Today marks a real milestone in our history, we officially registered as a charity on this day in 2005. As we clebrate 20 years, one of our founders, Clare Baker, tells us about how it all started…
As one of the founders of Home-Start Cotswolds, it’s wonderful to be able to reflect on the past 20 years, as we reach such a milestone today.
Looking back, it was a small group of us who set the charity up in 2005, including Tony Jones, who is still our Company Secretary. There were a few of us working in social care, health visiting and children’s settings who recognised the need for additional support for local families. We saw first-hand some of the more hidden disadvantages of living in our district, such as rural isolation, loneliness and poor mental health, that many families were experiencing. Led by Kim Hartshorne four of us from the Baptist Church got together to hold our first steering meeting on 31st January 2005. Rosemary Lynn from the District Council joined us and a little later we were introduced to Claire Gordon from Home-Start UK, who looked after all Home-Start branches in the South West. We knew that local families would really benefit from the support of a Home-Start, but we needed the funds to make it happen. In-order to set up under the ‘Home-Start’ umbrella, as a local scheme, we needed to raise £50,000, which at the time felt slightly overwhelming! Although statutory funding was typically no longer available at that time, Cirencester District Council pledged £15,000. This came with the caveat that we would work across the whole of the Cotswold district, rather than just the Cirencester area. It was a big leap for us. Within 6 months of that first meeting, our focus moved from forming a charity for Cirencester-based families, to the whole of the Cotswolds area!
Despite the geographical challenge, we raised the remainder of the money, largely helped by the Big Lottery. Our steering committee became our Management Committee, and we registered officially as a company and then as a registered charity on 28th July 2005. We were all set to get going and recruit our first staff. Katherine Campbell and Sarah Mais were appointed as a ‘job-share’ to become our first Co-Ordinator in 2006 and did a wonderful job leading the evolving team.
Things then started to move quickly; our first team of volunteers were trained in September 2006, with another group not far behind at the beginning of 2007. This meant we had volunteers ready to help families and we were all set to roll out our home visiting support.
From day one, Cirencester Baptist Church showed their support, and we set up our first office within the Church at Coxwell Street, before we moved to their new building on Chesterton Lane in 2016. The past twenty years may have looked very different without this generous support. For a time, we also had an office in the North Cotswolds, but we merged the two in 2013.
Our turnover of staff and Trustees is something that has remained steady over the years and I feel is testament to the small ‘family feel’ of our charity. Katharine, our first Coordinator, employed back in 2006 is still in the role 19 years later! I noted in one of the very few exit interviews I’ve had to do for Home-Start, that the member of staff leaving reported “this was the most fulfilling paid job I’ve ever had!” This slow turnover of staff has helped us with continuity, benefiting the families and volunteers that we have worked with over the years.
Reflecting on our amazing volunteers, who are all parents themselves, we are proud to have had (and continue to have) the very best of teams. We have run a total of 29 volunteer preparation courses, training nearly 300 volunteers. Some stay with us for a year or two, fitting in their visits around their own family life, others stay much longer. Our longest serving volunteer has been with us for 17 years, and we have many others not far behind. Our volunteers really are at the heart of our work, and we feel so lucky to have them, giving up their time, sharing their knowledge and compassion to help other parents. In 2018 our volunteers were recognised with the prestigious ‘Queens Voluntary Award’, a real highlight in our history and very well deserved. Talking of volunteers, we’ve also had 28 Trustees who have helped to steer and guide our charity. Our longevity and success is also down to their steady and unwavering support.
Looking back over 20 years it’s interesting to see what has and hasn’t changed. One element of our work has remained constant, namely our core work, home visiting. Working with families in their own homes, at the very centre of family life, has always been at the heart of what we do. We know that the earliest years of a child’s life make the biggest impact and by working with families, at home, we have seen, time after time, the positive impact this can make. I’m pleased to say that the positive feedback we have received over the years has also remained unchanged…
Feedback from a Mum we supported in 2007: “Knowing that once a week, I would have someone supporting me without question, judgement or expectation of reciprocation was invaluable. I didn’t need to negotiate for help, as with other family members, my volunteer just arrived and everything felt easier.”
Feedback from a Mum we supported in 2024: “My volunteer is so lovely, kind and understanding. I don’t feel judged by her. I usually feel anxious about letting anyone help me, so it has been good that I have been able to let her. When she comes and we do something together, it makes me feel so much better.”
Even though we’ve had great consistency in our home visiting service, it doesn’t mean we have stood still. Over time we’ve adapted to the needs of the families in the Cotswolds area. We extended our reach, and our impact on families, through the introduction of our Groups back in 2021. Since then, we are pleased to have delivered 28 Baby + Me Groups (for post-natal Mums and their new babies), and 8 Reconnect groups (for those Mums struggling with their mental health), in numerous locations across the Cotswolds. These seek to tackle the social isolation that we know is so prevalent for parents with young children in rural communities. One Mum said recently, “ I just wanted to send you a little message to say again thank you so much for running this wonderful group! It’s helped me so much, more than you would know. Feeling welcome and having a safe space each week. I enjoyed every week and also feel like I’ve made some lovely mummy friends that I will definitely be keeping in contact with!”
As anyone involved with a charity will know, funding and fundraising are key to longevity and can sometimes feel like an uphill struggle! Alongside the support of many generous funders, the team have worked hard over the years to raise money through our own fundraising efforts. We’ve held our ‘Hike for Home-Start’ eleven times, raising an amazing £34,000 over the years. We are also thankful for our local community, who have shown their generous support. We have been part of so many community initiatives run by individuals, community groups, and local businesses in the past twenty years (and we hope many more to come!). This goodwill and support have made such a difference and we feel lucky to be part of this generous and thoughtful community.
As we reach this milestone we are pleased to report that we are well on our way to supporting 1000 families, including 2000 children in the Cotswolds. This is an achievement that could only have been reached through the work and support of so many. On our 20th birthday, our thanks go to everyone who has been part of our journey so far – we hope you know what a difference you’ve made. Here’s to many years ahead, supporting even more families in the Cotswolds!
Clare Baker (one of the Founders of Home-Start Cotswolds)