HOME-START WATFORD AND THREE RIVERS 

22% of salaries and running costs over 3-years to carry out early intervention support for families in the Cowley Hill area of Watford, Hertfordshire.

This funding will be used by HomeStart Watford and Three Rivers to deliver the #letsreconnect project to meet the changing needs of families significantly affected by Covid-19. The funding will be ....more

This funding will be used by HomeStart Watford and Three Rivers to deliver the #letsreconnect project to meet the changing needs of families significantly affected by Covid-19. The funding will be used to provide 240 isolated families with a weekly home visiting service for six months with a new focus on community reconnection post Covid and with a new family-to-family peer support/buddying service for families. #letsreconnect will increase confidence and resilience improve parenting skills and reduce family social isolation.

towards three years' salary of a Family Support Worker, and associated project costs, of a project providing practical and emotional support for vulnerable families in Hertfordshire.

Grant to Home-Start Watford & Three Rivers

Home-Start Watford and Three Rivers (Time2Talk Counselling Project)

Grant to Home-Start Watford & Three Rivers

"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more

"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."

towards three years' running costs of a Home-Start in a deprived area of Hertfordshire

Grant to Home-Start Watford & Three Rivers

Grant to Home-Start Watford & Three Rivers

Grant to Home-Start Watford & Three Rivers

Home-Start UK was founded by Margaret Harrison, and our scheme was opened by Betty Reed in 1993. The current Chair, Manager, 88% staff, and 96% of volunteers are female. Whilst support impacts whole ....more

Home-Start UK was founded by Margaret Harrison, and our scheme was opened by Betty Reed in 1993. The current Chair, Manager, 88% staff, and 96% of volunteers are female. Whilst support impacts whole families, 100% of main carers (as of Sept 2018) were mothers. Families initially score themselves on how they are coping in a number of different areas. The primary needs of our families are: parental mental health, low self-esteem, and social isolation. IMPROVED RESILIENCE AND WELLBEING Our support helps women to navigate the challenges of parenthood, including physical and hormonal changes, lack of support networks, and sleep deprivation. Relationships can also come under strain, and we have experience of supporting women in controlling relationships or who have suffered domestic abuse. Our community is transient and diverse, including women who are marginalised and considered lower status than men in their community. We have supported four single Black and Minority Ethnic families where the father had left them in an unknown country with no recourse to public funds. BUILDING LOCAL NETWORKS Volunteers play an active signposting role helping socially isolated families to get out and about and navigate their community e.g. Family Centres, and our own play/development groups. We support parents trying to develop skills / return to work. ACCESSING LOCAL SERVICES Volunteers help families to source/access local services, to arrange appointments and help with travel, childcare etc. which may have prevented appointments from being kept. We empower women to access self-esteem courses ie My Life and counselling services. Our volunteers build in-depth relationships and offer tangible, tailored practical and emotional support before a crisis point is reached. Families re-score half-way, helping volunteers to adapt their approach. At support end, all families make progress in one area of identified need, 74% in two and 38% in three areas.

A project providing support to those with mental health issues who are parents of young children. 'Time to Talk' will provide parents with weekly professional counselling and weekly home visits with ....more

A project providing support to those with mental health issues who are parents of young children. 'Time to Talk' will provide parents with weekly professional counselling and weekly home visits with volunteers who will also provide childcare during the counselling sessions.

Grant to Home-Start Watford & Three Rivers

This project tackles the social isolation that prevents families living in Watford, Three Rivers and Hertsmere from accessing support services. The targeted families will also be experiencing a ....more

This project tackles the social isolation that prevents families living in Watford, Three Rivers and Hertsmere from accessing support services. The targeted families will also be experiencing a combination of additional needs such as stress, anxiety, mental ill-health, financial difficulties and cultural barriers. Volunteers will be matched with families and undertake weekly home visits to work build confidence, accessing support services and achieve agreed goals.