Home-Start Ards, Comber & Peninsula Area

This Home-Start Scheme is one of many Home-Start Schemes across the UK, first established in Leicester 50 years ago and can support families with young children where there is at least one child under 5 years of age within the family unit.

Our Home-Start Scheme support families by offering weekly volunteer visits to the family home providing friendship, emotional/practical support and signposting. This service is offered to a family who may need support for any of the following reasons: A first-time or Lone Parent/Carer, multiple births, parents feeling isolated or lonely, parents needing emotional support, those with little or no family support and are experiencing difficulties, a parent/carer who is experiencing difficulties with a child's behaviour and families going through a stressful time for any reasons. 

In addition, we run a weekly family group service under the leadership of paid and experienced staff providing a morning of activities for parents to enjoy with their child/children.  The group numbers are normally small allowing parents to relax and mix in a welcoming and safe place. From time to time, speakers are invited along to the family group to provide information and advice on Benefits, Educational Courses and Child Development.  When opportunities are available Parenting Programmes are also offered. 

Within our Scheme we offer a Respite Playgroup Service. This provides parents with an opportunity to get respite for 3 hours (once weekly) while their child/children attend the playgroup.  Children aged 1-4 years old can attend and their development is encouraged through play.  Reasons for using this service include: A parent/carer who needs a break for any reason including illness or disability, multiple children, a new baby in the home or a parent who has no-one to support them such as a Lone Parent,  a child who would benefit from socialising with other children to help their development and reduce isolation, a family where there is a parent or child with a disability, multiple births/multiple children, preparing a child for Nursery/School where they don't attend anywhere else or where a parent is concerned about a child's behaviour or mixing with other children. 

Our scheme provides support to families living in the following areas:

All areas in the Ards Peninsula (including all villages and areas which come under the BT22 postcode)

All areas in Newtownards and surrounding areas (BT23 postcode)

All areas within Comber town and surrounding villages (including Ballygowan, Lisbane and Killinchy)

In addition to the three Family Support Services our Scheme provides, we also have two Charity Shops  - one of which is a 'Children's Charity Shop' and is located at 2 Ann Street, Newtownards.  At this shop parents have easy access to low priced baby and children's clothes, toys, prams, cots, etc.  This shop is open Monday - Saturday from 10am - 2pm. Our other charity shop is located at 52 Castle Street, Comber and is open Monday - Friday 10/10.30am - 2pm (closed Wednesdays) and open until 4pm on a Saturday.