A GROUP of five new volunteers have completed their training at Wyre Forest's Home-Start charity and are ready to be introduced to local parents who are in need of support.

They join a team of more than 100 community volunteers who help Home-Start to deliver home visits and group support to families who have children aged-18 and are experiencing difficulties.

The volunteers celebrated the end of their 'course of preparation' with the charity's chairman Megan Weaver, who presented the graduates with certificates.

Scheme manager Belinda Darby said: "Without our wonderful volunteers there would be no Home-Start and we are so pleased to welcome five new volunteers to our team.

"The course is so important in making sure our volunteers are skilled and confident in areas of work including safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, confidentiality, mental health, domestic abuse and drugs and alcohol, but as importantly it shows our new volunteers what an amazing difference they will be able to make to a local family by giving up a few hours each week.”

The scheme supports an average of 400 children in 200 families each year.

Home-Start will be running more volunteer courses in 2020. For more information, call 01562 825896 or go to homestartwyreforest.org.uk.