Chair Person Report
We continue to provide a valuable lifeline to so many families across Aberdeen City
Chief Excecutive Report
Demand for our services remained high and we found that complex needs meant longer-term support was needed to develop the skills, confidence and protective factors which families need to build up their resilience.
225
Families Supported
293
Children Supported
97
Volunteers
14,116
Volunteer Hours
73%
of children experienced a more nurturing family environment, helping them to meet their developmental milestones
79%
of children had improved health and wellbeing
67%
of parents felt their wellbeing had improved, allowing them to better meet their children’s needs
59%
of families felt more resilient and better able to cope with challenges
We’re there for parents, because childhood can’t wait
Children’s earliest years are crucially important. These early days will affect the rest of their lives. During the first 1001 days from conception to age 2, babies’ brains form connections faster than at any other time. By age two, they will have created billions of synapses between their brain cells. Brains are built in stages, with more complex structures built on simpler ones so it’s crucial to get the early years right and to lay a solid foundation to serve as a basis for later development.
Babies and young children need nutrition, good health, safety and security, responsive care and early learning opportunities to support their growth and development. Not just their physical growth and development but also their emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Infant mental health means being and becoming mentally healthy as a child develops and grows. This is sometimes defined as their developing capacity “to experience, regulate and express emotions, form close and secure interpersonal relationships and explore the environment and learn…”
Science has shown that the relationships with the important people in an infant’s life literally shape and form the development of their brain. Babies learn about the people around them, develop resilience against adversity and have trust in others. It’s within these special relationships with parents and other caregivers that strong foundations are laid for their emotional, cognitive, and social development.
Simple, moment-to-moment, every-day interactions with responsive parents and caregivers are like the bricks that build sturdy brains. Singing, playing, talking and reading; soft touch, cuddles and soothing; routines and boundaries; exploring and socialising – these are like the bricks that build strong and healthy brains. Caring and loving interactions help a child feel safe and secure and help their brain develop a strong and healthy network of connections which set the stage for higher level skills to develop later in life – things like motivation, focus, problem solving, getting along with others. These are things that affect a person’s ability to learn and do well in school and in life
As parents, we only get one opportunity to make these most crucial days count and provide the best start in life for our children. But nurtured children are the consequence of nurtured adults. To take care of children, we must take care of those around them and too often things can get in the way of that – things like poverty, poor parental mental health, lack of a support network, domestic abuse, relationship breakdown or having a negative experience of being parented.
This is where Home-Start Aberdeen comes in. Our support can ease these pressures and help parents to deal with the barriers and challenges they face. We help to create a space where relationships can be nurtured, and children thrive. If we can do that, we will make a difference to the health and happiness of generations to come.
This is at the heart of everything we do at Home-Start Aberdeen – read on to find out more about how our work helps to build better futures for babies and children.
Our Volunteers
My Story
MARGARET
My Story
CAROL
Group Support
Recipe for Life
Our Recipe for Life service supported 40 families with their cooking skills and advised on healthy eating, weaning, nutrition, healthy childhood weights and meal planning. Support took place at home and in small group sessions which were led by trained volunteers and staff.
Families taking part received food packs to ensure there was no cost to participate and we provided kitchen equipment packs, giving families what they needed to prepare healthy meals. We provided recipes in easy-to-read and video formats and sponsored families with membership of CFINE’s Community Food Pantry to ensure reliable access to food in the longer term.
40 Families were supported by the project during the year, of those;
85%
reported eating more healthily
87%
of families experienced improved knowledge / skills in cooking.
89%
reported feeling less isolated
67%
reported feeling more financially secure
Supported parent
Supported parent
Perinatal Mental Health Project
This year, 32 parents and their babies took part in our first Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support Group. Statistically, more than 1 in 5 women will experience mental health difficulties in pregnancy or during their baby’s first year. Men may also be more vulnerable to mental distress and illness at this time.
Pregnancy and the first year of a child’s life are particularly important for good emotional wellbeing. Parents who themselves are experiencing poor mental health may not be able to support the emotional development at this crucial time.
To address this need, our Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support group provides a safe and nurturing environment for families where they can share experiences and give each other support, encouragement and reassurance. Research has shown that this kind of peer support is extremely effective in helping parents experiencing perinatal mental health difficulties.
Supported parent
Supported parent
Rising Stars
Rising Stars is a weekly group for families where children can play and learn together, and parents can mix in a safe and nurturing environment. This year, we supported 48 families through the Rising Stars group.
The group brings families together to reduce isolation and encourage social interaction. The programme of activities included songs, messy play, library visits, outdoor play and more and helps to build stronger parent-child attachment, supports early learning and development through play. The sessions are also designed to increase parents’ skills and confidence.
We also hosted stay and play sessions, allowing the children to explore local parks and beaches. These sessions proved very popular with parents as well as children!
During the year 48 families attended Rising Stars sessions:
95%
of children who took part had increased socialising opportunities
98%
experienced improved health and wellbeing
97%
of parents felt less isolated
95%
had increased confidence and self-esteem
91%
had improved mental health
Supported parent
Supported parent
Charity Shop
Footfall at our Geroge Street charity shop was high throughout the year as people took advantage of the range of high quality, affordable items on offer. One of our biggest challenges was keeping up with demand and keeping a steady stream of donations coming in.
It’s clear that the charity retail sector has a crucial role to play in helping people and communities to cope with the cost of living crisis.
All the money we raise in the shop directly supports the delivery of our services to young children and their families, here in Aberdeen. During 2023-24 his amounted to £105,311.84.
Laura’s Story
Laura began volunteering at our Charity shop after moving to Aberdeen whilst on maternity leave and unsure what her plans were to return to work.
Feeling a little low in confidence and anxious to balance motherhood and work she reached out and volunteered, on our shop floor one day a week. Her tasks included meeting and greeting customers, arranging products, and cashing out transactions. Laura say “It was a great opportunity to meet new people and build up my confidence in a work place again”
Laura worked closely with the shop manager Karen and a range of other volunteers, taking in and displaying donations received from the community of Aberdeen. Laura say, “As someone who never shopped in a charity shops before, I was absolutely amazed by the quality and condition of the items that were donated, The Home-Start charity shop is now the first place I look for gifts or when updating my daughters wardrobe”
Fundraising and Supporters
Fundraising
Every year, our amazing team of fundraising volunteers put together events and activities, such as our flagship Afternoon tea! All of their hard work and commitment raised almost £14,000; all of which was used to support the delivery of our services.
Dedicated volunteers took part in the Kiltwalk, sports challenges, car boot sales and coffee mornings to raise awareness of our cause, as well as funds to support our work.
We also launched our very own, Make a Difference lottery, with weekly draws giving players a chance of winning £25,000, all while supporting families who need us.
If you or someone you know want to host or take part in an event to support us, please follow this link to find out about our events, how you can get involved or how we can support your fundraising ideas!
Christmas All Wrapped Up Appeal
Thanks to generous donations from individuals and organisations across the north-east, we were able to provide 32 families, including 69 children with winter gift packs in response to our All Wrapped Up appeal.
Several donors gifted bundles containing a warm winter coat, cosy pyjamas, socks and underwear, hat and gloves, a toy, a book and a selection box for us to provide to the children of the families we support.
“Thank you so much for the wonderful gifts for my children, it really means so much to us.”
Financial Performance
The overall position for the year was a surplus of £79,503 (2022: surplus of £28,734) and is made up of a surplus on unrestricted funds of £101,110 and a deficit on restricted funds of £21,607. At 31 March 2023, the charity’s funds totalled £294,846 of which £28,695 was restricted funding provided by a range of funders for specified purposes including the Communities and Mental Health Wellbeing Fund, Awards for All and Children in Need. This left £266,151 available for use at the discretion of the trustees.
Our objective is to hold a contingency reserve fund of at least £150,000. Given the uncertainties about securing future funding, the reserve fund should be sufficient to finance about 6 months of ongoing expenditure. At 31 March 2023, we held a contingency reserve fund of £150,000 to which the board will make additional contributions as and when the financial results provide more flexibility.
