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Get A Flying Home-Start

Take part in a great running event this autumn and help a great cause too. Join up with team Home-Start and meet a terrific bunch of people who have come together to help
struggling families...

Home-Start UK has 100 places for this year's Royal Parks Half Marathon. Why not join them? Running through some of London's most spectacular parks and raising vital funds for struggling families at the same time. Home-Start UK is the UK's leading family support charity. Their 16,000 volunteers work in communities across the UK supporting families who are struggling to cope.

Support can be for many reasons. It may be for a parent who is experiencing domestic abuse, a single dad struggling to raise his children on his own, or a mum who is suffering with isolation because she has no friends or family nearby.
There is no such thing as a typical Home-Start family, we offer support to any family that needs our help, as long as they have one child under five.

Home-Start's carefully trained volunteers offer emotional and practical support to families and children in their own homes. For some families, Home-Start is their last hope. The charity stops fragile families from reaching crisis point and protects vulnerable children.

One lone father supported by Home-Start said: "Some people have a family every day.

I have a family for three hours a week and it's Home-Start. My three hours are very special, without Home-Start there may have been a tragic ending but I can say I could not have achieved being the wonderful dad I am now without the support of Home-Start."

Aminah was once a Home-Start supported family herself. Like many helped by Home-Start, she decided that she wanted to give something back to the charity and decided that she wanted to volunteer for Home-Start herself. She said: "Home-Start helped me turn me life around, and gave me my self confidence back. To volunteer for Home-Start and to help get a family back on their feet is a wonderful experience."

For the fourth year running, Home-Start has places in the Royal Parks Half Marathon which takes place on Sunday, October 9. This half marathon is fast becoming one of the UK's most popular. The royal parks route takes in some of London's most iconic landmarks and includes running through Hyde Park, Green Park and St James Park.

Jamie who has run the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Home-Start three times, said: "It was really great fun and it was a pleasure to be running for Home-Start. Home-Start makes the occasion enjoyable and makes the runners feel special - they send you regular email updates and call you to help make you feel that you are part of something. I have run for other charities before, but Home-Start made me feel really special."

All runners will receive a Home-Start running vest, access to specialist fundraising and PR support and the knowledge that they are running to help support 35,000 families and 73,000 children across the UK and on British Forces bases in Germany and Cyprus too.

On the day there will be a Home-Start meet and greet, where you will get to meet your fellow Home-Start runners along with staff from the charity. And after 13 miles of running, a well-deserved professional massage and a team picnic at the finish line.
Home-Start depends heavily on donations to fund our work with parents and children. Everyone needs help at some time in their life. So go on - help them to make a difference to a child's life today!

Help Home-Start in supporting the UK's most vulnerable families by signing up as one of their 100 runners.
To find out more about the work of Home-Start please visit www.home-start.org.uk

UP & COMING EVENTS

• British 10K - July 10
• Royal Parks Half Marathon - October 9
• Great South Run - October 30
• Santa Run - December 4

And remember - Home-Start UK is always here to help you organise your sports. From running, biking, hiking to skydiving, just email Nicola Clark at nclark@home-start.org.uk or phone Home-Start on 0116 258 7925, for further details of running in the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Home-Start or to let us know how Home-Start can support you!