A MAJOR charity has launched an urgent appeal for volunteers. Home-Start North and Mid Beds, which is based in Biggleswade, recently received a grant of £179,919 from the Big Lottery Fund to develop family support services over the next three years in the

A MAJOR charity has launched an urgent appeal for volunteers.

Home-Start North and Mid Beds, which is based in Biggleswade, recently received a grant of £179,919 from the Big Lottery Fund to develop family support services over the next three years in the town as well as Sandy, Shefford and Arlesey.

The grant will allow the group to recruit and train a team of volunteers to offer a home visiting support service for local parents with young children.

Being a parent, says the charity, is not always easy, especially when facing the challenges of lone parenting, post-natal illness, ill health, disability or special needs.

Home-Start volunteers will offer regular and friendly support and practical help through difficult times for people in need.

Scheme manager Michele Flynn, who is based at the Home-Start headquarters at Bedford, said: "We are thrilled to get this award.

"Home-Start has been successfully supporting families in Bedford for 18 years. An example of our success is that last year in Bedford 100 volunteers were able to offer support to over 350 children and we are now excited to be able to expand our support services to reach families in Sandy, Biggleswade and the surrounding area.

"We've worked hard to develop this project. Now the real work is about to start. We need local people to support us by joining our team of volunteers.

"This project can't succeed without the help and involvement of the local community.

"Volunteering is a really rewarding experience and the high quality training we offer is all free and has recently been accredited by the Open College Network.

"Volunteers can make a big difference to the quality of a child's life simply by offering to give two or three hours of their time each week to a local family."

For more information about the volunteer scheme or if you would like to talk to existing members or even interview a family who has benefited from Home-Start support, contact Michele Flynn on 01234 270601.