To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Home-Start supporting families in Northern Ireland, a huge Teddy Bears’ picnic and family fun day was held at Leslie Hill Open Farm, Ballymoney.

Over 500 families supported by Home-Start past and present, including Home-Start Causeway, attended the picnic and family fun day. The only rule was to bring your teddy with you!

Also attending was Lady Christine Eames, Special Patron for Home-Start Northern Ireland’s 25th year and special guest Pudsey Bear.

Heather Knox, Director of Home-Start in Northern Ireland said: “This year we are celebrating 25 years of providing support to young families. We’ve planned a series of events for almost everyone from politicians, families and volunteers and even budding photographers – see the Home-Start website for more details of the photographic competition.

The number of Home-Start schemes has grown over the years and we’re now able to support so many more families than we did 25 years ago.”

Home-Start Causeway's participation in this event was financially supported through the Northern Health and Social Sevices Board managed by Coelraine Rural & Urban Network.

Home-Start is the UK’s leading family support charity. We recruit and train volunteers to support parents with at least one child under the age of five. Our home visiting work is unique in the UK.

The charity was set up in 1973 and now supports nearly 35,000 families and over 71,000 children each year. Almost 16,000 volunteers visit families in their own homes – parents supporting other parents in a variety of situations including isolation, bereavement, multiple births, illness or disability.

Anyone interested in volunteering with Home-Start Causeway should contact Karen Millar on 028703 21765 or hsc01@btconnect.com