Home-Start in West Northamptonshire logo

About Home-Start

Home-Start is a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with at least one child under five years of age.

Who we are

Home-Start Northampton is part of the Home-Start offering in West Northamptonshire alongside Home-Start Daventry and South Northants.

We are a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with at least one child under five years of age and living in the Borough of Northampton. Volunteers offer regular support, friendship and practical help to families, under stress, in their own homes, helping to prevent family crisis and breakdown.

Helping families in Northampton since 1982. Since 2015:

Families helped

Children supported

Volunteers Hours

What we do

Our support is informal, friendly and confidential; delivered through carefully selected and prepared volunteers, who are parents themselves.  Home-Start believes that children need a happy and secure childhood, and that parents play the key role in giving their children a good start in life, helping them to achieve their full potential.

Through the offer of support, friendship and practical help to parents with young children, Home-Start supports parents to grow in confidence, strengthen their relationships with their children and widen their links within the local community.

Home-Start Northampton is proud to be a part of the Home-Start network. As well as giving us access to specialist support and collective influence, our membership ensures we are assessed under the Home-Start Quality Assurance framework.

The framework is a bespoke system designed with the Charities Evaluation Service and encompasses four standards: Governance, People Management, Managing Data and Safeguarding/Child Protection. In our day to day work we use self-assessment to ensure all aspects are adhered to and these are regularly reviewed by the Trustee Board. This allows us to flag issues before they become serious and respond in a timely fashion. It also enables us to develop a culture of self-improvement in which trustees, staff and volunteers thrive. The system incorporates the principles of ISO9001 and Investors in People and our compliance is routinely reviewed by Home-Start UK’s ISO accredited quality assurance specialists.

We are particularly proud to report a score of 100% in our most recent audit.

“Home-Start raises self-confidence, improves social networks, reduces difficult behaviour on the part of the child and improves mental and physical health” – Every Child Matters Government Green Paper.

Our Service Offering

These are some of the areas of support that we offer for  families.

Areas we cover

We support families living across the former Northampton Borough Council area.
Home-Start Northampton area map

Areas of Help

Some of the areas that we help families.

Case studies

Family 1

“My volunteer encouraged me to want to better my home life, self esteem and  children’s lives.  She gave me the tools and advice I needed...

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Family 2

"My volunteer helped a lot with  emotional support.  She helped keep my two children entertained whilst I got things done.  She also encouraged me...

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Family 3

"She was always there to talk to, she never judged me.  She always offered support.  I am going to miss seeing my  volunteer every week".  

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Our Leadership Team

Our leadership team are responsible for the delivery of our services and strategy. Together, they ensure we’re here for families when they need us most, that our volunteers are trained and supported and that our service remains effective, reaching as many in our communities as possible.

Zoe Reynolds – Manager

Maia Aldridge – Family Support Co-ordinator

Kerrie Purr – Lead Co-ordinator

Jessica Cardosa – Family Support Worker

Anna Kryvenko – Family Support Worker

Krystina – Office Manager and Administrator

Our trustees

Our Board of Trustees, like other volunteers, give their time and experience to make our organisation the best it can be.

Our Board is responsible for setting the direction of our organisation, strategic decisions, governance, legal compliance and leadership. Working closely with the Manager and the staff, Trustees are essential to the operation of our charity.

To find out more contact us

Julia Halliwell – Chairperson: HR & Governance

Robin Draper – Vice Chair: Funding & Community Supporters

Dan Roberts – Treasurer: Finance & Funding

Wayne Lawrence – Trustee: Safeguarding & EDI

Sam Armsby – Trustee: Marketing, EDI & Strategic Engagement

Jenny Brooks – Trustee: HR

Angela Draper – Trustee: Community Supporters & Strategic Engagement

Peter Greenham – Trustee: Business Development & Strategic Engagement

Fiona Seymour – Trustee: GDPR Risk Governance & HR

Maxine Clarke – Advisor: Safeguarding

Ross Davidson – Advisor: Communications

Syrah Nazir – Advisor: Diversity & Inclusion

Our Patrons

Paul and Emma Grayson

Become a Home-Start Volunteer Today

Home-Start’s team of trained volunteers make sure a child’s early years count. By volunteering just a few hours each week you can transform the lives of young children and their parents in your community. Click here to find out more. 

Volunteer Application Form for Home-Start Northampton