Witham and Braintree Homestart -- the counselling charity that helps families in crisis -- is to launch a major recruitment campaign for volunteers.

It needs to find and train another 20 volunteers for its team working across the Braintree district to bring it up to the 50 mark to cope with demand.

Over 5,000 leaflets aimed both at recruiting volunteers and explaining the services offered are being distributed throughout 28 primary schools in the district.

"We have been working in partnership with the schools and teachers have agreed to help ensure that every pupils will go home with a leaflet," explains Homestart organiser, Mrs Kathy Butler.

"We are hoping that this will be an effective way, both of promoting the service and of recruiting desperately needed volunteers. It does of course cost money, but it is very obvious there is a crying need and we simply have to do something."

An eight week training course is set to start on October 1 -- but says Kathy: "Unless we get the recruits, it simply won't be able to go ahead and that would be a tragedy.

"The course itself is very useful and provides an understanding of the situations people will meet, advice of how to deal with them and an appreciation of how to work with the other agencies involved, such as social services.

"We take training very seriously and the course will be extremely valuable to everyone entering this form of work for the first time, or for those with previous experience of other forms of social or community work and who need an insight into our particular operation."

The need for more volunteers is crucial says Kathy.

"At present we have just 24 people, a long way short of the 50 we really need.

"We have recently expanded our coverage in the district to respond to the large housing developments in Braintree in an effort to take the service even further out into the community.

"While this has opened the service up to a greater number of people, it is a doubled edged sword as it stretches our resources even further.

"I would appeal for anyone who would like to find out more about becoming a trained volunteer to contact me on 01376 512480 or 01376 550177," said Kathy.

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