Stop start? Parents and kids fight for family charity Home-Start Camden

Published: 24 June 2010
by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS

TODDLERS, their mums and volunteer helpers all set off for a lap of Parliament Hill on Thursday morning to raise awareness and money for a threatened charity.

Home-Start Camden, which has suffered funding cuts, needs to raise £12,000 to stay afloat.

The charity, which organises volunteers to visit single parents and struggling families in their home to help for a few hours a week, has more than 120 households in need on its books. More than 200 children under five are looked after by volunteers, giving their parents a chance to catch up on household chores or just offer a sympathetic ear in hard times. 

Belinda Low, from Kentish Town, has been a Home-Start volunteer for two years. The part-time designer said she “wouldn’t be without” the experience, adding: “I’ve learned a lot from my families, and it’s very nice to help people.”

Andrea Shaw, from Parliament Hill, has twin sons, aged one, and a three-year-old daughter. She said the extra help she received from a volunteer was “invaluable”.