HOME-START WeyWater has been offered a helping hand to raise funds in order to continue providing its service in the Alton, Bordon and Liphook area.

It is an independent charity whose volunteers are trained to offer friendship and support to parents who are finding it difficult to cope. This helps to prevent family crisis and breakdown and is available to any parent who has at least one child under the age of five.

While focused locally, Home-Start WeyWater retains it links with other Home-Start schemes and is managed by a board of trustees which ensures that the organisation is operating within its constitution and to standards and methods of practice laid down by Home-Start UK.

In addition, the group organises fun days out and other seasonal events and offers opportunities for families and volunteers to meet each other. The aim is to provide a “valuable and practical support service that makes a real difference to family life”.

As the scheme is independent it is responsible for raising the £80,000 per year needed to provide the service. In the past, funding has come from many different sources including local authorities, councillors, The Army Central Fund, and groups such as the Lions and Rotary.

A major source of funding has been via The Big Lottery and Children in Need, but this avenue appears to have dried up and Home-Start WeyWater has found itself having to become more reliant on its own fundraising efforts.

Money raised goes toward the core funding of the scheme, or specific one-off projects – for example to recruit, train and support a volunteer through their first year of volunteering – costs £1,500.

Keen to lend a hand, the Four Acres Trust has stepped in with an offer to match fund every donation in excess of £500 received by Home-Start WeyWater between now and January 31 next year.

A Home-Start WeyWater spokesman said: “This is a fantastic chance for us as these funds will enable Home-Start WeyWater to train new volunteers and to continue to support local families with their emotional and practical needs.”

While the total match funding is up to £10,000, the Four Acres Trust will not consider funds raised by fundraising events such as coffee mornings or bag packing nor those raised by sponsored events such as marathons or sponsored swims.

The Four Acres Trust has supported other Home-Start groups in the past, and WeyWater was sent the application details and criteria by Home-Start UK.

Having submitted financial accounts its application was successful.

The spokesman said: “This is a real window of opportunity for us to generate core funds and attract new sponsors.”

As such, Home-Start WeyWater, which is also the Alton town mayor’s charity of the year, is appealling to anyone who could help the organisation by making a donation.

There is a request also to pass on the details of business contacts who may be able to offer some support.

The message is clear: “Please spread the word about Home-Start and the work we do,” said the group spokesman.

For more details about the charity, visit homestart-weywater.org.uk.