About Home-Start

Home-Start Norfolk is a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with at least one child under five years of age.

Our Vision

Every parent has the support they need to give their children the best start in life.

Our Mission

To empower parents to develop the knowledge, skills and resilience to enable their children to thrive.

Our Values 

Be Compassionate

We approach every individual with kindness and care, guided by empathy and understanding, placing the needs of others at the heart of our work.

Be Holistic

We care for the whole person and work with the community to make lasting and meaningful change. 

Have Integrity

We act with honesty, transparency and hold ourselves to account with genuine commitment to do what’s right.

 Always Listen

We value every voice, listening with respect and ensuring each person’s experiences help shape the decisions we make. 

Show Dedication

We give our best each day, working together and supporting one another, because we believe in the difference we are here to make.

 

Who we are

Home-Start Norfolk helps children and changes lives. Working with families with young children, we support them to cope with whatever life throws at them.

We believe it is crucial to support families to deal with problems before they become a crisis. Through providing the right support at the right time we help parents learn to cope, improve their confidence and create better lives for their children.

The first five years of a child’s life, between birth and starting school, are vital for their development.  What happens during these formative years within a family strongly determines the life chances and opportunities children may have. 

Children who are raised in a positive, loving, stable, family environment are far more likely to have a positive, happy, healthy future.

Home-Start works because our volunteers are parents. They understand how hard it can be. They work alongside parents, in their own homes, to help them cope with the stresses and strains of life and make sure they have the tools they need to give their children the best start in life.

Helping families across the whole of Norfolk

In 2024/25

Families helped

Children supported

Volunteers

What we do

To help children get the best possible start in life, Home-Start Norfolk supports parents, across the county, to grow in confidence, strengthen their relationships with their children, learn to cope with the challenges they face and widen their links with the local community. In doing so, parents are empowered to function effectively and independently in their day to day lives, building better lives for their children.

Home-Start Norfolk provides support to address many local issues and needs, including:

  • School readiness
  • Mental health
  • Social and rural isolation
  • Healthy eating

Families that are struggling with these, and many other issues receive the support of a volunteer who will spend around two hours a week in a family’s home supporting them in the ways they need.

Areas we cover

We are a countywide service covering the whole of Norfolk. Our office is based in Swaffham

Children picking fruit treats Norfolk
“Home-Start raises self-confidence, improves social networks, reduces difficult behaviour on the part of the child and improves mental and physical health” – Every Child Matters Government Green Paper.

Family Stories

Finding Confidence Again

Finding Confidence Again

For months, Mum and her children rarely left the house, Mum's anxiety and fear for her daughter’s health keeping them isolated from the outside...

read more
Parents Supporting Parents

Parents Supporting Parents

  Marie, a devoted volunteer and mother of six, knows first hand the challenges of raising children with ASD/ADHD. Empathetic and armed with...

read more
Tackling Isolation

Tackling Isolation

Mum Rachel was referred into Home-Start Norfolk by her health visitor. Rachel has a medical condition which significantly impacts her mobility....

read more
Alex’s Story

Alex’s Story

Alex was referred to Home-Start Norfolk by Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service. He has five children under the age of seven and is the...

read more
Lisa’s Story

Lisa’s Story

Depressed, with low mental health, and struggling to cope with her daughter's behaviour, Lisa from Norwich turned to Home-Start Norfolk for support....

read more
Nick and Jane’s Story

Nick and Jane’s Story

New parents, Nick and Jane’s life got switched upside after the birth of their son, who has a rare disability. Pregnant and struggling to cope, they...

read more
Lisa’s Story

Lisa’s Story

“Last July my beautiful daughter Emma died just before her 27th birthday, leaving behind her 11-week old son MJ. The next day my husband Mick died...

read more

Projects

Over many years, we have developed more specialist projects or integrated specialist skills into our staff and volunteer teams.

Empowering Families to Thrive

Empowering Families to Thrive

We are so pleased to announce that we have been awarded funding from Nationwide Building Society funded project – Empowering Families to Thrive. How...

read more

Current vacancies

If you are interested in any of these opportunities please contact 01603 977040 or email admin@homestartnorfolk.org

Home visiting volunteers

We are always looking for volunteers to join our community!

Home-Start Norfolk’s team of trained volunteers make sure a child’s early years count. By volunteering just a few hours each week you can transform the lives of young children and their parents.

Our volunteers receive free training and are given expert support in helping families from all backgrounds through their most challenging times.

By being a volunteer for Home-Start Norfolk you will:

  • make a difference to parents and children facing great difficulties.
  • give something back to your local community;
    perhaps even return the support you once received from Home-Start.

As well as changing the lives of others, volunteering has a huge impact on the person giving their time. Research shows that our volunteers see:

  • better health and well-being
  • improved personal and skills development
  • improved chances for work
  • more self-confidence

Volunteering is a great thing to do if you are preparing to return to work or to progress your career – or simply if you just want to do something amazing with your spare time.

For more information about volunteering for Home-Start Norfolk fill in an enquiry form and our team will be in touch

Join Home-Start Norfolk's Team

Family Service Co-ordinator

Hours: 30hrs per week 

Salary: £22,400 – £24,183 depending on experience.

Location: Hybrid working arrangements with operational delivery across Norwich and surrounding area

Summary of role

As a Family Services Coordinator, you’ll work directly with families and volunteers to provide tailored support that helps parents build confidence, resilience, and stronger connections within their communities. The role involves partnership working, safeguarding, volunteer coordination, and helping families access the right support at the right time.

Find out more and apply – Family Services Coordinator. – CBR Business Solutions

Closing Date: 5pm, 22nd June 2026

Interview Date: Wednesday, 1st July 2026

 

Become a Home-Start Trustee

At Home-Start Norfolk we review the skills and experience across our board on an annual basis and are currently seeking a new trustee who would add value to the ongoing development of our workforce, both staff and volunteers.

Living and shaping the behaviours and values that are essential to encourage a nurturing environment within the families we support is central to the development and sustainability of our organisation.

Working together with compassion and without judgement we are looking for an individual who will help us continue to build organisational culture and values in order that our staff, volunteers and families continue to learn and grow together. Our unique service is as relevant today as when our movement was founded almost 50 years ago and we need to be ready to support more families.

 

For an informal chat email ELT@homestartnorfolk.org

 

Our staff

Executive Leadership Team

Liz Cross –  Managing Director, Natalie Spurdens – Head of Service Delivery, Caz New – Head of Funding & Development

Family Service Coordinator’s

Sharon Hearsum – Norwich, Sam Charvonia – South Norfolk, Jo Bridges – North Norfolk,  Rosanne Bulloch – Broadland, Emma Cooke- Great Yarmouth, Bea Knights – Kings Lynn & West Norfolk, Em Fletcher – Breckland, Charlotte Grief – RAF Marham, Claire Keron – Covers all districts

Volunteer Training Team

Sharon Travis – Training & Volunteer Development Coordinator. Rosanne Bulloch – Family Services Coordinator Broadland / Sessional Trainer

Marketing, Finance and Administration

Natalie Gotts – Finance & Governance Officer,  Sam Holmes – Business Support Officer, Amy Bloodworth – Marketing Officer

Our trustees

Home-Start Norfolk has a varied Board of Trustees who oversee the management and strategic development of the scheme.

Trustees

Niall McClelland – Chair, Susan Skoyles – Vice Chair, Dave Lefevre – Treasurer, Joanne Creaser – Trustee, Anita Millar – Trustee, Lynne Stabler – Trustee

Our patrons

Patrons

Lady Phillipa Dannatt MBE, Lady Clare Agnew, Trisha Goddard,  Ann Keable MBE

Become a Home-Start Volunteer Today

Home-Start’s team of trained volunteers make sure a child’s early years count. By volunteering just a few hours each week you can transform the lives of young children and their parents in your community.

 

Find out moreVolunteer enquiry form