PARENTS are at a loss to understand a decision to cut funding for a family support service helping struggling mothers in the community.

The Home Start Swindon group, based on Victoria Road, which serves children up to five years old, will be forced to close in August after Swindon Council decided to withdraw financial support.

Supporters of Home Start Swindon believe its volunteer-run service in the community has helped many mothers through difficulties over the past 28 years, particularly postnatal depression.

But the council claims it can offer the same service through its Sure Start and children’s centres, including an outreach service.

The Home Start service provides a meeting place, at the Queens Drive Methodist Church, for parents to bring their children under five and talk with other parents on a Thursday morning.

Users were told two weeks ago that the last session will now be on July 22.

But more importantly, it has around 29 trained volunteers who visit mothers throughout the week to provide basic advice and support if they are struggling to cope.

This may be as simple as taking the children out for an hour or reading them a story so their mother can have time to wash her hair or take a bath or just being someone for the mother to talk to.

Many mothers that the service has helped have gone on to become volunteers themselves.

Funding was withdrawn in April last year and since then the service has relied on one-off grants from local businesses, going from 43 volunteers to 29 volunteers.

Last year it worked with 80 families, but is now only able to cater to 34 families.

Jan Aylward, senior Home Start organiser for Swindon, said: “It’s very sad because so many volunteer organisations are in danger of closing or have closed.”

Volunteer Elaine Mitcham, 47, from Park South, used the service herself when she suffered with postnatal depression.

She said: “My heart goes out to the mothers we’re not going to be able to visit and support. When you become a mother it’s overwhelming – not everybody takes to it naturally, it can be very difficult.

“I understand they have got to make cuts, but they haven’t realised this is going to cost them more in different areas.”

Coun David Renard, Cabinet Member for Children Services, said: “There are 14 children centres within the Swindon borough, which provide a range of services catering for families with children aged up to five.

"Eleven of these centres provide outreach and family support services, with the remaining three centres due to provide these services from April 2011.

“Parents currently using Swindon Home Start, which also caters for those up to five-years-old, are more than welcome to access these services.“

Coun Renard said in 2008 the council put all its family support services out to tender to find a service that caters for the wider age range of newborns up to 18, to fulfil a need within Swindon.

He said Home Start submitted a bid but it did not meet the requirements of the tender because it does not cater for newborns up to 18 and, as a result, funding was stopped.

“We commission services based on need, rather than the individual requirements of an organisation,” he said. “Swindon Home Start is an independent registered charity, which is responsible for raising its own funds.”

Parents can find out about the Swindon Children Centres at www.swindon.gov.uk/education andlearning/childrencentres.htm or by calling on 01793 445500.

THOSE who have benefited and are still benefiting from the service have told their stories.

Sandra Melvin, Walcot, has been a volunteer for Home Start for six years after she was helped while suffering postnatal depression with her third child.

“If you are suffering with post natal depression you are not able to go out, that little bit of help from a volunteer enables you to live again,” she said.

“In a roundabout way it did save my life.

“I thought I can’t do this any more – everything should be happy but I’m not.”

She said she has been to other centres and the welcome is just not the same and it is more educational than family-orientated.

Helen Newman, 40, of Eldene, brings her sons Jacob, four, and Joel, two, but is a mother-of-six.

She suffered with depression after the birth of Jacob, but was referred to Home Start by a care worker.

She had a volunteer who played with gave her someone to chat to.

“It really helped a lot,” said Mrs Newman.

“It’s such a good service and it helps so many people and they have just taken it away.

“The council seem to be spending their money on junk in the town centre, but taking it away from nought to five-year-olds.”

Mother-of-two Mel Pomfret, 40, from New College, who has used the service for the last two years and also suffered postnatal depression, said: “I’m absolutely devastated, I can’t believe they’re refusing to fund it.

“It has been going 28 years and it’s such a lovely family environment. People will suffer without this.”