Family charity starts West Dorset branch after £90k boost (From Dorset Echo)

Family charity starts West Dorset branch after £90k boost

11:10am Thursday 2nd April 2009 in News By Arron Hendy

GOOD IDEA: Bridport mother of two Lisa Loader is supporting the new Home Start scheme

PARENTS feeling the pressure of looking after a newborn baby will soon be offered help from a new support scheme.

Home-Start – a national charity that supports families – has started a new West Dorset Branch following a £90,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund.

The grant has helped the charity appoint a new co-ordinator who can now begin recruiting volunteers.

Bridport mum Lisa Loader has already asked the charity if she can help as she feels it will provide support at a time when parents most need it.

She said: “It’s such a valuable scheme as I see mums with tears in their eyes and I know exactly how they feel.

“They are having normal and natural problems.”

Lisa feels Home-Start is essential as more mums now live further away from their families.

She said: “When my two children were born I was lucky as my husband helped me loads and my mum could visit.

“But having a baby causes such a sudden change to your life.

“I had a little bit of post natal depression and if I had somebody there to say ‘this is absolutely normal’ then I would have felt a bit better at the time.

“It can get pretty dark for mums and you can worry if you are being a good mother if there’s no one who has been through it to talk to.”

“It can really stress and tire you out so that you’re short- fused and snappy.

“Having someone there to help can make you a better mum.”

Helen Horsley – a former Ofsted inspector and lecturer in childcare – has been appointed as the new co-ordinator.

She will be recruiting volunteers for the scheme, covering the same area as the district council.

After a family calls she will visit first and volunteers then offer parent-to-parent support. They will visit families with a child under five for between two to four hours each week.

It is hoped 30 volunteers will support 50 to 60 families with between 120 and 150 children every year.

Janet Kennewell, chairman of Home-Start West Dorset, said: “Children can take over so that you forget everything else and it all becomes overwhelming.

“Volunteers reassure parents everybody has been through it and build up their self esteem.

“They also head them in the right direction whether its about allowances or play groups and children’s centres.

“We will be recruiting local people with experience as parents to train as volunteers.”

The charity also received funding from Dorset SureStart, NHS Dorset and Barnardos.

Donations were made by village groups, West Dorset District Council, Signpost Housing Forum Club and Dorchester Rotary Club.

For information and to volunteer call 01308 800031. The first training course is in May.