Home-Start Guildford Overview for year ending 31 March 2015

Home-Start Guildford is a local family support charity. Since 1996, our trained volunteers have visited families in their own

homes to help them cope with the stresses and strains of bringing up a young family when things get tough. We have a powerful impact on the lives of local families every day –

offering support that cuts across all boundaries.

Helping parents build better lives for their children

Annual Report from Hugh Shanks – Chair

Dean Dianna Gwilliams with Liz and the

March 2015 volunteers

I am pleased to report on another year in which Home-Start Guildford has made a real difference to local families. This year we reached more families than ever before. Encouraging progress was made in our new area, Mole Valley where there were 12 referrals and 12 initial visits leading to 7 families being matched with volunteers.

This was the first full year in which we partnered with 7 other Home-Start schemes in Surrey to deliver the contract for Surrey County Council. As holder of the contract with SCC, Home-Start Surrey (HSS) receives the money from SCC and passes it on to the 8 schemes, which remain independent local charities. As a group we have pledged to capitalise on efficiencies in such areas as joint responses to SCC, joint training courses and shared PR. I am pleased to say that the SCC has given positive feedback to us and has extended its contract with HSS for another year to December 2016.

In January 2015 SCC conducted a survey to gauge the impact of Home-Start support to families and it showed that 89% of respondents felt that Home-Start had a positive impact on the life of their family.

Staff – Trustees – Advisers

PatronsWe are grateful for the continuing support of our patrons, and were pleased to attend Anne Milton’s Business and Charity networking event in March. We were delighted to welcome The Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams as a new patron in August 2014.

FinancesOur costs have increased from last year, but very much in line with our increased reach to more families. The biggest new cost was recruitment to support our expansion in Guildford and Mole Valley. Income has also increased, though not enough to prevent a modest deficit this year. 75% of the expenditure goes on salaries and rent whilst the remainder covers training, volunteer expenses and IT. But thanks to our large band of dedicated volunteers, our activities remain extremely cost effective and provide excellent value to SCC and all our supporters.

Staff team March 2015

We would like to extend a big thank you to the many trusts, foundations, companies and individuals who have supported us:

Surrey County Council, Army Central Fund, St Faith’s Trust, Beatrice Laing Trust, Joseph Rank Trust, BBC Children In Need, Surrey Community Foundation (Comic Relief Fund), The Borrows Charitable Trust, Enterprise

Holdings Foundation, Maybrook Properties, Serendipity Fashions, Turtle Tots Surrey, Ripley Farmers’ Market, Horsley Choral Society, Rotary Clubs of Guildford and Ripley & Send, Liz Hauck Art, Tom and Margaret Sharp, and the AJ Bennewith Charitable Trust …. and all supporters of our fundraising

events and volunteers who donated expenses to the Scheme. Thank you! (For full list of donors, please see Full Report & Accounts)

Overview of key figures as at 31 March 2015

This year (ending 31.3.2015)

£K

Last year (ending 31.3.2014)

£K

Income 133.3 132.5

Expenditure 145.0 127.3

Surplus (deficit) including restricted funds

(11.7)

5.2

Surplus funds as at year start 104.0 98.8

Surplus funds as at year end 92.3 104.0

The trustees would like to thank our Independent Examiner, A.J. Bennewith & Co. If you would like a copy of our full Annual Accounts please contact the office (details below).

Friends Fundraising Group A dedicated group of Friends has done a wonderful job organising a wide range of fundraising events including a Golf Day, Downton Tea and Christmas Fair. Our fundraising ‘100 Club’ launched in August 2014 and support has grown throughout the year. My heartfelt thanks to Ruth and all the Friends and supporters for making these events such fun for all whilst raising nearly £24,000 gross (£16,000 net) for the charity.

Looking ForwardOne of our key challenges in the coming year is to increase the level of our income in line with the expansion of our activities. This is critical in order to ensure that the financial position of the charity remains robust and that support to families in need in our borough is protected in coming years. We are grateful for the support of SCC and our many kind donors, but recognise the need both to grow and broaden our funding.

Our core mission remains the same, which is to provide support and friendship to help parents give their children the best possible start in life. It’s about parents helping parents. The idea is simple but we know it works. To that end we plan to continue our expansion, whilst ensuring that growth is achieved in a balanced and sustainable way.

We have an excellent track record of being able to raise the money we need and so overall our trustees remain very positive about the future.

Hugh Shanks, Chair

Surrey County Council, Army Central Fund, St Faith’s Trust, Beatrice Laing Trust, Joseph Rank Trust, BBC Children In Need, Surrey Community Foundation (Comic Relief Fund), The Borrows Charitable Trust, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Maybrook Properties, Serendipity Fashions, Turtle Tots Surrey, Ripley Farmers’ Market, Horsley Choral Society, Rotary Clubs of Guildford and Ripley & Send, Liz Hauck Art, Tom and Margaret Sharp, and the AJ Bennewith Charitable Trust …. and all supporters of our fundraising events and volunteers who donated expenses to the Scheme. Thank you!

(For full list of donors, please see Full Report & Accounts)

We are very lucky to have such a great team of staff in the office and at Pirbright. We can be very proud of their professional service in running the charity, assessing the needs of families, training volunteers, and matching them with families.

I would like to thank all my colleagues on the Management Committee for their hard work in support of Home-Start Guildford and their strong commitment to our scheme. The Committee meets every six

weeks to support the staff and ensure the smooth running of the charity.

Trustees as at 31 March 2015: Hugh Shanks (Chair, from Oct 2014); Ann Taylor (Vice-Chair from Oct 2014, previously Chair); Ruth Jubert (Vice-Chair until Oct 2014); Tony Lee (Hon. Treasurer); Kate Mutton (HR issues and website); Ann Doré and Ann Mather (Volunteer Representatives & Training).

Advisers: Zöe Franklin until March 2015 (Councillor, Guildford Borough Council); Joanna Handley (Safeguarding Adviser and volunteer).

Ruth Jubert retired in October 2014 after many years as trustee, including time as Chair. Ruth continues to play a key role coordinating fundraising activities as Chair of the Friends of Home-Start Guildford. We were all delighted to hear in June 2015 that she has been awarded a well-deserved British Empire Medal for her services to children and families.

Registered Charity No. 1154609

Patrons: The Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams, Dean of Guildford; Anne Milton MP for Guildford; Flavia Cacace; Cllr Pauline Searle; Cllr Jennifer Jordan.

Home-Start Guildford, Astolat, Coniers Way Burpham, Guildford GU4 7HL

T: 01483 511181 | E: office@hsguildford.org.uk | W: www.hsguildford.org.uk

Anne Milton MP and Ruth Jubert, March 2015

To make a donation or to set up regular monthly giving through our 100 Club or through monthly giving, please visit our website www.hsguildford.org.uk

“My volunteer Helen was amazing, she was very helpful and she never looked down on

me” mum with anxiety & post-natal depression

Parents supporting Parents – a simple idea that really works

Who are we?Home-Start Guildford is an independent charity which supports local families where at least one child is under 5. We cover all the Guildford borough and Bookham and Fetcham in Mole Valley. We are part of Home-Start UK, one of the UK’s leading family support charities with a national network of 288 schemes. As an independent charity we raise our own income to cover our running costs. We receive no financial support from Home-Start UK, though we benefit from their policy framework, training and quality assurance.

Message from Liz Westwood – Scheme Manager 2014-15 has been an exciting year for Home-Start, we had a record number of 114 new family referrals and welcomed new staff and volunteers to the scheme, with our administrator, Harriet supporting all our activities. Together we rose to the challenge of helping more families over the increased area we now cover. In April 2014 Lea joined us as a Co-ordinator, working with Lorraine and myself to support home-visited families and train volunteers. We held two 8 week volunteer ‘preparation courses’ in autumn 2014 and early 2015, training 20 new volunteers.

In July 2014 our Family Group Co-ordinator Yvonne, decided to step down having led the group very successfully since 2007. The families at the group, Major Miller, local health visitors and children’s centre staff, all gave Yvonne a great ‘send off’, including a ‘good conduct and long service medal’! We thought Yvonne was ‘irreplaceable’ but were delighted to recruit a new Group Co-ordinator, Corrina who started in September 2014, and working with Diann, Assistant Co-ordinator and the family group volunteers (Val & Sally C) the group continues to provide fantastic support to service families.

Our family events are always a highlight of the year. Last summer we had a great day out at Bocketts Farm, picnics at Stoke Park and Burpham Memorial Park and then a fantastic New Year’s party at Guildford Children’s Centre, supported by a generous grant from St Faith’s Trust.

All families that close from volunteer support are asked for detailed feedback about how the support has helped their family, their progress and their overall rating of the support from A to D. In 2014/15 43 families closed from support and 34 families (79%) considered support ‘excellent’ (A) or ‘very good’ (B) and we receive many moving ‘thank you’ cards and messages.

Liz

Type of Family Support This year (ending 31.3.2015)

Last Year (ending 31.3.2014)

Total number of families supported

171 154

New referrals received 114 92

Families receiving home visits

93 88

Families attending Group only

31 32

Occasional Support from staff (no volunteer)

47 34

Reach the family, reach the child

Major Miller gives Yvonne a

farewell hug July 2014.

Enjoying stories with new Family Group Co-ordinator Corrina

“Thank you all for such wonderful support I have had from the family group. It has

truly been a life line for me and no doubt contributed in my

getting better.”Family Group mum of two

This year we supported a total of 171 families, with over 70 volunteers.

What do we do?We provide one-to-one support for parents who have young children and are struggling to cope in difficult circumstances. These include post-natal depression, isolation, illness or disability of parent or child, multiple births, bereavement, domestic abuse, family breakdown, housing problems and lack of parenting skills. Many of the families we help are at risk of social exclusion and include those who are reluctant to engage with other services.

Practical Help During their regular weekly visits our trained volunteers offer confidential, non-judgemental, practical and emotional support. They work alongside parents in the family home to help them develop the confidence, skills and strength they need to nurture their children. Volunteers visit families for as long as the support is needed, typically for 9 months to a year.

Support for Military Families We run a Family Group at Pirbright for military families who face a range of challenges and are often a long way from their friends and family. These families can benefit greatly from support in our friendly group setting.

Fun Family Outings We provide social events for all Home-Start families and summer outings such as our popular visit to Bocketts Farm.

Working Together Home-Start Guildford works in partnership with Sure Start Children’s Centres, health services, schools, SCC Children’s Services and other local charities.

What impact do we have?Home-Start works because our volunteers have parenting experience and understand just how hard parenthood can be. We regularly review our volunteer support to families and the impact it is having. Our volunteers and parents often develop a deeply trusting relationship which can lead to powerful change within the family. This means happier and more confident parents and children, better family relationships and better engagement with their local community.

Our volunteers are at the heart of Home-StartWe could not provide our service to families without the dedication of all our home-visiting volunteers and those who support our family group at Pirbright.

A volunteer’s story…

Volunteers Steph, Lyn & Val with their Long Service awards December 2014

I joined Home-Start in 2013 having retired from a job I loved, which involved caring for children with a life-limiting condition. I felt Home-Start was an opportunity to offer support, not only with the children, but with the whole family. In June 2014 I was introduced to Jo-Anne and her family, shortly after she had had her second baby. Jo-Anne was feeling exhausted, her husband worked long hours and with all their immediate family living overseas, they had no one to turn to for support. In spite of facing a number of significant challenges, including having two lively young boys to care for in a small one bedroom flat, Jo-Anne has always put her family first. On my visits I’ve helped by playing with the children, assisting with chores, lending a listening ear, and helped with doctor’s and hospital appointments. Whatever the need, I tried to help. Recently the family have moved into a new home and, a year after I started visiting, they are now in a much better place. It has been a pleasure to be a small part of their journey. Like a chrysalis they have emerged now with their wings and are ready to fly! I have so enjoyed the time I have spent with them and will miss them, but hope it’s Au revoir and not Goodbye.

Fiona A, volunteer

A mum’s story…We had just moved to a new town and I found out I was expecting our second child. I was very depressed, as we had no family or friends and I was barely coping. My local children’s centre recommended Home-Start and shortly after my son’s birth I was allocated a volunteer. I didn’t know what to expect or how exactly a volunteer would help, but when we met Fiona I was really happy. She was like a Nan to my boys and every Monday my son would wait at the window excited like a puppy for her to arrive. She played games and gave cuddles to the baby, which freed me up to do housework. Sometimes we would just chat and I would rest. She was non-judgemental and gave me reassurance as a mother. My husband loved coming home on a Monday and seeing happy, tired boys – which sometimes gave us a rare opportunity to just chat and relax. I am forever indebted to Fiona and all her love and help during a very tough time! We also had the privilege of spending fun family days out through Home-Start, which wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Home-Start is an amazing charity and no amount of words can express my family’s gratitude.

Thank you, thank you Home-Start! Jo-Anne (mother of two, Ash)

To find out more about volunteering please call us

you’ll be very welcome!

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS who were supporting families this year:

Ali S, Ali V, Alice, Ana P, Ann D, Anna S, Anne S, Barbara, Bridget, Caroline B, Caroline F, Cathy, Charlotte, Chris, Claire, Dawn, Diana, Diann, Eva, Fiona A, Fiona C, Gill S, Gillian C, Helen R, Helen S, Hilary, Jane, Jannette, Jemma, Jennie, Jill B, Jo D, Jo K, Jo P, Joanna, Joy, Julie, Kate A, Kate M, Kathy M, Kaye, Kim, Liz F, Lizzie, Louise, Lyn, Margaret, Marie, Marni, Mary-Ann, Michelle, Moira, Monika, Nicki S, Nicky B, Nicky S, Nicky W, Olivia, Paula, Penny, Prue, Rachel, Ruth, Sally C, Sally L, Sarah, Sharon, Stella, Steph, Tessa, Tiffany, Tricia, Val, Varna, Vicki .... and in the office Helen D and Jeanette

Feeding the animals at

Bocketts Farm

New Year Party 2015