High praise for volunteering from shadow minister as Home-Start joins a coalition of charities to raise awareness of family support issues with all three main political parties.

Maria Miller MP, shadow minister for family welfare said, "I can’t praise highly enough the work of Home-Start and Parentline Plus, who have paved the way in the work they do”. She was speaking at a fringe event to raise awareness of the effectiveness of volunteers in supporting families, at the 2009 Conservative Party conference.

“The only words you will need to listen to tonight are those of Kathy and Ali", [Home-Start and Parentline Plus volunteers] she continued. "Their words speak volumes about the power and importance of volunteers to the sector."

Home-Start's and Parentline Plus's volunteers were describing their work supporting families at the event on 5 October. They were speaking alongside Maria Miller and directors of their two charities to local and national conservative party members - about the positive effects of their volunteering. The event was chaired by Anastasia de Waal, director of family and education at Civitas.

The event was one of seven run by The Family Room, a coalition of 12 family support charities set up to raise awareness of issues facing families with all three major political parties. The coalition attended the Liberal, Labour and Conservative party conferences and launched a family manifesto at each. The Family Room coalition was co-ordinated by the Family and Parenting Institute. Full details of the events at all three party conferences are listed on their website.

Picture captions:

Top, left to right: Maria Miller MP, Anastasia de Waal (chair), Lynne Richards (just seen; director, England, Home-Start), Kathy Malcolm (Home-Start volunteer), Ali (Parentline Plus Volunteer), and Jeremy Todd, chief executive, Parentline Plus)

Middle: Maria Miller and Anastasia de Waal answering questions from the floor.

Bottom: Family room logo

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