Charity marks 25 years of parental support

THE boss of Home-Start UK joined the party last Friday when the charity’s Surrey Heath branch celebrated its 25th anniversary of helping parents with young children.

Rob Parkinson oversees more than 300 Home-Starts across the UK and helped children cut the celebration cake at the branch’s special event, at the scout hut in Frimley Lodge Park.

Since opening in 1989, Home-Start Surrey Heath has helped 1,239 families, with a total of 2,740 children between them.

Fittingly, some of the families, both past and present, who have benefited from Home-Start’s help over the years were in attendance at the party.

Unfortunately, the scorching summer weather cut short the children’s use of the bouncy castle.

“The party was a great success,” said Joanna McKenzie, trustee and fundraiser for Home-Start Surrey Heath.

“We picked the hottest day of the year and it is the only time I have had to close a bouncy castle as it’s been too hot and the surface was too hot for the children.”

Mrs McKenzie continued: “We did make up for this by having ice lollies.”

None of the work carried out by Home-Start Surrey Heath would have been possible without the 704 volunteers who have helped the branch over the last quarter of a century.

Volunteers recruited by Home-Start are given specific training to enable them to provide support, including friendship and practical assistance, to the parents of the family they are matched to.

During visits to their families’ homes, they seek to encourage the parents’ strengths and look after their emotional wellbeing. Army families are also supported by volunteers at a family group run by Mrs McKenzie in Deepcut.

Whether the branch reaches its 50-year anniversary is dependent on funding, some of which is provided by Surrey County Council.

Mrs McKenzie emphasised that this milestone is a long way off, but said she will continue doing everything she can to raise funds and encourage public donations to keep the charity going.

Home-Start’s 2014 volunteer preparation course starts on September 17. If you are interested in volunteering, or would like to become a trustee, call 01276 681121.

To donate, visit homestartsurreyheath.org.uk.