Home-Start Portsmouth joins national campaign to celebrate UK charity anniversary

Home-Start Portsmouth is marking 50 years since the first Home-Start began supporting families.

The Portsmouth branch was established in 1992 but the first Home-Start was established in Leicester in 1973, and since then Home-Start has been helping over 1.5m families across the UK.

The national charity is launching a new campaign called The Power of Little Moments, which will focus on the lifelong impact that a Home-Start volunteer makes to a family.

The campaign, which will run throughout 2023, will aim to make sure that Home-Start can be there for children and parents for years to come by focusing on inspiring stories of how Home-Start has helped families.

Lauren Forward, a mum who has used the service said: ‘John showed me I can get through this. He’s so laid back and patient. Layla doesn’t make eye contact with people she doesn’t feel safe with, but she will look and engage with John.

‘John has helped me to not worry what other people are thinking. He said if Layla has a meltdown in public people won’t be judging, more likely they’ll be thinking we’ve all been there.

SEE ALSO: Home-Start Portsmouth is celebrating its anniversary with a month-long fundraising challenge

‘Before John came into our lives, I found taking Layla to the park really hard. When it was time to go home, she’d start hitting and kicking me. John’s shown me how to keep calm and that has really helped me to manage Layla’s behaviour.

‘Home-Start has made such a difference in our lives. I don’t know where we would be without them.’

The Portsmouth team have been helping families in the area since 1992 and they are on the search for stories of how families have been helped over the years.

Natasha Solanki, communications and fundraising manager of Home-Start Portsmouth, said: ‘We are looking for people to share their stories of how Home-Start has impacted their lives over the years, to show the difference all those little moments made and that support in the earliest years can make a lifelong impact. We’ve already heard some wonderful stories but we know there are many more. If you have a story you’d like to tell please get in touch.’