News Release
Rugby star backs national conference for Northern Ireland's leading family support charity
17th September 2008
Rory Best has leant his ear and support to Home-Start, the UK's leading family support charity.
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Home-Start supporting families in Northern Ireland, a national conference is taking place. Called-'Conversations That Change Lives', the conference will explore the importance of early interactions between parents and their children in shaping a more positive future.
Rory said: "As a godfather, I can really understand the importance of communicating with children at an early age. It's those little conversations that I have with Alex, my goddaughter that makes me realise how special the relationships are that we have with children."
Heather Knox, Director of Home-Start in Northern Ireland said: "Conversations are part of our everyday lives, but how often do we stop to think about the difference those conversations can make, especially to children?
This important Conference will highlight the difference that parents make to their children's development by the conversations that they have with them. From the time they are born to when they become adults."
Speakers at the conference include-
- Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee.
- Clive and Helen Dorman, Directors and co founders of the Children's Project and authors of "The Social Toddler."
- Lady Christine Eames OBE, 25th anniversary patron of Home-Start Northern Ireland
The conference takes place on Thursday 16th October, 9.30am-4.30pm at The Comfort Hotel, Antrim. £50 per person.
To book your place at the conference please contact Home-Start Northern Ireland on- 028 9046 0772
-Ends-
National contact:
Jo McLeish, Press and PR Officer t: 0116 258 7933; e: jmcleish@home-start.org.uk
Web: www.home-start.org.uk
Local contact:
Name: Gemma Bell
t: 028 8778 9489; e: homestartad@btconnect.com
Notes to Editors:
Home-Start is the UK's leading family support charity. We recruit and train volunteers to support parents with at least one child under the age of five. Our home visiting work is unique in the UK. The charity was set up in 1973 and now supports nearly 35,000 families and almost 71,000 children each year. More than 15,000 volunteers visit families in their own homes - parents supporting other parents in a variety of situations including isolation, bereavement, multiple births, illness or disability.
