Home Start in 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.’

Friends of Essex Churches – Sponsored Ride & Stride for 2008

Well done to all the cyclists, walkers and stewards at the church who helped on the day. Thank you very much indeed to all sponsors for the total of £613.00 raised at St. Leonards’ this year.

Please keep the second Saturday of September 2009 available for your opportunity to become involved with this national event to help raise funds for the repair and restoration of churches in Essex and East London.

Your local organiser for St. Leonard's Church is Philip Kershaw (01206 577044)