Three charities in Oxfordshire have been awarded a donation from the National Lottery Community Fund.

The organisations, Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire, Home-Start Oxford, and Home-Start Banbury, Bicester and Chipping Norton, collectively received a sum total of £419,000.

Gathered in aid, the funds will back Home-Start’s upcoming three-year initiative 'SIDE-BY-SIDE: Parents supporting parents to create a better start for children'.

The programme will train volunteers to support families with young children dealing with difficulties such as mental health issues, multiple births, family breakdowns, and isolation.

It is designed to aid participants in managing their parental responsibilities more effectively and to contribute to a child’s learning and development.

The past year has seen the three Home-Start charities extend support to more than 900 families and over 1,200 children in Oxfordshire.

The recent funding aims to bolster the workforce, increasing the number of volunteers and broadening the scale of the charities’ reach across the county.

The philosophy of Home-Start stems from the belief that early support for parents of young children can have a lasting impact.

By helping build skills, confidence, and community networks, this early intervention ensures healthier relationships, child development, and overall family wellbeing.

Linda Cheong, Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire’s scheme manager, said: "We’re delighted with this funding success.

"Working in collaboration with the other two Home-Starts in Oxfordshire means that we can offer support to families countywide and have a greater impact on families struggling during a child’s crucial early years.

"We’re very grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for recognising and supporting our project over the next three years."

Those interested in volunteering or seeking support from Home-Start can visit www.homestartoxon.org.uk to learn more about local opportunities.

The National Lottery Community Fund, fuelled by players, amasses over £30 million weekly for charitable causes across the UK.

It began in 1994, and in that time, £47 billion has been raised.

Over the past year, it has contributed to communities through the distribution of more than half a billion pounds (£615.4 million) in life-changing funding.

It plans to spend an estimated £4 billion on community funding by 2030.

The three Home-Start charities in Oxfordshire are dedicated to ensuring that every family receives the support they need, aiming to step in early and empower families to navigate their issues before their situation escalates to a point requiring serious intervention.

They have spent the last 30 years aiding thousands of local families with at least one child aged five or under.