Welcome to Home-Start Bristol
News Flash!
The Home-Start Team would like to wish you a very happy, hopefully sunny, 2010 Summer break.
Please don’t forget………….
- the ‘OPEN MORNING’ for all Home-Start volunteers at Speedwell Nursery School and Children’s Centre between 10 and 11.30am on Wednesday the 4th August 2010. Feel free to bring your own children along with you if that helps as they will be more than welcome! PLEASE REFER TO ‘DOWNLOADS’ PAGE FOR OFFICIAL INVITE.
- also, our ‘PICNIC IN THE PARK’ on Wednesday, 11th August, 11.30am – 1.30pm at Vassalls Park, Vassalls Road, Fishponds, Bristol – PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO BRING A PICNIC! PLEASE REFER TO ‘DOWNLOADS’ PAGE FOR OFFICIAL INVITE.
- Summer Fun for Under 5’s and their families! Stay and Play at the Children’s Centre 10am – 12pm Tuesday, 27th July, Tuesday, 3rd August (bring a picnic) and Tuesday 10th August 2010 – PLEASE SEE SUMMER 2010 TIMETABLE UNDER ‘DOWNLOADS’
- All Aboard the Play Bus! At the Community Centre, Meadowvale Road 10am – 12pm Thursday, 29th July, Thursday 5th August and Thursday 12th August 2010 – PLEASE SEE SUMMER 2010 TIMETABLE UNDER ‘DOWNLOADS’
What is Home-Start Bristol?
Home-Start is a national charity. It recruits and trains volunteers to help families with children under 5 when the family is going through a difficult time. The Bristol scheme is run locally for families in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
Why help families with young children?
Help given when a child is young can make a difference for the whole of his or her life. It can prevent a difficult time from creating a permanent problem.
What is so special about Home-Start?
Volunteers are welcomed into families when the Statutory Services are viewed with suspicion. They support the whole family as friends, not experts. They are, however, trained and supported by professionals and many families are referred to us by Health Visitors.
Who pays?
Not the families – the service is entirely free.
Not the volunteers, who receive free training, support and supervision, and can claim expenses.
Not the government – this is a charity.
At the moment we have grants supporting work in South Gloucestershire but most of our money has to be obtained through ongoing fund-raising.
The families
There is no ‘typical’ Home-Start family. We aim to help parents and carers of every kind, regardless of age, creed, colour, sexual orientation or financial status, providing they have a child/children under the age of five.
Bringing up a young family is always hard. It becomes much harder if there are additional problems. Families find themselves having to face illness, disability, drugs, loneliness, violence, bereavement, post-natal depression or social isolation. The birth of twins or triplets is often difficult to cope with. There are teenage mothers, single fathers, refugees, asylum-seekers – there is no end to the list of things which can make the early years of a child’s life really hard for a family. Home-Start families are not ‘problem families’. They are families who are struggling in the face of problems. Bristol parents say that Home-Start has made a tremendous difference to their lives:
‘It’s like a weight has been lifted!’
‘It’s a very supportive and helpful service.’
‘I would recommend Home-Start to anyone in need.’