A CELEBRATORY lunch was held to mark the completion of an eight-week training course for 11 new Home-Start volunteers who are now ready to start work with their first families in Alresford, Winchester and surrounding villages.

“We’ve had a super intake of volunteers in the past few months,” said Home-Start co-ordinator Anne Macpherson, “so we are already running another course.”

Home-Start volunteers work with their family every week over a six to 12 month period, providing non-judgemental support in their own home as they try to cope with mental health, disability, multiple births, isolation, parenting skills, or some of the many problems that can afflict a family struggling with the demands of young children.

The volunteers were put through their paces, tackling issues like the importance of play, of listening and communicating and child development.

Training included personal safety, health and safety, mental health and depression, the safeguarding and welfare of children, equality, fairness and diversity – as well as working in partnership with other support agencies such as the Health Visiting Service, Children’s Services and signposting to the other services available for families in the area.

The new volunteers are pictured with co-ordinators Anne Macpherson and Liz Stannard (front row), patron Sally Stewart (seated left) and Home-Start Winchester chairman Liz Cooper (standing right).

Home-Start is one of the leading family support charities in the UK. Its volunteers help families with young children deal with the challenges they face.

“We support parents as they learn to cope, improve their confidence and build better lives for their children,” the charity says.

Across all four nations of the United Kingdom 13,500 home-visiting volunteers support around 28,000 families and 60,000 children to transform their lives.

Visit the website home-start.org.uk for more details.