Home-Start Blackmore Vale

There for parents when they need us most, because childhood can't wait

We changed our name in 2022 to become Home-Start Blackmore Vale from Home-Start North Dorset to reflect the wider community we are serving supporting families in South Somerset as well as North Dorset

Home-Start Blackmore Vale supports families with a child under 5 going through a difficult time in their lives. There could be many reasons for this but might be Mental Health, Domestic Abuse, Rural Isolation, Physical Disabilities, Multiple Births or Bereavement.  We recruit and train volunteers then carefully match each with a family in need of support. Volunteers come from all walks of life, with one thing in common, they have 24 hour parenting experience, with 2 or 3 hours free time available each week to help provide emotional and practical help to local families. Support is confidential, flexible and totally responsive to the family’s needs, and in some cases volunteers provide support to families in group setting.

Home-Start Blackmore Vale is a local charity which has provided invaluable support and friendship to families in the area since 2011 and has achieved positive outcomes for hundreds of families living in the community.

Home-Start Blackmore Vale is affiliated to the national organisation, Home-Start UK, but we are autonomous and responsible for our own management and securing our own funding. Home-Start UK provides advice and support and monitors what we do through a stringent Quality Assurance review process which ensures the scheme operates effectively.

We have 5 members of staff. A team of 47 trained volunteers some of whom visit families at home and others help support parents in our Family Groups. We also have 6 trustees who are also volunteers, who oversee the running of the company and provide strategic direction.