Home-Start Havant has come to the aid of families across the borough in their times of stress and difficulty.

The organisation comprises volunteers who are parents themselves and who strive to strengthen relationships between families and help build up self-esteem using their own experiences.

At the moment 67 families with children under five are receiving one-to-one help and group sessions from a pool of 50 generous volunteers ranging from young mums to retired headteachers.

Maggie Eveleigh, Home-Start Havant co-ordinator said: 'We have a lot of families with twins who just need a bit of help for a couple of hours. It could be spent playing with the children, or accompanying them on a hospital visit.

'Our volunteers also help to integrate mums into the community by organising access to the health visitor or helping them join a toddler group.

'Sometimes it is just sitting down having a cup of coffee listening to someone who has had a rubbish week and telling them "You know, you're doing alright".'

The charity is based in the Mill Hill Children's Centre, Mill Road, Waterlooville, but volunteers visit families in homes all over the borough.

Families have to be referred to Home-Start or can refer themselves, but at the moment there are 19 families on the waiting list who could be seen sooner if there were more volunteers.

Some are parents from families that have been helped have come back to work as volunteers themselves.

'It is a brilliant feeling,' said Mrs Eveleigh. 'It's so good to see the change in a young mum who has had a couple of babies and thinks she just can't cope to actually coming back to work with us once the children have started school.'

The charity was set up in Leicester in 1973 by Margaret Harrison but there are now branches all over the country.

Havant MP David Willetts and his wife Sarah attended last week's annual meeting along with Mrs Harrison and 100 guests to celebrate the charity's success since 1983.