Hello,

My name is Hayley Norfolk and I took up the post of CEO at Home-Start Cambridgeshire in January of 2024.

Since 1989 the mission of our charity has been to give as many children as possible in our county the best possible start in life. We offer support to families with at least one child under five, at times when they need us most.

Parenting isn’t easy. There are now plenty of studies into the early years which make it clear that for many, its too big a job to do alone. A Unicef report describes parents and caregivers as the chief architects of early childhood development. They say that like no one else, parents shape the experiences that build their children’s brains and set them on a path towards healthy development. It’s a multifaceted, time-sensitive, and ever-evolving job. We couldn't agree more!

There’s no doubt then that for many of us, parenting will be the biggest responsibility of our lifetime. So, imagine having that responsibility and then being faced with additional challenges. Those challenges might include mental health complexities, domestic abuse, the pressure of multiple births or caring for a child with additional needs, financial pressures, isolation, bereavement; the list goes on.

Starting in the home, our approach is as individual as the families we’re helping. No judgement, it is just compassionate, confidential help and expert support. Initially, the needs of any family are assessed, and a tailored family support plan would be developed by one of our Family Support Co-Ordinator's.

A significant part of our service is volunteer led in-home support, whereby trained and supervised volunteers spend around two hours per week supporting any one family, for up to six months. Our services also include a Cambridge weekly group session especially for parents who would struggle to attend open groups, along with a specialist parent-infant psychotherapy service led by a qualified practitioner.

We empower hundreds of parents every year with skills, knowledge, confidence, and emotional resilience to raise their children to flourish. As a result, families feel more able to create nurturing environments, supporting their child’s socioeconomic, physical, and cognitive development. The science is clear that brain development in the early years, supported by stable, caring relationships, positive experiences, and enriching environments, has a big impact on life outcomes and helps to shape our society. So, when we say “together we can change lives” – it’s absolutely true!

During my short time with the charity, I’ve come to learn quite quickly that in recent years we have become particularly dependent on income from foundations and trusts. Whilst being a vital part of our income, this kind of funding is becoming increasingly challenging and time consuming to secure. As a result, we’re working hard to deliver a strategy that will enable positive income diversification to secure the long-term sustainability of our family support offering.

But right here and right now, we are facing a funding gap and so we are launching this urgent appeal to ask for your help. Whilst we’re waiting for the outcomes of formal funding applications and diversifying our income streams, more and more families may need to wait for our support – meaning they could reach crisis point before we are able to reach them.

We understand that times are difficult and that charities all over the world are making lots of asks. However, if you could find a way to hear and respond to our ask we would be so grateful. Please consider whether you could offer a donation or perhaps set up your own fundraiser linked to our campaign.

Thank you for taking the time to read our appeal – we know time is precious. And thank you in advance of any positive action you can take to support us.

Written with hope,

Hayley