Helping to bring children out of poverty
The child poverty index in the Bathside area is double the national average. ‘Young parents, especially single mums of 16 and 17, often find themselves under severe stress and unable to cope with looking after their children’, says Nick Burden, the Home-Start, Harwich centre manager. ‘On top of this, people here struggle with low incomes or unemployment and feel isolated due to bad transport in the area.’
Home-Start, Harwich based at St Nicholas’ Hall in Bathside offers a range of services which aim to build a lasting and positive impact on the development of young children and the health and welfare of their families. These include a baby café, children’s speech and language therapy, playgroups which focus on child development and additional education for children. Parent classes are also held at St Nicholas’ Hall which focus on their own needs such as how to deal with anger, raise confident girls and boys and other key parenting skills.
Nick continues, ‘The use of this centre enables us to reach a range of different local families and to provide the guidance, care and training they need to build a happy, functioning and secure family life.’