Volunteers and organisers from a local Home-Start brought the "real world" to the Labour Party conference on 28 September 2010.  They passionately described their work supporting families facing financial difficulties - and the threats facing their charity's very existence - to a packed fringe event organised by Children England and Home-Start UK.

At the event, called 'In for a penny, in for a pound: investing in families' futures', the audience heard detailed descriptions of the physical, social and psychological pressures faced by families in financial distress, and how they are helped through their difficulties by Home-Start.

They also heard how the local Home-Start was facing funding problems of its own.  "With the domestic abuse and post natal depression support services already gone from our area, I don't know who I will pass our families on to if we have to close.  Our funds run out at the end of December," they said.

They posed two questions for policy makers:

"What’s going to happen to [the] mum [I support]  in December if our Home-Start closes?"

"Would policy makers be able to justify their decision not to support Home-Start and other charities?"

A panel of speakers - pictured bottom right - chaired by Maggie Jones of Children England, then gave the policy maker's point of view and the debate was opened up to the meeting.

Speaker Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston and former chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, outlined in detail what charities and voluntary groups could do to fight funding cuts and improve their chances of proving their worth to parliament and local authorities.  She said charities must conclusively show their benefit for children, families, society and communities; show how they strengthen relationships between parents and the children, and between couples; and show how they benefit the local economy by building confidence and helping many volunteers and parents re-enter the workforce.

Claire Kober, leader of Haringey council, outlined the financial pressures facing local authorities and questioned the speed at which they were being asked to make cuts:  "I don’t think the government has a clue what such cuts, at such a rate will mean in a cumulative effect."

The event was part of the Family Room coalition, where fifteen family support charities work together to raise awareness of issues facing today's families at all three major party political conferences.  This is the second year that the coalition has run these events.

Read Children and Young People Now magazine's report of the event.

The Family Room coalition hosted nine further events at party political conferences in 2010, and focused specifically on continued investment in families. The events provided an opportunity to question ministers, debate issues and meet the family sector's most important stakeholders.

Between them the Family Room partners provide helplines, face-to-face services, information, and research; reaching hundreds of thousands of families each year.  We use this knowledge to inform policy makers of the real issues families face today.

The Family Room 2010 website.

Thank you to Mothercare for their sponsorship of the Family Room 2010 projects.

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