Home-Start St Mellons will soon be able to expand into two new Cardiff communities, thanks to a £249,800 Lottery grant.

Home-Start St Mellons is one of 334 local Home-Starts that are spread right across the UK and forms part of the UK’s leading family support charity.

Home-Start recruits and trains parent volunteers to support families who are struggling to cope. This can be for any reason including domestic abuse, multiple births, isolation, depression, bereavement and lone families.

Set up in East Cardiff in 2000, in the deprived ward of Trowbridge, Home-Start St Mellons has been serving its local community ever since. In the last year alone, their 36 volunteers have been supporting 125 families and 271 children. Of these children 20% are on the child protection register or have a child care plan in place. They also support 11 children who are registered disabled.   
 
Home-Start St Mellons will be using their three year Lottery grant to expand their service in to Rumney and Llanrumney. Their focus will be to work with more families who need support with a disabled child. Over the next three years, it is hoped that 240 families will be supported, 600 children and 60 volunteers. These volunteers will receive Open College Network accredited training, levels 1 and 2. It is also hoped that a family support group will be set up for families with children who have special needs.

Home-Start scheme manager, Judith John said, “We feel extremely privileged that the Big Lottery Fund can see the benefits our project will bring to young families throughout the area. In a time when many charities are facing uncertain financial futures, to receive funds to expand our service is fantastic news.”

There are 18 Home-Starts across Wales, and between them they have 707 trained parent volunteers supporting 1,737 families and 3,559 children.

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