About Us
Strong families raise happy children
Home-Start exists to give Richmondshire parents the support they need to give their child the best possible start in life. We believe that the foundation for a happy and secure childhood starts in the family home. With the right help, parents can lay the groundwork for their child’s future success and improve their life chances.
Parenting is tough for everyone, but under difficult circumstances, it can feel overwhelming. There are lots of reasons that parents might struggle to cope, from financial hardship to domestic abuse or postnatal depression. Whatever the reason, we are here to help – our services are free and confidential, and we’re committed to making sure that we continue to provide support with our network of volunteers.
With over 10 years experience, our work is best summed up by a widower with two toddlers, who at the end of three years support through dark times, presented his volunteer with a book lovingly inscribed:
“Family is not about blood; it is about who is willing to hold your hand when you need it the most.”
Home-Start Richmondshire
Helping families for over 40 years
We are part of a network of Home-Start schemes across the UK and Armed Forces abroad. Though we can call on our national colleagues for training and advice, we remain an autonomous organisation, overseen by a board of trustees. Established in April 2010 for local families, Home-Start Richmondshire is run by staff and volunteers who understand the pressures facing parents.
How it works
Offering a helping hand
All of our volunteers understand how challenging it can be to raise young children. They give up their time to spend two to three hours every week with families who need extra support. Home-visiting volunteers offer practical support and friendship, but exactly how they help is down to parents to decide. We also have a number of alternative volunteering roles, to suit an individual and their skill set, from fundraising to telephone befriending, there is a volunteering role to suit everybody!
We have a small team of coordinators who manage day-to-day operations. Part of their role is monitoring the progress of our volunteers and their families; we found that over 90% of families feel more confident, positive, and better able to cope after working with us.
Working together
Partnering professional services
Accessing our services is easy – parents can refer themselves, or organisations working with a family can make a referral on their behalf. Our support is intended to complement professional services like GPs, social workers, health visitors, army welfare officers, and children’s centres. For the best results, we work closely with our partners to ensure families in Richmondshire benefit from a continuity of care.
Latest news
Areas we cover
We support right across Richmondshire.
And everywhere in-between!
If in doubt if you are in our area, please contact us and we can advise you.