Home-Start training is excellent and I have already gained three Open College Network Credits and hope to gain some more through Home-Start's ongoing training.

Gail is a single parent of two teenagers and with ten years work as a playgroup supervisor behind her, she decided that she wanted to focus her skills and life experience on helping a family that was struggling to cope.

"It was amazing. Right from the beginning I got on like a house on fire with mum, dad and all the children." she says.

Gail visits her family once a week, sometimes she's there just to listen and other times she helps out with more practical issues such as getting the family to hospital appointments. With five children in the family, Gail has been a real support to mum Sue.

"Gail is like a tonic to me. She brightens up the whole house and all the children think the world of her, I can talk about anything with her and know it's confidential." Says Sue.

Gail feels that she will benefit from being a Home-Start volunteer in other ways too. When her own children are grown up, she wants to work in either social work or care work. For Gail being a Home-Start volunteer is a step towards this goal. Says Gail: " Home-Start training is excellent and I have already gained three Open College Network Credits and hope to gain some more through Home-Start's ongoing training."

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