Supporting vulnerable families in a COVID world

Aim: Sustaining our early support to local families facing tough times, mitigating the risk of crisis and a need for local authority intervention

Family Friends in Windsor and Maidenhead is a small local charity, with an incredible network of awesome volunteers that provides early practical and emotional support to children and families who are struggling to cope, thereby helping to reduce the risk of issues escalating into crisis and the need for local authority intervention. We provide support in the home/community and also deliver specialist groups to children struggling with anxiety and those impacted by domestic abuse. 

Our beneficiaries are families with young children who either self-refer or are referred by social workers, early help advisors, health visitors, schools, children's centres and other charities.

Funding constraints, worsened by the pandemic, have meant us having to reduce our staff team and adapt how we recruit, train and manage volunteers. This has meant families waiting longer to be matched with a volunteer, with the risk of situations worsening and the need for statutory intervention. This in turn not only creates additional stress and anxiety for the family but also increases the burden on what are already over-stretched local authorities.

Hence we urgently need to raise additional funds to enable us to strengthen our staff team, develop safe and cost effective ways to deliver our services and ensure the ongoing viability of our organisation and its support to what is sadly and an increasing number of families struggling to cope in the new COVID world.