Priti Patel MP with Nic O’Brien, Home-Start Essex, Chief Executive (left) and Chair, Sarah St-Pierre, during their meeting on 24th February 2023.
Witham MP continues her support of Home-Start Essex
Priti Patel, the MP for Witham, has held a meeting with Home-Start Essex, the independent local charity which is part of the wider Home-Start UK network that is dedicated to supporting families with young children through challenging times. Home-Start Essex’s Chief Executive Nic O’Brien and Chair Sarah St Pierre met with Priti in Witham on 24th February 2023.
Home-Start Essex has a trained team of volunteers and experienced staff who support families with young children through challenging times. They work with families across mid, south and west Essex, offering a range of support which includes home visits, family groups, well-being services, telephone support and nursery/school readiness.
Priti has supported Home-Start locally for more than a decade and has provided personal donations of practical resources for children and families. During the meeting, she discussed the requirements many families have and the increasing need for Home-Start’s support, which in 2022 included some 710 families. Priti also discussed what more could be done to support families across the Witham constituency, in terms of statutory service provision from local councils who are funded by central Government to provide family support services.
Speaking after the meeting, Priti said: “Home-Start Essex have always been close to my heart and over the last ten years it has been a great honour to help and support them and local families through practical assistance and donations. My son was a baby when I became the MP for the Witham constituency, so I understand the pressures many local families face when it comes to paternal support as well as the needs of families during difficult economic times. Home-Start Essex were always around for friendly support and advice. Their teams are compassionate and caring. Over the years they have provided a lifeline to many local families.”
Nic O’Brien, the Chief Executive of Home-Start Essex said; “We were delighted to accept Priti’s request for a meeting and greatly welcomed the opportunity to talk through our activities in the Witham constituency as well as more broadly in Essex. The increasing demand for our support is a worry, as is the strain on our funding and on our staff and volunteers. Working closely with key stakeholders like Priti is vital in guaranteeing that there is effective feedback to national and local Government, which will help to ensure that struggling families continue to get the support they so badly need.”