spot Bar to be a part of the collaboration partnership with Early Years Cocoon and other local organisations. The choices of parks were a good idea along with the variety of choices residents add to take part in from sports, to arts, to music, to yuga was just amazing. A great opportunity for Youth Spot Bar as our Young people were on their work experience journey so this was a great experience for them to learn and experience new skills”.
Youth Spot Bar “Early Years Cocoon provides a vital space for parents with children under 5. Their approach is community based, inclusive and welcoming. Many hundreds of parents and children in Barking & Dagenham benefit from excellent organisation. Early Years Cocoon is an essential organisation locally that offers significant support to families”.
Avril McIntyre, MBE DL, Convener of BD_Collective, Executive Director, Community Resources “BD Giving has been working with Early Years Cocoon since our inception. Their work has regularly been supported by our resident decision-makers, showing how valued it is locally. In a borough with some of the highest % of children under 5 in the country, early years support is vital and regularly tops our lists of resident needs. We have been proud to support their work and have also seen the impact Natalia has personally had in shaping and leading borough-wide conversations around this important topic”.
Cameron Bray (they/them/their pronouns), Head of Learning & Participation "I met Natalia from Cocoon (Insert year here) I was very impressed by her energy, professionalism and a passio for what she wanted to do to work with parents and children. So, we set up a partnership and I’m happy to say that I am always surprised by the variety of projects that Cocoon set up to work within Dagenham Library and in the wider borough. I have watched them grow and am pleased to say they are now one of our best partners.The Cocoon team put a lot of work into what they do and are always eager to take on more innovative projects to encourage more parents and children. We have had professional performers in our Children’s library, which has encouraged more membership to our library and also entertained large audiences of loyal parents, and personally I have also been in awe of the atmosphere of learning and fun in the building.
In simple terms we love the team of cocoon and what they do and can visibly see the impact they have on our residents. They are part of our family here at Dagenham Library Community Hub and Family hub". Vince Thomas, Relationship Manager, Universal Services Community Solutions, LB Barking & Dagenham |
