Home-Start Warrington works with children and young families in Warrington to be healthy, stay safe, be happy, make a positive contribution to society and achieve economic well-being.
Being a parent has never been easy. It can be lonely, frustrating, heartbreaking and overwhelming. Life-changing events can happen to anyone. That is why Home-Start is ready to support families through their toughest times. Every Home-Start volunteer is trained to help them work alongside you to overcome the challenges you are facing. We work with you to build on your strengths and give you the support that you tell us that you need.
Families need our support for a variety of reasons. Families can be; isolated, suffering from mental health issues or post-natal depression, single parents, victims of domestic violence, alcohol/drug users etc.
Our volunteers who are parents themselves, undertake a 10 week course of preparation, to arm them with advice and information that they may need to help them support a family.
Volunteers will then visit the family’s home for three hours every week. They tailor-make their support to the needs of the parents and children. Volunteers continue visiting and offering support until the youngest child turns five or starts school, or until the parents and their volunteer feel they able to manage without support. They work alongside parents, in their own homes, to help them cope with the stresses and strains of life and make sure they have the skills, time and strength they need to nurture their children. Parents and volunteers often develop a deeply trusting relationship which can lead to powerful change within the family. For examples of how Home-Start Warrington has helped Warrington families, click on the links below;
Fiona’s story
Karen’s story
Emma’s story
The earliest years make the biggest impact: Home-Start makes sure those years count so that no child’s future is limited.
Children who are raised in a stable, loving, family environment are more likely to have a positive and healthy future.
“We feel happy when our dad feels happy.”
Home-Start started in 1973. We were founded by Margaret Harrison who believed that supporting a family was best done in their home where it can be shaped to the needs of the family. She realised that if parents get support and friendship from another parent, they will be better equipped to learn to cope with the many difficulties life can bring and will be able to give their children the best possible start to their own lives.
While this idea remains at the heart of our work, we have created new ways of helping parents and their children to meet the changing needs of families.
This idea that started in Leicester, spread across the UK and is now a movement around the world. There are now 22 countries on five continents that have Home-Starts providing support for families.
Margaret remained the life president of Home-Start until her death in 2015.
