Home-Start and national homewares retailer Dunelm have announced a new two-year fundraising partnership that will support the charity’s life-changing work with vulnerable families.

Launched on November 1^st 2016, the partnership will see Home-Start’s Snowflake Appeal merchandise being sold in Dunelm’s 150+ stores, as well as colleagues taking part in local and national fundraising events over two years.

Home-Start is a charity dedicated to helping families struggling with challenges including post-natal depression, isolation, physical health problems, bereavement, domestic abuse. 269 local Home-Starts provide 16,000 trained volunteers to give one-to-one support for 30,000 families across the UK.

Fronted by television presenter Kirstie Allsopp, the Home-Start Snowflake Appeal is a national fundraising campaign that focuses on the thousands of vulnerable children experiencing hardship or tragedy through no fault of their own.

John Browett, CEO at Dunelm said, “We all want home to be a place of comfort, happiness and hope, and at Dunelm we work hard to improve the UK’s homes every day. But we also realise that emotional and practical help is crucial to help families struggling to cope with great adversity, which is why the assistance Home-Start provides is so important. For the next two years Dunelm will support Home-Start to transform the lives of thousands of parents and children facing tragedy and hardship”.

Rob Parkinson, chief executive of Home-Start said, “We are thrilled that Dunelm has chosen to support Home-Start and our Snowflake Appeal. This support will make a huge difference to the vulnerable families we support right across the UK”.

Home-Start works because all volunteers are parents or have experience of the full time care of children. They understand how hard it can be. They work alongside parents, in their own homes, to help them cope with the stresses and strains of life and make sure they have the skills, confidence and strength they need to nurture their children.

Picture: Dunelm chief executive, John Browett, wearing a Snowflake Appeal pin badge at the launch of his Aylesbury store.  The new two year partnership between Home-Start and Dunelm was announced at the event.

Video:  Home-Start UK and Dunelm staff cut the ribbon of the new store with the Mayor of Aylesbury.