ANYONE with young children knows family life can often be a strain and sometimes parents need a shoulder to lean on.

Home-Start is a national organisation offering basic support that can make a huge difference to people's home lives. The charity's Evesham and Pershore branch is looking for new volunteers to join the scheme.

Branch organiser Heather Willcocks said: "I've been involved in the organisation for two years, starting as a volunteer over in Worcester. We're supporting young families, who must have at least one child under the age of five, that are going through a period of stress and difficulty whatever that may be."

Circumstances in which the charity offers help include marital breakdowns, children with behavioural problem, health problems and lone parents. It also helps new families in the area to build up a support network.

"Our work makes a huge difference to people's lives. An extreme situation would be that it prevents a family breakdown. We also help parents to extend their social network, for example by organising mother and toddler groups. It is just simple things; being a friend."

Hayley Syril has been a Home-Start volunteer for more than a year: "I became involved because I wanted to get out of the house. I am also doing a counselling course so the work I do with Home-Start is useful for my training."

"I could have really done with someone when I was in that position. I was very young when I had my first child. I like being around people who care about children and it makes me feel alright about the world."

Anyone with parenting experience can become a Home-Start volunteer and because the families being helped are so diverse, volunteers are needed from all sorts of backgrounds - men and women. Heather said: "Anyone wanting to volunteer must be able to spare around three or four hours a week on a regular basis.

"Continuity is a really important thing - if the volunteer does not turn up the family might think they have done something wrong and it is back on a downward spiral."

Prospective Home-Start volunteers can attend a course of preparation starting on Wednesday, November 5, at Pershore Civic Centre. It runs for 10 Wednesday mornings, excluding school holidays, and discusses topics including child development and modern family life. Out-of-pocket expenses are paid.

For further details contact Heather Willcocks on 01608 650593.