HOME-Start West Somerset, the charity that supports families with young children, has just appointed several staff and is expanding its services, thanks to new funding.

Now it is also seeking more people to boost its work helping parents build better lives for their children, and is running volunteer training courses early next month.

The organisation has won a £142,000 grant over three years from the Somerset Community Foundation Hinkley Point C Community Fund Strategic Grants Programme.

This will enable it to employ another staff member and also recruit and train new volunteers, to support families in the area impacted by Hinkley from Watchet to Stogursey.

It has also been given West Somerset Opportunity Area funding of £79,142 over two years, which has enabled it to recruit two new co-ordinators – a Bump-Start and an Early-Start co-ordinator – to support volunteers’ work with families, from pregnancy to children’s pre-school years.

The funding for Home-Start West Somerset is for the Opportunity Area project, ‘building confidence and skills for new parents and families’.

West Somerset scored lowest nationally on the Government’s Social Mobility Index, which compares the chances that a child from a disadvantaged background would do well at school and get a good job.

Opportunity Area funding has been given to 12 areas around the country with low social mobility, to help children in all age groups, so that they reach their full potential.

“As a local charity responsible for securing all its own funding, which is a huge ongoing challenge, we are absolutely delighted to be successful in receiving these grants,” said Clare Pound, manager of Home-Start West Somerset.

“It’s a massive boost to our funds and allows us to be able to provide additional help and support for the families in West Somerset.”

The charity is starting new volunteer training courses on Wednesday October 3. For further information, visit Home-Start West Somerset website or Facebook page. For the full report, but this week’s Free Press.