Local  befriending charity, Home-Start West Lothian, is celebrating 20 years of supporting families in the local community. 

The charity, formed in 2000, offers person-led advice, guidance and support to parents with young children in West Lothian – helping those in need to overcome obstacles of parenthood, mental Health issues and isolation to grow in confidence as a family

Since the launch of Home-Start West Lothian in the millennium, the charity has grown from supporting 16 families in their inaugural year to helping over 1,200 families and nearly 3,000 children. Some of the activities undertaken by staff and volunteers to support families each year include weekly home-visits by specially trained volunteers, 1:1 support with members of staff and group workers and running a range of supported outings for parents and children.

Stuart Barrie, Scheme Manager, said “It’s a fantastic achievement to be celebrating 20 years of Home-Start West Lothian supporting families who need us most in our own communities. We work alongside parents’ everyday to help and support them through challenging times in their life.”

“We are always looking for more volunteers to support the great work that is being undertaken, so please do get in touch with us if you could spare a couple of hours a week helping a local family in your area.”

Louise Taylor, chair of Home-Start West Lothian started a long-term association from volunteering to leading the board for the last 2 years. She said “The work we do is invaluable, now more than ever, to helping families in need. In the last 12 months have helped nearly 70 families and 150 children and I would like to thank all our staff, funders and volunteers for their support over not just the past 12 months but the last 20 years.”

Paula Roots, who alongside Margaret Harrison CBE and Dave Milligan helped launch Home-Start West Lothian to help with early intervention and early years support for families, said. “The primary aim of Home-Start has always been to give children the best possible start in life, because childhood can’t wait. It is great to see Home-Start West Lothian continuing to grow and support more families every year. “I wish Home-Start West Lothian all the best for future years and look forward to seeing the charity support even more families in West Lothian and to continue to keep making a difference to parents and children who need them.”