A local charity Hartlepool PATCH is celebrating as it has received a two year grant of over £30,000 to continue its work providing support to families with young children. The grant has been made by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales as part of their Community programme.
Operating from the Avondale Centre on Raby Road, PATCH works across Hartlepool, offering emotional and practical support for parents, carers and their young children. The charity currently runs thirteen support groups, providing activities for children up to the age of five, with trained staff and volunteers on hand to offer confidential help and advice to their parents or carers. For those in need of more in depth support, PATCH also visits families at home through their outreach programme.
A training coordinator works with the charity to encourage parents and carers to access courses within the community, as well as providing training to PATCH volunteers and staff.
Each support group is made up of up to ten families, allowing Hartlepool PATCH to help several hundred people every year. The Lloyds TSB Foundation grant will contribute towards salaries and overhead costs and ensure that this vital service for Hartlepool’s families continues to operate.
Sheila Taylorson, project development coordinator for Hartlepool PATCH commented, “Families with young children face a huge range of challenges every day. We try to offer them some support and an opportunity to meet other families in a similar situation. For some that is enough, but for those who need more support we have trained staff and volunteers on hand to help. Everybody involved wants the same thing, which is happy, confident children getting the best possible start in life.”
One enthusiastic member of a PATCH support group added, “My child has grown in confidence around new people since coming to the group and we’ve both made friends.”
If you would like to learn more about Hartlepool PATCH, please contact Sheila Taylorson on 01429 862 727 or e-mail hartlepoolpatch@btconnect.com . New volunteers are always welcome, with no previous experience required as full training will be provided.
