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From West Scotland to South Africa, Home-Start's work is far reaching....
Irene Harrower has been volunteering for Home-Start Lorn for the last 16 years. In that time, Irene has spoken of her passion for the charity to anyone that has crossed her path, including the guests at the bed and breakfast she runs.
Irene said: "I can refer back to a time in my life when I was in need of support, with no family around and having three little children. I would have loved to have had something like Home-Start."
Aileen Binner, manager of Home-Start Lorn agreed that volunteers like Irene make a real difference to families under pressure. She said: "One mum said it was the difference between surviving and sinking. I like to think we make the difference between just surviving and enjoying your baby."
About ten years ago, a chance meeting between one of Irene's bed and breakfast visitors and a Home-Start family gave Irene the chance to share her enthusiam about the project.
The guest was a lady called Anne Hart and she asked Irene many questions about her volunteering for Home-Start and what the charity did. Inspired, Anne returned to South Africa and after more correspondence and planning, opened the first Home-Start branch in the country.
Ten years later, Irene and Anne are still in touch with each other. Knowing that Irene has helped spread Home-Start to South Africa, Aileen thought she would make an excellent ambassador for Home-Start when she was asked for nominations for a prestigious local volunteering award in 2009.
Irene won the award, and her prize was £1,000 worth of travel vouchers. Irene knew that the only place she wanted to visit was South Africa and the Home-Start charity that she had inspired.
Irene said: "The whole experience was absolutely wonderful, humbling and inspiring. They have very similar problems to families here, but far worse. There's poverty, crime, AIDS. But now there's a little tranquil place full of these wonderful volunteers."
Irene said that many of the volunteers were not aware of how Home-Start had ended up in South Africa. "I told my story and Anne told hers and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. All I had done in Oban was was chat as anybody would and what happened as a result of that is incredible. It's like me throwing a seed away and it gets the wind and goes out to South Africa and grows and grows." Irene said.
On the 13th October 2010, Anne is coming back to the UK and is going to be spending time up in Oban with Irene. She says that she feels like she is completing the circle and coming home to where it all started for her. Anne will be meeting some of the families that Home-Start Lorn support as part of her visit.
Aileen said: "This clearly demonstrates the passion volunteers feel for the work they do for Home-Start. It doesn't matter where in the world you live, the support Home-Start offers is universal."
