Home-Start Babergh offers one to one, personalised support for parents with at least one child under five years of age.
We provide support in two ways:
- Home visits, by our trained volunteers.
- Family Groups, run by our trained staff and volunteers, where parents can meet with those of other young children.
Home-Start Babergh is one of several regional "Home-Starts", operating within guidelines established by the parent organisation, Home-Start UK.
Home-Start Babergh consists of a board of directors, staff, managed by a Scheme Manager, all appointed by the board, and a team of over 50 volunteers who, in the main, visit families in their homes. All have undergone training appropriate to their individual roles, and all conform with child protection guidelines and legislation.
If you need help and support click here.
How you can help:
- Become a Volunteer.
- Give a donation. Click here for more information.
- Run a fund-raising event. Home Start Babergh has a dedicated fund-raising team able to help with your event. Contact us at the link on the left and we'll take it from there.
- Charity of the Year
If your company has a Charity of the Year, please consider nominating us. Nominating Home Start Babergh as your Charity of the Year is a great way for your whole company to come together and work towards raising money for an organisation that works with families living in the Babergh area who are experiencing difficulties in their lives and have at least one child under the age of 5 years old. We have an experienced, committed team that will support you at every step to make the most of the partnership. - Sponsor an event or part of an event.
- Charitable trusts and individual givers - we have a dedicated professional able to work with you. Please contact us.
Home-Start History and Development
Home-Start UK was founded in Leicester in 1973 by Margaret Harrison, whose vision of providing a voluntary organisation to provide help and support by parents to parents and families came to fruition with initial funding from The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and Leicester Council for Voluntary Service.
In the early years professionals, such as social workers and health visitors, became aware of the difference the Home-Start approach was making to the families it supported, and so the scheme was able to expand with financial help from "official" sources.
From 1977 onwards, every year saw at least one - and often several - new regional "Home-Starts" setting up. Each is self-financing - funding is not provided by Home-Start UK.
It was not until 1990 that Home-Start Sudbury and District (as it then was) started, and in 1995, with an expanding geographical area of operation, became Home-Start Babergh. We later moved our base from Sudbury to our present offices in Hadleigh.
With a growing population throughout Babergh, the need for our special kind of help has grown, often beyond our capacity to meet it. We continue to recruit new volunteers but as they too need support from permanent staff, we need to generate the extra income necessary to fund growth. We are required to maintain the ratio of numbers of staff to volunteers within laid down parameters. Considerable energy has, therefore to be directed towards raising funds from local businesses, the public, and seeking grants from official sources.
Our patron, Sheila Ravenscroft, writes:
"I was first made aware of Home-Start via a friend who was involved in setting up Home-Start Mid Suffolk, near my own home, and it struck me what an important organisation it is. The support Home-Start Babergh provide for so many families who are finding everyday life difficult to cope with is invaluable. Home-Start Babergh helps so many families throughout the area, who for one reason or another, need someone to turn to. Having raised four children myself, I realise that even with the largest support network it is not always the easiest of tasks! If, in being a patron of a charity that does such good work, I can be of any benefit to Home-Start Babergh then I am most enthusiastic to step into that role."
Site Updated:- 13th June 2011
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