'Help us to stay around so we can continue helping others' - Harborough-based charity's plea after 40 years

Home-Start South Leicestershire celebrates 40 years with past and present trustees, volunteers, staff and supporters. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTERHome-Start South Leicestershire celebrates 40 years with past and present trustees, volunteers, staff and supporters. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER
Home-Start South Leicestershire celebrates 40 years with past and present trustees, volunteers, staff and supporters. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER
A Harborough-based charity is appealing for support to continue helping struggling families as it marks its 40th anniversary.

Home-Start South Leicestershire began life in 1984, following in the footsteps of the organisation’s first ever Leicester-based service 10 years earlier.

The nationwide charity aims to help families give their children the best start in life in the face of emotional and practical struggles including financial, health and isolation.

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The South Leicestershire service, based in Coventry Road, has seen many changes across the decades including to its location. And thanks to Lottery funding, the current premises has new facilities including a garden for children to play and a family annexe for group sessions.

First fundraiser for Friends of Homestart in 1994.First fundraiser for Friends of Homestart in 1994.
First fundraiser for Friends of Homestart in 1994.

Staff also host sessions in former children’s centres in Lutterworth and Broughton Astley.

Despite its positive milestones, manager Stella Renwick said need has continued to grow since the branch first launched.

She explained: “People’s expectations and pressures have changed, especially since Covid. A lot more external factors are affecting people’s happiness. People are feeling a bit more detached from wider networks and facing an increased sense of isolation.

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“The cost of living is also a massive thing at the moment. People are forced to stretch their income and costs just get higher – it’s very challenging.”

Friends of Home-Start charity evening at Althorpe House in 1994. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTERFriends of Home-Start charity evening at Althorpe House in 1994. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER
Friends of Home-Start charity evening at Althorpe House in 1994. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER

But thanks to the Leicestershire charity, around 150 local families are supported each year, costing between £250,000 and £300,000.

And across its four decades, over 4,000 families have been supported, including over 5,700 children.

Stella explained the charity had no guaranteed source of income and that small donations from the public formed a significant part of its funding.

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She added: “Our plea in 40th year is for help for us to continue supporting families for another 10 years. We couldn’t do it without local people - lots of small amounts make all difference.”

The charity is set to run its annual ‘Snowdrop Appeal’ early next year.

Stella continued: “We have to be positive to help people maintain hope. Our Snowdrop Appeal focuses on resilience through those dark months, and regrowth and birth in the spring. “We need to help push that message and if people can support us, it gives us hope we can still be here to give others the hope they need.”

Visit home-startsouthleics.org.uk for more information on the charity and how you can donate.

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