A FAMILY support charity has secured more than £343,000 of Lottery funding.

Home-Start, which provides frontline support to families who are struggling in Bury, Bolton and Rochdale, is hoping to help 150 parents with approximately 350 children over the next three years.

The charity says the grant will go a long way to helping with that, as well as with providing 75 new volunteering opportunities across the three boroughs.

Kate Brookes, manager of Home-Start Bury, said: “We are thrilled to be awarded this grant by the Lottery.

“It’s a ringing endorsement of their commitment to our work in helping us build stronger communities for our families and better futures for our local children.”

Home-Start recruits and trains volunteers to offer emotional and practical support to parents and their children who are facing difficult life circumstances.

This can be for a range of reasons, including poverty, poor mental health, illness and disability and isolation.

One parent supported by Home-Start said: “Before Home-Start my life was in chaos. I could not see the point of getting up in the morning.

“My post-natal illness was so bad, I often thought my baby would be better off without me. I was referred to Home-Start by my health visitor.

“As each volunteer visit happened, I became more and more relaxed and confident in my parenting.

“The emotional support my volunteer offered took me so far on my journey.

“Looking back I do not know where I would be without Home-Start.

“They saved my sanity and gave my little boy his mum back.”

Volunteers visit families in their homes for a couple of hours each week, providing tailor-made support and empowering parents to make positive change through a confidential and non-judgemental approach.

There are seven Home-Starts working with families across Greater Manchester, and Home-Start Bury, Bolton and Rochdale have collectively joined forces to develop new ways of working together.

Razia Mohammed, manager of Home-Start Bolton, added: “I am delighted to be working in partnership with my two neighbouring Home-Starts, sharing good practice, volunteer training courses and imparting my own knowledge of the BME community.

“What this grant will allow us to do is reach out to more families who need Home-Start support.”