Helping hand for charity
A charity which helps young families in crisis has itself been given a helping hand.
Oswestry Town Council this week gave a grant of £1,500 to the Home Start charity which helps families with children under the age of five.
Last year the charity supported 12 families and 32 children living in or around the Oswestry area - among the 88 families and 189 children helped in Shropshire.
Trained volunteers get to know individual families giving one-to-one support over 12 months whether practical or emotional help.
Chairman, Lucie Hounslow, said: "Our support is very flexible, working with families affected by poor mental ill health, parents struggling to cope with bereavement, long term illness or disability, with the aim to empower and enable families to have better coping skills for their future and their children's future."
She said on average it costs £1,500 to support a family for 12 months.
"We are the only service offering long term family support."
In supporting the town council grant, Councillor Duncan Kerr said that he was disappointed that Shropshire Council did not see fit to make a grant to the charity.
"The work of the charity can prevent problems occurring in the future," he said.
