HOME-START Maldon has been awarded almost £15,000 by Maldon District Council.

The charity, which offers support to parents with young children in the Maldon area, was awarded the money as part of the 2016/17 public health funding from the Council.

Scheme Manager for Home-Start Maldon, Kathryn O’Byrne said: “Thank you to the members of the Maldon Health and Wellbeing Partnership Group, on behalf of myself and the Trustees for making the decision to fund our proposed project.

“We are thrilled that we can utilise this funding to continue to support a number of our volunteers in their role as parent mentors and that we can also now start to plan to deliver an Incredible Years Course for local families this financial year.

“I am also pleased that we can expand our services and offer parents an opportunity to participate in exercise activities with their children, as so many of our parents have started that they recognise the difference that having access to this would make to them and their children.”

Councillor Ron Pratt, Chairman of the District Council’s community services committee and member of the health and wellbeing partnership group, said: “We are really pleased to support this project, which we hope will have a positive impact on the lives of some of our young families in the District and will also increase volunteering opportunities for residents.”

The project will be monitored through regular reports to the District Council, to see how the money is being used.