A local family support charity – Home-Start Pendle & Ribble Valley – has received good news of a second grant from the Big Lottery to provide support to families across the area.
The scheme is currently in the second year of funding from the Big Lottery for its work with families where there is at least one child under five.
Its Chairman of Trustees, Sam Saxon, announced the news of the second grant of £222,000 over three years to support families with children aged between five and 12 at the scheme’s Open Day.
“We are delighted with the news of this increased funding as we have struggled in the past to find agencies in this area to refer families with older children,” said Mr Saxon.
“Our service supports those with younger children and the office was getting calls from different agencies and families themselves needing support and we were having to turn them away. At best we were only able to signpost them to other agencies who, sadly, have now had to close due to lack of funding.
“This new funding from the Big Lottery will allow staff to recruit and train volunteers to visit families in their own homes on a regular basis and support them with a variety of issues.”
This project will help parents to improve their children’s attendance at school, support them to interact with their children and help the whole family to make positive lifestyle changes both in Pendle and Ribble Valley.”
The scheme, based at both Clitheroe and Nelson, is waiting to hear from people with parenting experience themselves, who know that sometimes bringing up children can be a struggle and who would like to volunteer for either project.
Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Katherine on 01282 690536 or email her on info@homestartpendle.plus.com for an information pack or chat.