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Trafford Family Support Charity urge people in Trafford to gift two hours of their time to a local family at teatime.

Home-Start which supports families across Trafford is looking for local people to train as volunteers who visit parents and their children at home, for a couple of hours each week.

Home-Start Trafford, Salford and Wigan is one of Greater Manchester’s leading family support charities, supporting families with a range of issues such as poverty, isolation, poor mental health, multiple births and much more.

Each week across Trafford, local Home-Start volunteers offer life-changing support to parents and their children.

Home-Start volunteers are recruited and trained locally and are matched to a family who has been referred to Home-Start. They provide a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and a practical pair of hands. Volunteers help to reduce isolation; they help to increase confidence in parents and can also offer practical advice such as budgeting on a low income and early learning support for the under-fives.

Kathryn Eckersley, Managing Director of Home-Start Trafford, Salford and Wigan said: “We have seen a steady increase in the number of Trafford families asking for Home-Start support with school aged children many of whom need some practical help at one of their busiest most hectic times of their day – teatime!”

She continued, “Volunteering at teatime really can help make such a difference to a Trafford family, simple support that goes a long way. It can be helping a child with their homework, helping with a bedtime routine, or playing with a child whilst mum or dad make tea.”

Home-Start Trafford, Salford and Wigan are launching their new “Gift your time at teatime campaign” to attract more local people to sign up to a training course that takes place in Trafford this June. (Details needed)

Gift your time at teatime

Did you know at 3.30pm you could help an anxious parent with the school pickup?

Did you know at 4pm you could help grow a child’s imagination through play?

Did you know at 5pm you could help a local child with their homework? Did you know at 6pm, there is a mum needing help with feeding triplets? Did you know at 7pm you could help a busy dad with tea and bedtime routines?

Volunteering for Home-Start doesn’t just help the family, it can offer a range of opportunities for the volunteers too- younger volunteers often use their Home-Start experience to enhance their career prospects or further education, and for older or retired volunteers, they say their experiences help to reduce their own isolation, gives them a chance to give back, and connect to the local community.

To find out more about the work of Home-Start Trafford, Salford and Wigan and how to volunteer, please call- 0161 865 4222 or e: admin@hsts.org.uk or visit http://www.hsts.org.uk/volunteer