Welcome to Home-Start South West Kent!
We provide friendship and support to local families with our volunteer home visiting service.
Covid-19 – We are offering a phone support service, or we might be able to meet you outside or in a pubic place. Please email us at contact@home-startswk.org.uk if you would like to get in touch.
Home-Start South West Kent helps parents to give their children the best start in life. We offer a unique service, recruiting and training volunteers who are usually parents themselves to visit families in their own homes offering informal, friendly and confidential support.
If you live in the borough of Tunbridge Wells or Tonbridge and Malling, Sevenoaks, Edenbridge or nearby villages, and have at least one child under five we may be able to help – just give us a call.
Are you struggling with any of these issues?
- Feeling isolated, with no family nearby and struggling to make friends
- Dealing with the extra demands of having twins or triplets
- Suffering with post-natal illness but finding it hard to talk to anyone about it
- Having a hard time coping with your own or your child’s illness
- Feeling overwhelmed by the death of a loved one
- The emotional and physical demands of having young children
- Providing the basics for your children
Lisa's Story
Lisa was struggling with post-natal illness after the birth of her second child
Lisa’s husband works long hours and Lisa felt very alone and frustrated. She had suffered with post natal depression after her first child and her symptoms were more severe after her second. Regular visits by a trained Home-Start volunteer helped Lisa during her recovery. The volunteer was able to offer a listening ear to Lisa – someone to share her worries with.
The volunteer was also able to interact and play with the children if Lisa wasn’t feeling able to herself. Gradually Lisa’s condition improved and she was able to begin to enjoy being with her young children. After six months Lisa felt ready to start attending a support group where she was able to swap tips and make friends with other mums.
News & Upcoming Events
Volunteer training in Hadlow
Fifteen lovely Home-Start volunteers completed their training with us in December and are now being matched with local families for phone calls or outdoor meetings. Thank you to all of them for their time and kindness.
We might not be holding hands but we are still supporting families
Do you understand the strain of being a parent? Could you spare a couple of hours a week to help a local family?
Free Volunteer Training
Could you become a Home-Start Volunteer?
Donate or Fundraise for Home-Start South West Kent
It costs £70,000 a year for us to support local families.
All our services are provided free of charge, and we are reliant upon grants and donations.
Your donation however small will help us continue to support parents who want to give their children the best start in life.
