Zoe Tyler joins forces with family support charity

Zoë Tyler, television presenter and West End star, is backing the new Real Parents campaign by sharing what she has learnt about bringing up children. The campaign is being run to recruit volunteers for the UK's leading family charity, Home-Start.

Home-Start volunteers visit families in their own home for a few hours a week. They provide informal, friendly support to families, who may be struggling for any number of reasons such as post-natal depression, multiple births, disabilities, isolation or becoming parents at a young age.Volunteers reassure parents and are able to offer advice based on their own experiences.

Zoë Tyler shares her experiences,

"After having my son Jake I felt alone as my family lived far away and so I had little help. Jake hated sleeping and spent the nights screaming. My partner and I split a year later as the stress tore us apart. I was still having to work and fell asleep at the wheel of my car. Things only settled down when he was three and started to sleep better. I wish I'd had the support of someone who'd been there before to help me keep calm and see me through such a stressful situation."

Other celebrities supporting the campaign include Antony Worrall-Thompson, Fiona Phillips, Dr Miriam Stoppard, Gary Lineker, Wayne Hemingway, Ulrika Jonsson, Sally Gunnell, Trisha Goddard, and Denise Lewis.

Lucy Cole is a single mum and her son has special needs. Lucy has been supported by Home-Start in the past and is now a volunteer herself. She says,

"I know what it's like for people who don't have any support - I've been in that situation myself. Home-Start really helped me at a difficult time. Every parent needs a bit of help -it doesn't matter what their situation is. If you don't have that it can really get on top of you. Having someone to come in with a fresh perspective makes all the difference. Now it's nice to be able to give something back - I find it so fulfilling. I would definitely recommend becoming a volunteer for Home-Start."

Home-Start volunteers bring all the knowledge they've gained as parents to the families they support, helping to build the confidence of struggling parents and encouraging them to manage independently. In return volunteers feel valued and gain new skills and experience. They are given comprehensive training and ongoing support from their local Home-Start Co-ordinator.

To find out more about the Real Parents campaign and how to become a Home-Start volunteer visit www.realparents.org.uk or call 0800 068 63 68.

- Ends -

Notes to Editors:

For further press information, including case studies, photographs, and spokespeople, please contact Susannah Pendleton on 020 7785 6388 or s.pendleton@realparents.org.uk

1. Quotes from all supporting celebrities are available on request.

2. People wishing to find out more about becoming a Home-Start volunteer should visit www.realparents.org.uk or call 0800 068 63 68

3. Real Parents is a high profile communications campaign delivered by TimeBank on behalf of Home-Start UK. TimeBank is a national charity that inspires a new generation of people to volunteer in their communities and enables charitable organisations and businesses to develop effective volunteer programmes. For more information visit www.timebank.org.uk

4. Home-Start is the UK's leading family support charity that recruits and trains volunteers to support parents with at least one child under the age of five. The charity was set up in 1973 and now supports nearly 35,000 families and over 71,000 children each year. Almost 16,000 volunteers visit families in their own homes - parents supporting other parents in a variety of situations including isolation, bereavement, multiple births, illness or disability. For more information visit www.home-start.org.uk

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