HOME-START EPSOM, EWELL & BANSTEAD

Help Home-Start 

Epsom, Ewell, Banstead, and Mole Valley Home-Start are launching our first Crowd Funding appeal – and its success is critical. 

Our unique services provide friendly, non-judgmental, informal, and confidential support for struggling families, empowering them; to ensure that every child we work with has the best possible start in life. 

Locally, for over 27 years, hundreds of our volunteers have made a difference to thousands of families. 

Today we face our toughest challenge yet and by donating to our appeal you can help us continue our vital work for the years to come. 

Between now and 2024 we need to raise £40,000: if we raise £5,000 we will provide family outings; £10,000 would train more volunteers; £15,000  would support the Family Support service and £25,000 would keep our Over 5’s special needs service operating. 

We need your help for those families who need our services because without us they face a bleak future.  

Can you support our Crowd Funding Appeal? We are in desperate need of funds to stay open- to provide support to local families who are facing challenging times. Every penny or pound makes a difference, no donation is too small. Please share this message with as many people as possible, to help us continue to brighten the lives of 100's of families. 

You have the power to ensure we continue to give children the help they need to survive and thrive.

How did we get here:

Seven years ago, when I became Chair of Trustees, our turnover was just under £100,000 with about 50% of our funding coming from Surrey County Council. In 2024, to meet the increasing need with cuts to local services, we must raise £200,000 to deliver our wider range of services with NO funding from Surrey County Council. We know that our early years early help services make the biggest difference to families and children in difficult and challenging situations. 

Since June we have written many funding bids with several refusals and some we are waiting to hear from. Without more money we face a financial crisis, with the possibility of service closures in 2024.

Who did we help this year? 

In 2023 we supported 402 families with over 677 children; 148 families had our core weekly volunteer support service with 237 children; 166 families with 332 children were supported by the Over 5’s service for children with special needs; benefitting from a mix of one-to-one support, workshops, and groups. The Perinatal Infant Mental Health service supported 28 families with 36 children with one-to-one support and small groups. In addition, we run free soft-play sessions and groups for young mums and isolated parents. Our new Dad Matters project now has 3 volunteers and has had over 22 referrals in the first 6 months. 

In the summer we run weekly outings, picnics, theatre trips and a seaside outing, all free for families. Some of the children have never been to the seaside before… we want to continue to enable these families to make those precious memories! 

Without funding we will have to reduce the services that prevent some of the longer-term problems that can impact families.  

Share the Crowd funder with your family, friends, colleagues, other parents at your child’s School or Nursery, local family services and businesses you use - anyone who might be interested in supporting families who need a helping hand when times get tough!

Your generosity will mean more families will get the local support they need to ensure their children get the best start in life. Help us be there for them. We need to continue these vital services. Please help where you can and thank you.

Family Feedback 2023 

Thank you!! I couldn't have asked for anyone better to support me in a time that my family I was most vulnerable! I wouldn't want to think where I would be if Home Start didn't get involved when they did. My daughter loved the volunteer and made such an amazing connection as soon as they met, I was able to have my own head space to get better and to enjoy watching my daughter build a relationship with another adult. I was listened to, respected, and cared about from everyone that worked with us, the encouragement from Home Start made me able (with a lot of work) to leave my house again and enjoy having a baby! Everyone should have home start involved! I can't thank the team enough!

My volunteer became a huge part of my weekly life, and I can’t thank her enough for all the support she has given me. She has seen me at my worse and continued to give me the support I needed to come back to a place I can cope without any judgment. She’s helped me so much with P at home and even getting me out the house to benefit P’s development, which I didn’t think anyone would be able to do. No matter where I am with my mental health, she will always reply to a message from me asking for support or advice. Thank you for everything, every text, hug, cry, nagging, smile, and laughter you have shared with me and my Family. I will forever be grateful to you both, you are an inspiration to everyone that knows you!