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For many families, the festive period can be a particularly challenging time of year. For the families local charity, Home-Start Arun, Worthing & Adur support, this additional stress and worry is in addition to the many challenges they already face – be it financial worries, living in poverty or temporary accommodation, living with a mental or physical illness, loneliness or bereavement – facing the first Christmas without a loved one.

Home-Start Arun Worthing & Adur have a simple mission this Christmas: to ensure that every child and family they support experiences the joy and magic of the season, despite the tough circumstances they face.

Their Christmas appeal “Be a Secret Santa; Give the Gift of Christmas to a Vulnerable Local Child” has already raised a wonderful £9283 but the charity is appealing to the local community to help them reach their goal of £12,000.

All donations will bring meaningful change to the lives of many children and their families during one of the most challenging and poignant times of the year. Donations allow the charity to deliver personalised hampers, filled with Christmas food essentials. Every child will receive an age-appropriate, wrapped present. For some, it may be the only present they unwrap this Christmas.

Home-Start Arun, Worthing & Adur, answering the cries you don't hear

Beyond these immediate joys, for some families really struggling financially, contributions also help provide essentials like blankets, children’s coats, nappies, and baby milk—items that make every day just a little easier.

As Vince Mewett, Chair of Trustees and long-term volunteer for the charity explains, “Perhaps the most profound impact you can make will be the connections we foster - visits from our volunteers and staff at a time of year that can be really challenging for families - financially and emotionally. For those grieving, the first Christmas alone can painfully highlight their loss. For families who are overwhelmed and isolated, our volunteers and staff lend a listening ear, provide respite, give practical help and offer friendship.

Last year, 84% of supported parents shared they felt lonely. Thanks to donations from our local community, we can bring human connection to local families who need it most. A heartfelt thank you to all those who have already donated – particularly Howdens and Legal & General for sponsoring our appeal. We receive no statutory funding and are so grateful for the support of our community.”

Home-Start Arun, Worthing & Adur is a community run service of local parents, grandparents and professionals and for almost 25 years have been using lived experience to make life easier for families. For 2-3 hours each week 34 volunteers and 6 part-time staff give 1-2-1, non-judgemental, confidential, practical, and emotional support to parents either in their home, on the phone or at one of three family groups. They offer an in-house therapeutic counselling service for parents with moderate to severe mental health needs which are impacting on their ability to parent well. They also support HM Ford Prison family days to help dads reconnect with their children.

Mostly, they listen. Their support is gentle, unjudgmental, they are not prescriptive but work with parents at their own pace, and in a way in which they can engage.

Crucially, all their services are completely free to families.

For all the ways to donate to their Christmas appeal, to find out more or to get involved with their work, visit www.home-startawa.org.uk/christmas-appeal/

Home-Start Arun, Worthing & Adur: We answer the cries you don't hear