Spring Newsletter

Spring Newsletter

by | Jan 28, 2026 | Family Group, Family Support, News, Uncategorized

Winter Wonderland!

Well we really ended the year with a bang, so much activity and so much support from our partners!

The team at John Lewis & Partners kindly donated funds enabling us to provide Weaning Packs for families of young children; complete with hand blenders, freezer trays, recipes and guidance leaflets, the packs have helped our families on their weaning and healthy eating journey. We were also welcomed by the Chichester District Law Society to their annual Christmas dinner to host their raffle, raising nearly £1000 to help support families over the coming year.

Our families were once again invited by Seal Bay Resort Selsey for a swimming experience and the team at Chichester Cinema New Park invited our families for a free viewing of The Jungle Book! 

The festive season was our most successful yet, with thanks to The Media People who donated £4500 to provide support and opportunities to our families over the Christmas period.  Their generosity enabled us to host a Wreath Making Workshop for parents, take all our families to visit Santa at the Chichester Festival Theatre and host two family parties with a visit from our very own Santa!  In addition the incredible generosity of both V2 Radio and Chichester Harbour Rotary Club meant all the children we support received a Christmas gift.

……

What’s new?

We’ve begun the year with a focus on our parents, introducing an 8 week ‘All About You’ course.  The course is run by our volunteer Lynne Healey who is a complementary therapist and life coach and aims to increase self-esteem, confidence, motivation, resilience and aspiration amongst our parents.

We were delighted to receive funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund to enable us to continue and expand our services to families who are stationed at Baker Barracks on Thorney Island.  We understand that military families often have unique experiences and needs; we hope our engagement and support will continue to make a difference in their lives.

Looking forward we have a packed 3 months ahead:

  • Our next Volunteer Training course begins on 24th February, and it’s not too late to sign up
  • We’ll be visiting Seal Bay again to enjoy a fun morning of swimming.
  • Our parents will be taking part in a Spring inspired craft morning and,
  • Families will be visiting Harbour Tots thanks to Chichester Harbour Conservancy.
  • We are planning a series of fun events and activities to take part in the National Year of Reading, encouraging young and their families to enjoy books and reading together.

We’re excited for the year ahead but need the continued support of our community and partners to fund the work we do to ensure local families are able to thrive. Keep an eye out for our new Supporter’s Guide to see how you can get involved!

A young woman holds a smiling baby
High Sheriff of West Sussex visits Home-Start

High Sheriff of West Sussex visits Home-Start

by | Oct 22, 2025 | Events, Family Group, Front Page, News

High Sheriff of West Sussex, Dr Tim Fooks, visited Home-Start Chichester & District families at local group

Home-Start Chichester & District were delighted to welcome Dr Tim Fooks to their Chichester family group session where he took the time to chat with parents and children.

Families took the opportunity to describe how important they found the practical and emotional support they received from the group, some travelling over an hour by public transport to access the support.  Dr Fooks enjoyed the outside play, engaging with the children and hearing about the challenges some families face.

Dr Fooks remarked, “the relationships pre-school children form within their own families and with others create the building blocks for almost all their future relationships.  With the wise and expert support of Home-Start Chichester & District, the children who attend this Family Group, are already playing and interacting with others in a wonderfully positive way while their parents are able to ‘re-charge their batteries’.  For these parents, Home-Start provides them with a community within which they know that they matter, where they feel connected and where they will be missed if they are not there.  As such, I can totally understand why these families are so grateful to be able to attend the group at Home-Start Chichester & District – it is a treasure trove of care”.

A young woman holds a smiling baby
A smile woman does face painting
Four smiling women
people on wheeled riders
Trip to Beaky’s Forest!

Trip to Beaky’s Forest!

by | May 23, 2025 | Events, Family Group, Front Page

Home-Start families enjoyed a wonderful trip to Dell Quay to explore Beaky’s forest on the 15th of May 2025.

The event was kindly funded by the Chichester Harbour Conservancy Education Centre. This connection is well established, and we have been fortunate enough to be supported by them for the last four years.

The families enjoyed a lovely, guided walk along the sea wall which led to a ‘secret’ area which is just perfect for exploring. The children had fun searching for painted rocks and pond-dipping, finished off with some singing.

Jane and Mary from the Harbour Conservancy are so knowledgeable about the local area and were able to talk with parents and children and answer any questions they had.

Along with Home-Start Chichester & District staff, we were joined by 4 of our amazing volunteers who supported the families throughout and some provided much needed transport for families.

A great day was had by all, and we hope to return in the Autumn!

Visit to Rogate Pumpkin Patch

by | Nov 21, 2024 | Events, Family Group, Family Support, Front Page

We were delighted to take our families from the North of Chichester District to Rogate Pumpkin Patch in October for a fun-filled day out.

The transport was kindly funded by Community Transport Sussex. Special thanks to Rogate Pumpkin Patch for offering free entry and a pumpkin to take home for every family.

The families were collected from Midhurst and taken by minibus to the Pumpkin Patch. Many of the families that getting to the Rogate Pumpkin Patch more difficult. The families had a wonderful time exploring all of the activities, enjoying the outdoors and making lasting memories for the children. We all sat together for a lovely snack time afterwards.

The impact of the trip was huge, with feedback from the parents suggesting that, for some, this would not have been possible without the support and generosity of our funders.

What parents said about the trip:

‘I was hoping that my little girl would fall asleep on the way home, but she was still so excited after the trip!’

‘Without Home-Start’s support, I would have been too anxious to do this alone.’

‘We feel confident to try this again with our older daughter now.’

Lady Emma Barnard visits Home-Start Chichester & District

Lady Emma Barnard visits Home-Start Chichester & District

by | Oct 4, 2024 | Family Group, Front Page, News

Home-Start Chichester & District proudly welcomed Lady Emma Barnard, the Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex for an inspiring visit on 18th September 2024. The visit highlighted the crucial role of community support in enhancing the well-being of families facing challenges.

During her visit, Lady Emma engaged with Home-Start Chichester & District staff, volunteers and families, learning about the way the charity provides practical and emotional support for families with one-to-one home visiting from a trained volunteer, or at one of our five family groups. Lady Emma visited the charity’s Wednesday afternoon family group that takes place in Chichester and met some of the parents who attend the group with their children.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to spend time with the families and volunteers at Home-Start,” said Lady Emma. “The work being done here is not just about providing services; it’s about creating a nurturing community where families feel valued and supported. We all have a role to play in ensuring that every parent and child has the resources they need to thrive.”

Home-Start’s model pairs trained volunteers with families to offer personalised support, from companionship to practical assistance, creating a network of care that significantly impacts families’ lives. Families shared heartfelt testimonials about the difference Home-Start has made, underscoring the power of community connections.

“Lady Emma’s visit brings much-needed attention to the challenges many families face,” said Lois Rowlands, manager. “We are grateful for her support and interest in our work and hope to inspire more people to get involved with Home-Start, whether through volunteering or donations.”

Home-Start Chichester & District is finding the need for its support is growing every year – in the past two years, the number of referrals for families needing support has doubled. The charity continues to seek volunteers and funding to expand its services and reach even more families in need.

Trip to Aldingbourne Country Centre

Trip to Aldingbourne Country Centre

by | Aug 8, 2024 | Family Group, Family Support, Front Page, News

As part of a NHS project to better understand the health inequalities that people with disabilities or families on low-income face in accessing activities that support their health & wellbeing, Community Transport Sussex worked with us to deliver transportation to families in the north of the district for a free family outing. We approached The Aldingbourne Country Centre who were kind enough to offer us a discount on the entrance fees so as many families as possible could afford the trip We also made an application via Hyde Housing’s online initiative ‘MatchMyProject’ for further support and were approached by Purdy Contracts Ltd who kindly offered to cover the total cost of the tickets with sufficient funds left over to treat everyone to a train ride! 8 families attended which included 10 adults and 13 children.  
The day was very successful, the children had fun playing in the soft play area, at the outdoor water and sand area and of course visiting and petting the animals. A picnic lunch was enjoyed together, and children made the most of the large hills by having rolling races down them! The trip was a wonderful opportunity for families to make friends and feel supported taking their children to a public space and witnessing how much their children enjoyed playing together with others. The impact of the trip was huge; for some this would not have been possible without the generosity of our funders; two families even felt confident that they could arrange a similar trip themselves in the future.  

What families said about the trip

“Now that we know about Book a Bus, we’ve arranged a trip to the beach in Bognor with another family we met!”  
My little one loved the freedom of running free and playing with the other children”  
“I was so nervous about coming today but my child had so much fun, I want to do more trips!”