The team at Happy Heaven Child Contact Centre were delighted to welcome Councillor Tahir Rafiq, Mayor of Bury, and Sharon Scott, Chair of NACCC, to celebrate the official opening of their newly established branch in Bury, Greater Manchester.
The event marked an important milestone for the NACCC enhanced-accredited centre, which delivers supported and supervised child contact services from its branches in Essex and Greater Manchester. Families, children, staff, volunteers and representatives from Bury College joined the celebrations, creating a warm and uplifting atmosphere focused on community, partnership and support.
As part of the event, Mayor Tahir Rafiq presented Certificates of Appreciation to Happy Heaven’s dedicated staff and volunteers in recognition of their commitment, compassion and ongoing support for children and families following separation.
Councillor Tahir Rafiq, who was sworn in as Mayor of Bury in May 2026, described Happy Heaven’s work as providing “vital support for children and families through safe and supervised child contact services.”
He praised the dedication of staff and volunteers and recognised their invaluable contribution to supporting vulnerable children and families within the local community.
Happy Heaven’s team thanked the mayor for attending the event and for sharing his personal experiences of overcoming challenges through the support of others. They were particularly encouraged by his commitment to championing opportunities for young people and helping create safe, nurturing environments where children can thrive.
NACCC Chair Sharon Scott was also delighted to attend the opening and meet staff, volunteers and families using the service.
NACCC Chair Sharon Scott said:
Visiting child contact centres is always a valuable learning opportunity for NACCC trustees. Spending time with centre teams helps us better understand the realities of delivering services on the ground, the challenges centres face, and how NACCC can support them most effectively. It was wonderful to see first-hand the warm welcome, dedication and commitment shown by everyone at Happy Heaven. The opening of this new centre is a fantastic achievement and will help ensure that even more children and families can access the support they need to maintain important family relationships following separation.
As part of their role, NACCC trustees regularly visit accredited child contact centres across the country to gain a first-hand understanding of how services operate and to hear directly from staff, volunteers and families.
Alongside her visit to Happy Heaven, Sharon recently visited NACCC-accredited The Vine Child Contact Centre in Leeds, and NACCC enhanced-accredited service Buzz Family Centre in Sheffield. These visits provide valuable insight that helps inform NACCC’s work supporting accredited centres and promoting best practice across the network.
Congratulations to the entire Happy Heaven team on the successful opening of your new Bury centre. We are delighted to see your continued growth and commitment to supporting children, young people and families, and we wish you every success in your new premises.
For more information about Happy Heaven Child Contact Centre, please visit NACCC’s webpage here.