Home Start Harwich
‘Young
parents, especially single mums of 16 and 17, often find themselves
under severe stress and unable to cope with looking after their
children’, says Nick Burden, the manager of Home Start, Harwich.
‘On top of this, people living here struggle with low incomes or
unemployment and feel isolated due to poor transport links in the
area.’
Home Start, Harwich, is based in St Nicholas’ church hall in Bathside, an area with a child-poverty index twice the national average. Funding from the Church Urban Fund has helped the church to better express its commitment to the local community, providing a safe and welcoming space particularly for the many young, single-parent families in the area. The project aims to have a lasting impact on the health and welfare of young children and their families, through core services such as Home Start.
A baby café, children’s speech therapy, playgroups and educational support are complemented by services for parents, such as classes dealing with anger management, lack of confidence and key parenting skills, enabling to nurturing process to continue at home.
Nick continues, ‘The use of this centre enables us to reach so many different local families, providing the guidance, care and training they need to build a happy, functioning and secure family life.’
