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WHAT is Home-Start ?...
HOW can Home-Start help ?...
WHO can Home-Start help?
WHO are the volunteers ?...
WHAT to do next ?...
Home-Start Celebrates it's 30th Anniversary...
Home-Start Banbury & Chipping Norton awarded Queen's Award ...
WHAT is Home-Start ?...
Home-Start is a voluntary organisation offering support, friendship
and practical help to families at home with at least one child
under 5. The first Home-Start scheme was launched in 1973 and
there are now nearly 330 schemes with more than 7,000 volunteers
visiting families throughout the UK. Each local scheme is staffed
by at least one paid Organiser (or Co-ordinator) who is responsible
for running the scheme and recruiting volunteers. The service
is free and confidential.
HOW can Home-Start
help ?...
Being a parent, wherever you live or whatever
the situation, is not easy. Many parents feel exhausted and
overwhelmed by the
stresses of family life. It is even more difficult
if family or friends are unable to offer you support and
breathing space when you most need it. Some parents lose confidence
in
their ability to cope and most can remember days when they
would have liked someone to turn to. A Home-Start volunteer will
visit you regularly (usually once a week for a couple of hours)
in your home and offer support through difficult times for as
long as it is helpful or needed. You decide with your volunteer
when
visits will happen and how you spend the time. Home-Start volunteers
are parents too and may have been supported by Home-Start
themselves in the past. You can choose whether or not to accept
Home-Start support. A volunteer will only visit at the invitation
of the family.
WHO can Home-Start
help ?...
Families
from all backgrounds with at least one child under
5, who are experiencing difficulties. These might be, lonely
or isolated parents or families
with twins, multiple births or several pre-school children. Families
where
there is ill health
or disability/special needs. Lone parents and mums who may have
postnatal depression. We can even help families who are new to
an area.
Who
are our volunteers ?...
Come from many different backgrounds and vary in age but
all are either parents or have parenting experience and are carefully
selected for their friendliness and understanding. All volunteers
are appropriately approved and all attend a course of preparation
before being linked with families.
They visit one or more families
a week and take their own individual skills and experience to
the families they visit. They are neither paid for their work nor
are they professionals, so they will not replace your health visitor
or social worker. Volunteers will visit you in your home because
you have invited them and they wish to offer you their time and
friendship and they will accept you as you are, so
please feel relaxed about visits. If you are reading this because
you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please see our volunteers
page.
What to do next
?...
Any family with at least one child under 5 can ask Home-Start for
help. To find out if Home-Start can help, you can contact
us directly by using the contact details
as displayed on this web site or talk to your Health Visitor or GP or
ask a Social Worker or ask a friend or family member to contact the
scheme for you.
Home-Start Celebrated
it's 30th Anniversary in 2003...
Home-Start
is the leading family support organisation in the UK. The
first Home-Start scheme was launched in 1973 in Leicester & there
are now over 330
schemes in the UK.
There are over 7,000 volunteers involved
with Home-Start. Home-visiting volunteers are nearly all parents
themselves & the volunteers give one million hours annually
to help families.
Home-Start Banbury & Chipping Norton awarded Queen's Award...
Home-Start Banbury & Chipping Norton was chosen to receive the prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service this year. On June 25th 2007.
The Vice Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Malcolm Cochrane, presented the group with the award. More Info
If you would like further details on any aspect of Home-Start,
please contact Home-Start Banbury & Chipping
Norton or
Home-Start
Central Office in Leicester
Home Start Banbury & Chipping Norton is a Registered Charity No:1114860
Our Patron is: HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy, GCVO
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