Royal visit is welcome boost for family support charity

29 September 2005

HRH Princess Alexandra has met families, volunteers and staff from Home-Start Schemes across Northern Ireland at a special afternoon tea held at Home-Start Antrim District on 29 September 2005.

The Princess who has been patron of the national charity since 1996, was guest of honour at one of the charity's Big Tea Party fundraising events.

Heather Knox, director Home-Start Northern Ireland, said, "This month our individual supporters, Schemes and Sainsbury's have held some really amazing Big Tea Party fundraising events across Northern Ireland, so we can continue our work. Welcoming Her Royal Highness as a guest at one of the final events is just the icing on the top of the cake. We shall be trying to secure more long-term funding for our work to ensure the future of our vital support for families under pressure."

Home-Start recruits and trains volunteers to support parents with children under five. The charity helps for anything from a couple of months to a number of years in situations as varied as isolation, physical or mental illness, bereavement, multiple births, or simply finding parenthood difficult to cope with.

In Northern Ireland there are 26 Home-Start Schemes which last year supported 1,100 families and 2,800 children. The charity's first Scheme in Northern Ireland was in East Belfast, set up in 1983.

Today's event was the first time HRH Princess Alexandra has been able to visit Home-Start's operations in Northern Ireland.

The Princess met representatives from six Home-Start schemes. Two families gave private accounts of the support Home-Start has given them and two volunteers from the charity talked about the support they give to local parents. Then Her Royal Highness went on to the children's Big Tea Party and to meet the local Sainsbury's manager and other funders and supporters of Home-Start in Northern Ireland. She was presented with a gift of linen, a book about the local area, and Home-Start's own book, 'Changing Lives in Northern Ireland'.

"It's such a boost for our staff, volunteers and families to know that someone like Princess Alexandra supports our work and is interested in finding out more," continued Heather Knox. "We're really delighted that she has been able to meet our volunteers, and hear first hand about the effectiveness of our work from the families we support in the region."

Anyone who would like to support Home-Start's work in Northern Ireland can:

• Buy the charity's book of personal stories from families and volunteers called 'Changing Lives in Northern Ireland', available from Home-Start schemes across Northern Ireland. Also available from Home-Start's Belfast office: 02890 460772.
• Register to hold a Big Tea Party next year by phoning 0116 258 7922.
• Make secure donations, volunteer or find your nearest Scheme by phoning free on 0800 068 63 68 or logging on to http://www.home-start.org.uk.

ENDS

Contact details:

Annie O'Brian, Head of Communications, Home-Start. t: 0116 258 7930. e: aobrian@home-start.org.uk. m: 07917 392130

Photographs:

We will have access to photographs of the visit from 18:30hrs on Thursday 30 September. Please call from 09:00hrs on Friday 1 October if you require any.

Since Home-Start began 32 years ago volunteers, who are parents themselves, have helped more than 250,000 families and 500,000 children in the UK and with British Forces in Germany and Cyprus. Home-Start International was established five years ago and now has volunteers supporting families in countries as diverse as Australia, Russia and Uganda.

Home-Start in Northern Ireland:

Antrim District 028 9442 8090 Margaret Thompson
Ards, Comber & Peninsula 028 4278 8369 Joyce Ross
Armagh & Dungannon 028 8778 9489 Ruth Briggs
Ballymena South 028 2564 3555 Virginia Davis
Blossom, Portadown 028 3833 7455 Roberta Reilly
Dalriada 028 2073 0444 Fiona Jinks
Carrickfergus 028 9332 8875 Helen Gault
Causeway 028 7032 1765 Ann Laird
Clogher Valley 028 8554 8807 Siobhan Conlon
Craigavon 028 3834 5357 Lucille Lennon
Down District 028 4461 5727 Lila Yates
East Belfast 028 9045 9429 Eelco Westerhuis
Irvinestown 028 6862 1970 Linda Stewart
Lakeland 028 6634 6818 Denyse Walker
Lisburn/Colin 028 9262 8585 Jackie Valentine
Newry & Mourne 028 3026 6139 Mary Hutchinson
Newry Central 028 3026 6139 Sinead Forde
North Belfast 028 9077 8999 Patricia Friel
North Down 028 9127 1201 Naomi Hodgins
South Belfast 028 9096 3340 Marie Best
West Tyrone 028 8224 0902 Ann McKeagney

Satellite Schemes
Armagh & Dungannon 028 8778 9489 Diane Gilpin
Ballynahinch 028 9756 3006 Ethna Cahill
Newcastle 028 4372 4531 Dorothy McMullan
Newry & Mourne Kilkeel 028 4176 4120 Bévin O'Hare

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