Home-Start Wessex reports another record year, supporting over 500 local families in crisis and transforming 1,682 lives

Families charity Home-Start Wessex has reflected on its increased impact across Dorset as it marks twelve months since it extended its reach following the closure of sister organisation Home-Start West Dorset.

Home-Start Wessex has helped a record 501 families in the last year, its highest-ever number and a 25% increase compared to last year. When Home-Start West Dorset became a victim of the funding crisis in October 2023, Home-Start Wessex immediately extended its reach to support families in West Dorset, including Dorchester, Weymouth, Portland, Bridport and down to Lyme Regis. The charity now covers a huge area with a population of over 650,000, including many pockets of high-level deprivation.

Over the last year, the charity has transformed 1,682 lives, with 96% of families supported reporting improved confidence and 98% of parents supported reporting improved wellbeing. During the year, the charity has run weekly support groups across Dorset, providing one-to-one support for families, and delivering school readiness workshops. Two weekly support groups in temporary hostels house single mothers aged 18-25 and their children, are now up and running. More referrals are being received for parents living in these types of accommodations who are struggling with parenting due to their living circumstances, mental wellbeing, and isolation.

One of the volunteers who joined Home-Start Wessex from West Dorset was recently recognised as a national Hidden Hero and received a Room to Reward award. Chantal Sykes was nominated following her unwavering determination to ensure families could continue to be supported following the closure of Home-Start West Dorset.

As well as volunteering for the past four years and supporting families and children with multiple high-level challenges and needs, Chantal was instrumental in reaching out to fellow volunteers to find a solution. She was adamant that families would not suffer and encouraged many of the very experienced volunteers to transfer their skills to Home-Start Wessex. Over twenty volunteers from West Dorset have become part of the Home-Start Wessex team, and the charity has recruited several new coordinators to help support the newly enlarged team of dedicated volunteers.

Kathy Fryatt-Banks, CEO of Home-Start Wessex, said, “This year marked the 50th year of Home-Start services across the UK and right now, our services are more valuable than ever. With more people in crisis, more families becoming homeless and more single parents than ever before, we are in high demand.

We have adapted and grown to meet changing needs and lifestyles and created more and more ways of helping parents and children. We have achieved our ambitious target to support 500 families locally, increasing our support and services across Home-Start Wessex by a further 25% since last year. As we approach our own 30th anniversary locally next year, we hope to build more connections and touch the lives of many more people.
We have worked tirelessly and are so proud to have made such a huge difference. This is only possible with the dedication and passion of all our staff, volunteers, and trustees, as well as with the generous support of our funders, local community, and partners, whom we thank so much.”

This year, the charity has welcomed several new volunteers, including one volunteer whose mum received support from Home-Start Wessex when she was a child. Sharina remembers a wonderful volunteer called Denny, who was “…a listening ear, being there not just for my mum but for us kids as well. Making sure we were okay and just keeping up the constant, being there every week, even if it was just once a week for an hour, she was there.”

Sharina never forgot the life-changing difference it made, saying, “I trusted (Denny) to the point she saved my life; I called on her when I needed her; she was there for me.” In 2023, with her own child in nursery, Sharina decided to give back and become a Home-Start volunteer to help “families that are pretty much going through the same trauma I went through and helping them know they can get through it.”

Home-Start Wessex volunteers offer friendship, practical support and advice to families who are facing difficulties, including poor mental health, depression, disability, domestic abuse, bereavement, isolation and multiple births. The reach covers the Purbecks, Swanage, Weymouth, Dorchester, Bridport, the whole of the BCP Council area, including Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, across the borders of Hampshire and Wiltshire, going as far north as Cranborne and Fordingbridge and as far east as New Milton.

Their service is in more demand than ever. If you can commit to 2-3 hours each week to help, please contact heidi@homestartwessex.org.uk