Support for families when they struggle
Festive appeal a success
Home Start Perth and Kinross helps local families from all walks of life who are struggling and need a bit of support and understanding. The organisation launched its Give What You Can Christmas Appeal for 2020 and met its £500 target, raising £525 in total. To give the team a boost in the new year, the Herald takes a look at what Home Start Perth and Kinross is all about. The Per th and Kinross project is part of a national organisation, Home Start UK, and Perth was the first branch to open in Scotland 36 years ago.
Jill Scobbie is lead coordinator at Home Start Perth and Kinross, based at Highland House, St Catherine’s Road, Perth.
Explaining where things are at currently, she said: “2020 year could not have been predicted and it has been so hard on all of us.
“Our usual fundraising events have not been able to go ahead and we launched this campaign to help our families over the Christmas period and into the new year.
“We were so grateful for any donations – think of the appeal as a charity can sitting in a shop.
“All the donations will go to help families in the Perth and Kinross area.
“We support families in so many ways and unfortunately, we are seeing a rise in families needing food bank vouchers and help with essentials.
“Home Start Perth and Kinross was hoping to make our families’ festive season a bit easier this year by providing some essentials and, of course, some festive treats.
Jill went on to reveal some changes to the organisation locally.
These include a change of name.
She explained: “Recently we made our name longer to reflect we work across the region, not just in the city of Perth.
“We will now be known as Home Start Perth and Kinross as we have grown and changed a lot since we started out in 1984, so we wanted to reflect that in our name.
“It is the same team, and thesame great work, but a different name.”
Jill said for some time now, Home Start Perth and Kinross had some
clients in Aberfeldy, some mums in Kinross, Crieff and Blairgowrie “so it felt about time we changed the name.”
She explained that Home Start Perth and Kinross helps families – mainly mums, but dads too – who find for a multitude of reasons they could do with a bit of support and help.
“It could be anyone with a child under five who just feels put through the mill,” she said.
“Often having multiple b i r ths is just a bit overwhelming, or the trials of early parenthood could just push existing mental
health problems someone was already experiencing into a new zone.
“For whatever reason, confidence takes a knock and we seek to step in and lend a hand.
“A happy mum makes a happy wider family.
“Having someone to speak to once a week, for up to two hours, can be something to look forward to. It can put a mum in a good place for days afterwards. ”
Jill had twins – they are 21 now – and that was what brought her into contact with Home Start and made her passionate to help herself after she received the organisation’s support.
“I had a Home Start volunteer. It really helped when my twins were wee. I kept up the relationship.
“Seven years ago I began training to be a volunteer myself.
“We train volunteers to visit with the families in their homes and they go there to help with many different needs.
“A training exercise we do is to pass around a bouncy ball. Imagine if you had two kids, a dog, you were not sleeping, you could probably just keep that ball bouncing.
“But add a row with the
partner, a falling out with neighbours, tension from a late bill – the spiral of worry can be anyone’s issue.
“I would say 99 per cent of our volunteers have been parents themselves, so they understand.
“Basically a friendly person offers peer support. She might say, ‘Oh, have you tried this? It worked a treat with my little one’, or she might just be about and lend a hand to get the dishes washed because mum can’t face it after a bad night.
“It could be entertaining the children while mum has a rest, building her confidence to get out and about to attend groups and meet other parents, or maybe support with finding resources to help the family
through any troubled times - our list goes on and on.
“Some men, not that many, ask for our support. We have a male volunteer who is happy to reach out.
“Our Breast Buddies team trains volunteers to help support mums and families through their breast feeding journey and offer support and advice through their social media, wonderful baby groups and face to face support.”
Jill explained that much of what Home Start did has been upended by the issues posed by the Covid- 19 outbreak.
“At the moment, due to the Covid- 19 situation, we are offering telephone support, social media support, coffee shop catchups and outside walks and park visits with families,” she said.
“Having a socially distanced companion to talk to during a walk on the North Inch can be a big relief.
“Our mums can talk and walk and the children are enjoying a runaround at the same time. Little things make a difference.
“Be assured we are risk assessing everything, we are working hard to keep Covid-clear.
“We are also running online family groups using Zoom.”
Jill concluded with the message that she wants people to refer families to Home Start.
She told the PA: “I don’t think there is a family out there that would not benefit from a friendly face and a listening, non-judgemental, ear.
“You can make contact by calling 01738 638847 or sending a message to info@ homestartpk.org.uk
“Our Breast Buddies Facebook page has more than 1000 mums following it.
“I think that’s really tremendous.”
Donations to the festive appeal closed on January 4.