Home-Starts in London have created a new film to raise awareness of their work across the city, and to show the impact that volunteers have on the lives of children and their parents.

The new film, called Cradle, has been created by Home-Start London and is told through the eyes of a child, shining a light on the life-changing support Home-Start provides to families across the capital.

The film tells a powerful story about parenthood, pressure, resilience - and the difference a Home-Start volunteer can make.

Ben Heath produced the film for Agile Films and said: ‘Inspired by the important and vital work Home-Start does to support families and children in need, we aim to shed some light on the challenging dynamics that families can find themselves in and what Home-Start is doing to help. We hope that the film leaves audiences with a deeper understanding and inspires people to donate and support Home-Start so they can continue their critical work”.

The film was directed by Lucy Bridger who said “I was really drawn to the cause. Home-Start is an incredible charity that does vital work supporting families and children in need. Hearing their stories and seeing the impact they have was my biggest inspiration. I wanted to help tell their story in a way that felt authentic and truly highlighted the amazing work they do.”

London can be a tough place to bring up a young family. It has the highest housing and childcare costs nationally, and some of the deepest levels of child poverty.

There are 16 local Home-Start charities in London. Each has its own team of staff and volunteers, providing vital family support services tailored to the local community. Last year, 750 Home-Start volunteers across the capital transformed the lives of over 6,000 London families.

In Home-Start London’s 2025 family survey, 90% of parents told us Home-Start support made them feel more confident in their parenting, 91% felt their health and wellbeing had improved, 88% felt less alone, and 84% felt better able to support their children’s development.

Home-Start London was established in 2015 in recognition of the need for increased collaboration between local Home-Starts in the capital to ensure greatest impact for families. Our shared vision is a London where no parent feels alone, and every child gets the best start in life.

To find out more about Home-Start’s work in London, visit the Home-Start London website.

Cradle was produced by Home-Start London with Agile Films and the Media Trust. It was funded by The Mercers Company.