Home-Start Malta is once again encouraging people to join the team of volunteers to help families in need of support and guidance. Trained volunteers who are supported and monitored closely by the Home-Start coordinator run the service.

Home-Start offers support and practical help to parents with young children in local communities. To help give children the best possible start in life, Home-Start supports parents as they grow in confidence, strengthen their relationships with their children and widen their links within the local community. This started off in 2006 in Cottonera but following its success, it has now expanded to Zabbar, Zejtun and Fgura.

Homestart is a service that originated in the UK in the 70s. Home-Start Malta is being run by a management committee with the help of Agenzija Appogg and is supported by HSBC Cares for Children Fund and Vodafone Malta Foundation. It targets families having at least one child under five years of age. Having a young child can cause a certain amount of stress for parents who are not equipped to deal with the constant needs of the child. This situation could arise because of various factors – isolation of the parents, serious financial constraints, health reasons, and many others.

The service selects, trains, monitors and supervises volunteers who will be in direct contact with parent/s referred to the service. The volunteers must be parents themselves or have experience in parenting or working with children.

A street theatre was recently held by the group of actors of Abacus at the Senglea Waterfront in order to create awareness on what Home-Start is all about.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer with Home-Start Malta or requiring further information can phone on tel. 2167-8043 or mob. 9901-8398 or send an email to: home.start@

maltanet.net by 28 September. A new training course for those interested will start in October.