www.homestartcambridgeshire.co.uk - Home-Start Cambridgeshire

www.homestartcambridgeshire.co.uk

Welcome

Welcome to our Spring newsletter. As the weather improves and we
see positive signs of life more usual, we hope you find this edition
interesting and informative.

Covid-19 has affected all of our lives. We have all needed to adapt,
change the way we live and work, and inevitably, some have coped
better than others.

At Home-Start Cambridgeshire, we have adapted to this new
environment, introducing new guidelines and making changes to our
services and how we interact with families. Despite this, one thing that
has not changed is our total dedication to supporting families with
young children who need us most.

You can read about this, hear from our outgoing Chair and incoming
new Chair, and understand a little more about what motivates some
of us to offer our time and commitment to HSC. We hope you enjoy it.

About Home-Start Cambridgeshire

Founded in 1989, Home-Start Cambridgeshire is a local community of
trained volunteers offering tailored practical and emotional support to
families with young children to help them through their challenging
times.

Our vision is simple: to give every child in Cambridgeshire the best
possible start in life.

We are there for parents when they need us most. We don't judge. We
offer compassionate, confidential help and support. Our approach is
as individual as the people we're helping. If you need assistance,
please contact us:
office@homestartcambridgeshire.co.uk; Tel: 01480 700242

A message from
our outgoing Chair
Dear Supporter

As Chair of the Board of Trustees of Home-Start Cambridgeshire (HSC) for
the past eight years, I retired from that position on 1st April. It has been a
genuine privilege to hold that post, but it is now definitely time for
someone else to take over the role.

I am delighted that Aaron Venables has agreed to take on the role of
Chair. He has almost eight years’ experience as a HS trustee, firstly with
HS Glasgow North and latterly with HSC. He brings not only huge
experience, but significant skills and plenty of ideas to contribute to the
charity’s development.

I am fortunate in being able to carry on as a trustee and look forward to
my continued involvement in the vital work of HSC with the families who
need our help in so many different ways.

I would like to thank everyone for their support for our work, especially
during the past extremely demanding year. The flexibility of staff and
volunteers has been outstanding, meaning that families could continue
to feel supported by people who genuinely cared for them and their
diverse needs.

We are also very grateful for the many gifts which have continued to
come to the charity, whether as financial donations, Christmas presents,
knitted items, patchwork quilts, fuel vouchers or the many other
thoughtful ideas which support families in feeling connected to people
who empathise with the challenges in their lives.

With best wishes, Jo Studdert

And thanks from
our new Chair
First of all I would like to sincerely thank Jo and recognise the
outstanding contribution that she has made to Home-Start
Cambridgeshire over many years as Chair, and I am delighted that she
will stay on as a trustee to continue to do so.

Jo is leaving very big shoes to fill, probably too big for one person, so I
am pleased that fellow trustees Claire Hoather and Anthony Frost have
stepped up into Vice-Chair positions to support me and the rest of the
board.

I look forward to working with all of our great staff, volunteers and
supporters as we hopefully begin to transition from life in a pandemic
back to some sort of new normality, but most importantly in
continuing to deliver the crucial service we offer families in our local
community.

Aaron Venables, Chair of Trustees

"Jo, you’ve been wonderful to
work with. Kind, patient,
inspirational, and determined.

And you’ve successfully steered
Home-Start Cambridgeshire
through the choppiest of
restructuring and pandemic
waters. A heart-felt 'thank you’
from us all.

Thank you, too, for staying on as a trustee. I hope that will
allow you time to enjoy the young children in your own
family. Thank you, thank you!"
                                   Pippa Goodhart, Patron

What do we do? An update from
Marney Connor, Scheme Manager

It is a privilege to help families in Cambridgeshire
with young children by volunteering to visit them
in their own homes regularly for friendship and
one-to-one support.

We also run family groups, where parents and children can meet other
families experiencing similar issues.

When support is needed, we provide Home-Start volunteers trained to
work alongside parents to help them overcome the challenges. While
families can refer themselves, often our help is suggested by a health
visitor, a doctor, family or social workers, or another professional.

It is entirely up to the families concerned if they want to work with HSC,
and if they do, they can be confident our support is completely free and
entirely confidential. Here's a summary of what we are up to.

Home-Start Cambridgeshire Groups
We hold three groups locally. Our Chesterton and Wisbech Groups will
both be back to face to face sessions during April, but we decided that
our Trumpington Group would close, and in its place, we will introduce
our virtual First Connections Group. This Group is for anyone who feels
isolated and lonely and would like to connect with other parents and
children.

Fenland Project, Wisbech
Supporting families in Fenland, the project provides a range of home
visiting support and a weekly support group for children and their
parents experiencing poverty, deprivation in disadvantaged rural
communities, social isolation and mental health issues.

Funded by BBC Children in Need, it is designed to
reduce isolation through volunteer support and
with a weekly group based in Wisbech.

Big Hopes, Big Future
We continue to work in partnership with Home-Start Royston,
Buntingford and South Cambridgeshire on this exciting project,
funded in part by South Cambridgeshire District Council, to help
families get ready for children starting nursery or school. It covers
anything from bedtime routines, eating and drinking unaided, using
the toilet, coping with separation and accessing local services such
as libraries and playgroups.

Building Communities, Building Connections
In Cambridgeshire, many new settlements are being created to meet
the need for more housing. To turn these developments into thriving
communities, many families with young children will need support
to make local connections. We are bringing in new funding to
support families in these new communities who may feel isolated
and stranded.

Thank you to our staff and volunteers
I want to say a huge thank you to staff and volunteers who have
worked so hard throughout this pandemic and carried on supporting
families in whatever way they can.

All Staff and Volunteers who support families have had the opportunity
to be vaccinated, with the majority taking up the offer. We help families
in their homes, but we are very aware that this must be a decision
everyone is happy with. If Volunteers don’t feel comfortable, they are
supporting outside of the home or remotely.

We held a Virtual Coffee Morning for Volunteers in January, which was
a great success. It was lovely to see the Volunteers and find out what
they’d been doing during the lockdown, and we are planning more of
these events in the future.

Training
Training and development of our staff and volunteers has remained a
priority. In this regard, we have changed the way we are delivering our
Safeguarding Refresher Training to include more detailed information
on specific topics. The basic refresher is an online course through the
Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and then two sessions a year on
various subjects, for example, Child Exploitation, Domestic Abuse or
PREVENT.

  "The Group has really helped build my confidence and
  helped myself and Alfie make friends. It’s good to get out
  and have something to look forward to and be able to off
  load. It’s nice it’s the same people each week."
                     Mum who attends the Wisbech Group

COVID-19

As the coronavirus pandemic’s impact has
increased, we remain as committed as ever to
supporting parents in the critical early years of
childhood.

We know social distancing and isolation place an enormous strain on
families. Families with particular pressures, such as poor mental health,
illness and low wages, have been struck by the crisis. We have adapted
quickly to support these and other families affected by taking essential
support services online and by phone, email and text to stay connected
with families.

We are now re-starting face-to-face family support, initially outside of
their home, but more recently, looking at how we can support the most
vulnerable families inside their home.

It is certainly not our usual way of working, but we continue to work
harder than ever to find ways to ensure families continue to have the
support they need. The practical and emotional demands of
parenthood are challenging enough in standard times, but the current
pandemic adds so many additional layers of anxiety, uncertainty and
isolation.

Thank you, Jo
Finally, we thank Jo for all her hard work and commitment as Chair of
Trustees on behalf of the staff and volunteers. Jo has dedicated so
many hours to Home-Start Cambridgeshire to keep the service running
through some tough times, which is very much appreciated. I’m sure
she will enjoy the extra time she’ll now have to spend on other
ventures.

In November 2020, John Lewis and Waitrose
  launched a new partnership to raise £5m for the
        work of Home-Start and FareShare.
                       In November 2020, Waitrose and John Lewis
                       unveiled their Christmas advertising campaign.
                       Inspired by the British public's kindness during
                       the pandemic, it encouraged everyone to 'Give
                       A Little Love' to others and support 190 Home-
                       Starts across the UK and the UK's largest food
                       redistribution charity FareShare.

In Cambridgeshire, HSC was able to link up with John Lewis in the
Grand Arcade and Waitrose stores in Fitzroy Street, Cambridge, St
Neots, St Ives and Ely. These local partnerships saw them donate cash
gifts as well as hampers to be given to local families.

In addition to over £1,000 received locally, HSC
received £700 from the national 'Give A Little
Love 'campaign fund.

When indoor activities are limited, we
recognised that winter outdoor play
and socially distanced interactions
were vital for the physical and mental
health of children and parents alike.

Using the funds, we delivered
waterproofs and wellies to families
without the means to buy their own
and umbrellas for parents to
encourage more time outdoors.

           We also provided tummy
           mats for babies so that
           babies from all
           backgrounds can safely
           make critical
           developmental
           milestones.

           More recently, we have
           received a further £4,000
           to finance the newly
           formed First Connections
           Group for the next 12
           months.

Thank you
We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to
all our funders and supporters.

Some of our significant donors fund our operations
for three years at a time, allowing us to plan for the
longer-term. Some provide money for individual
projects, which enables us to support specific family groups, or
offer our services in a nominated area, while other donors, both
small and large, provide a welcome one-off boost to our finances.

However it comes to us, we can assure you we put it to great use
supporting families with young children experiencing isolation,
loneliness, parental mental health issues, disability, multiple births,
bereavement, or those who are just finding parenting a struggle.

       Also, we offer our heartfelt thanks to the many individuals and
                anonymous donors who have supported us.

Welcome to our new Trustees

We have been fortunate to welcome a number of new
trustees to the Board over the last year and now have a
diverse and experienced team who contribute greatly to the
running of the Charity.

Here, two of our most recent recruits explain why they
wanted to join HSC.

                     Claire Hoather
                     I was absolutely delighted to join the Board of
                     Home-Start Cambridgeshire in January 2021.
                     I truly believe in providing as much kindness and
                     support as possible for parents, especially during
                     the early years.

I have worked within the charity sector for over twenty years, and I am
hoping I will be able to bring that experience to the wonderful work
that HSC undertakes, specifically with a view to increase our
supporters.

Alongside my voluntary roles, generally you will find me working hard
for the RSPB England (my day job) as well as just about keeping up
with my two young boys, cycling, running or playing Lego!

I'm always delighted to hear from anyone
connected about anything we can do better, or
if you'd like to see how you could get involved.
It is a fantastic charity and we need all the help
we can get.

Maggie Challis
                        Two weeks before my first child was born, I
                        moved to a new city. My husband was at work
                        all day getting used to his new job, and
                        exhausted when he came home.

My family were over 100 miles away. I knew nobody in the area.
Fortunately, a neighbour with two young children took me under her
wing and showed me the ropes of parenthood and introduced me
around. What I would have given for a Home-Start in that city!

During the last year, my tally of grandchildren has risen by three –
premature twins and an adopted baby, all miles away in Sheffield. All
grandparents will know the pain and feeling of helplessness I’ve
experienced, being unable to meet the babies and support their parents
in anything but a peripheral, electronic way.

Not surprisingly, the new parents have struggled, and at times have
been close to the edge. They are on their own. They haven’t been able
to go out and share and learn from others who are going through the
same exhausting times of new parenthood, or introduce their babies to
other little people.

Sadly, there is no Home-Start in the area. Families in Cambridgeshire,
though, do have a lifeline. They have Home-Start Cambridgeshire.

The empathetic, responsive work of volunteers, the caring, supportive
matching of volunteers to families, the commitment to go the extra
mile and adapt to whatever new regulations are thrown at them – all
combine to make Home-Start Cambridgeshire an invaluable ingredient
in the lives of families needing a bit of extra support with their young
children.

While other public and private bodies have struggled to make a real
difference to people who are finding life tough, HSC has been there, doing
what it does best – making families feel that bit more able to cope in a
world that is almost too challenging to bear.

Who would not want to be part of such a wonderful organisation?

I’m proud and honoured to have been invited to be a Trustee, and hope I
can add a level of support to staff, volunteers and other trustees that will
help the service to grow and to continue to do what it does so well with
more and more families.

"Home-Start raises self-confidence, improves
  social networks, reduces difficult behaviour on
  the part of the child and improves mental and
                  physical health."
              Every Child Matters Government Green Paper.

"They gave me as much help as I needed, never left me
stranded and never made me feel abandoned. Emma and
Susan are the most lovely people who helped me a lot. They
made me feel welcome and helped me laugh and cheer when
things felt low. I highly recommend them and Home-Start to
help all types of mums and dads with anything needed as
they help and never judge."”
Mum receiving volunteer and co-ordinator support. Children
In Need project.

Liz's story

Sitting in the garden with a nice ice-cold drink, watching the kids playing
together, lots of laughter filling the air, is certainly something I will never
take for granted, especially when a few years ago I wasn’t so lucky.

Unfortunately I was in an abusive relationship, suffering from emotional
and sexual abuse. I had zero confidence. I was really struggling, and with
two young children at home I just couldn’t cope.

I felt like I was losing my mind. I was going to see psychiatrists, being
diagnosed with personality disorders as I wasn’t being completely
honest with them, only daring to say some of the truth through fear of
the repercussions if I told it all.

Those repercussions would come as abuse from my partner who
threatened he would take the children from me.

I was always to and fro with the doctor and health visitor, changing
between different medications to try and keep me sane. One day, at an
appointment with a health visitor, she told me about Home-Start, and
that she thought it would be a good idea for me to be referred to them to
see if they could help.

It was a couple of weeks later when Home-Start Cambridgeshire
contacted me. That’s when I met Marney. She explained to me that I
would have a volunteer who would come to the house once a week and
that they would help me in areas that I suggested. I was later introduced
to Becky who was to be my volunteer. I warmed to her fairly quickly and
was made to feel at ease. Over time with her visiting I felt that I was able
to open up and talk to her, eventually confiding in both Marney and
Becky about things that were happening at home.

Being able to confide in them, my confidence was slowly building,
especially in being able to open up about the sexual abuse I was
suffering. I found the strength to finally get up and walk away with my
children and go to the police.

Almost three years on, as I sit here writing this, I am happy to say that I
am still growing stronger each day. I have become independent. I am
working in a job that I love, supporting myself and my children.

I had never imagined that would ever happen. I still have off days, but
push through them, determined that what has happened will not define
me.

One thing I can be sure of is that I wouldn’t be sat here now without the
help and support of Home-Start, Marney or Becky. I have so much to
thank them for. They have given me and my children a new lease of life!
and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Reasons for referral to Home-Start Cambridgeshire

 Mental Health – 40%   Domestic abuse– 14%

                                      Postnatal depression – 9%

                                                  Other – 3%

                                     Learning disability– 11%
             Lone parent – 23%

                                       1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021

168children
                                        Of these:
                                      121 under 5
                                        42 over 5
  supported                            5 prenatal

Volunteers – at the heart of Home-Start

The care and commitment of our trained volunteers, supporting
families in one-to-one situations or through our Group activities, is the
core of our service. We cannot thank them enough.

Despite the challenging times, we were pleased to welcome and train
several new volunteers, bringing our total volunteers to 75.

No special qualifications are necessary to become a volunteer, but all
are parents or have parenting experience with interest in, and
experience of, young children and family life. Our current volunteers
come from all sections of the community.

Volunteers usually visit one or two families per week, depending on the
amount of time they can commit to the scheme, spending between two
to three hours per family. They offer friendship, support and practical
help, as appropriate, and we know from the feedback received from
young families just how valuable this time is to them.

Our team: April 2021
Board of Trustees
Aaron Venables       (Chair)
Claire Hoather       (Vice Chair)
Anthony Frost        (Vice Chair)
Sue Wilson           (Treasurer and Company Secretary)
Jo Studdert
John Clucas
Mary Wade
Mike Garrick Green
Maggie Challis

Scheme Manager                 Group Leaders
Marney Connor                  Emma King, Helen Meredith
                               Group Workers
Co-ordinators                  Maria Owston, Natalie Nunn
Emma Sadler, Emma Smith        Play Workers
Julie Balaam                   Sian Williams , Victoria Hall
                               Adminstration
                               Julia Bailey, Katy Hughes

     And our wonderful team of volunteers.

    "My volunteer was a total star and fantastic
    support for all of us as a family."
                                  Parent, Cambridgeshire

Can you help?

Our volunteers and Supporters remain central to Home-Start
Cambridgeshire: it is no exaggeration to say that we couldn’t do
what we do without them.

Perhaps you want to make a difference to the people around you,
give something back to your community, develop new skills or meet
new people. If so, we’d love to hear from you.

There are many ways to get involved:

Home visiting Volunteers

Becoming a Home-Start Cambridgeshire volunteer is extremely
rewarding. Our volunteers are as varied as the families we support
and come from all walks of life. Volunteers with parenting experience
visit families in their homes for two-three hours a week.

Volunteers receive full training and receive regular and ongoing
support from a Home-Start Cambridgeshire Co-ordinator.

Fundraising Volunteer

If you can’t make a weekly commitment to support a family or are
new to volunteering, perhaps you could get involved in our
fundraising activities, supermarket collections, a stall at a fete,
annual events, talk to a local business/group or organise your own
fundraiser.

Commitment can be as little as a few hours a year.

Become a Trustee

 Becoming a Trustee offers an excellent opportunity for you to use your
 personal and professional experience to the advantage of the Charity.
 With ever more complex issues emerging and a challenging funding
 environment, the support families need increases.

 Become a Friend

 Setting up a regular monthly donation is easy to do and offers us a
 steady and predictable source of income that we can use to further
 develop our services.

 Donate

 All donations are much appreciated. You can donate online through
 our website - www.homestartcambridgeshire.co.uk - by bank transfer
 or send us a cheque.

  The earliest years make a big difference
We make them count, as childhood can't wait

Home-Start Cambridgeshire
                     F103/F104, Upper Pendrill Court, Ermine
                     Street North, Papworth Everard,
                     Cambridgeshire CB23 3UY
                     email:
                     office@homestartcambridgeshire.co.uk
                     www.homestartcambridgeshire.co.uk
                     Like us – HomeStartCambridgeshire

Home-Start Cambridgeshire is a Company Limited by Guarantee
(England) Registration No. 05139596, Registered Charity No.
1106007.