Families charity Home-Start Wessex is delighted to have received a donation of £4,725 from AFC Bournemouth following their two-year charity partnership.
Over the past two seasons, AFCB has worked closely with Home-Start Wessex and its other charity partners, Stormbreak, Helpful Hounds, and Mosaic, to involve their beneficiaries and teams in club activities, utilising the power of football to raise awareness of their vital work within local communities.
The club worked closely with Home-Start Wessex, hosting their family Christmas event at The Vitality Stadium, and a matchday activation at the AFC Bournemouth Men’s match against Brentford, where the charity served as flagbearers. To celebrate International Women's Day, young supporters of the charity walked out as mascots with AFC Bournemouth Women’s players at the Ringwood Community Hub.
Whilst the primary objective of the partnership is to work alongside the charities to raise the profile of the positive work they are doing within the local community, funds from events such as the club's Sporting Dinner and Corporate Golf Days are collated and shared between the charity partners and the Cherries Community Fund. To mark the end of the partnership, a total of £18,900 was shared equally among the four Charity Partners, with each receiving a cheque for £4,725.
Caroline Pope, Corporate Partnerships & Marketing Manager at Home-Start Wessex, said, “We are incredibly grateful to AFC Bournemouth for their fantastic support over the past two years. Their donation will enable us to continue our life-changing work to give children the best possible start in life.”
Founded in 1995, Home-Start Wessex celebrates 30 years of supporting local families in 2025. The charity offers friendship, practical support and emotional advice to parents in Dorset with at least one child under 5 when they are in crisis, providing specialist groups and one-to-one home visits. Families are experiencing various issues such as poor mental health, disability, domestic abuse, bereavement, isolation, multiple births or family breakdown.
Over the last year, the charity has transformed 1,716 lives, helping a record 526 families. Their reach covers the Purbecks, Swanage, Weymouth, Dorchester, Bridport, the whole of the BCP Council area, including Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, across the borders of Hampshire and Wiltshire, going as far north as Cranborne and Fordingbridge and as far east as New Milton – a huge area with a population of over 650,000, including many pockets of high-level deprivation.
Home-Start Wessex is actively recruiting kind, compassionate volunteers to offer emotional and practical support to parents with young children across Dorset. If you could spare a few hours a week to help local families through challenging times and make a difference in your community, please contact heidi@homestartwessex.org.uk. No experience is needed – just a big heart and a listening ear, as full training and ongoing support are provided.