Parent, babies and toddlers celebrated their playgroup’s fifth birthday in Willesden Green.

Busy Rascals, set up by founder Sharmine Chowdhury-Tse, meets every week in the Queensbury Pub in Walm Lane with classes and events for local parents, carers and their children.

Ms Chowdhury-Tse, an award winning volunteer for the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), has been running a Bumps and Babies support mornings for expectant parents alongside Busy Rascals for six years.

The mum of Jonah, six, and Noah, two, said: “As babies get older the parents always ask me if I can organise activities.

“It has been a privilege to be able to support local parents and carers for the last six years and to know that the work I do makes a difference in their lives in what can be a difficult though amazing time.”

The winner of the NCT’s Diamond Jubilee award last November for her community work, Ms Chowdhury-Tse added: “I’m a qualified teacher through the NCT and I’m hoping to reach more parents through that work so they can make informed decisions about their pregnancy and labour.

“It would be great to support parents in other communities, I’d love to have that reach, it’s just finding the space.”