A leading family support charity is launching a service in Bolton to help new parents.

Home-Start has been working with families across Greater Manchester for over 30 years; they train volunteers to offer practical and emotional support to families in their own homes.

They work with parents who may need help for various reasons, including poverty, domestic abuse and poor mental health.

Home-Start are now setting up the service in Bolton, which is needed more than ever before due to the pressures new parents face from coronavirus.

Families will be able to access specialist support from a Home-Start volunteer who will be trained in Parent Infant Mental Health (PIMH).

Tracey Whistlecraft is the new PIMH Coordinator for Bolton. She is taking up the role after working with Home-Start for 14 years.

She said: "I'm really looking forward to being involved with this project. I think it's come just at the right time.

"It's really important that we support parents right now, because what we're going through isn't normal.

"We know that the first 1,001 days of a baby's life are critical. The challenges that any new parent faces are really tough, but right right now it's the isolation they face which is the hardest.

"When you have a new baby you have that support network around you, a 'village' of people. They are there to pick you up. But if all that is taken away it can be overwhelming."

Home-Start always intended on launching a Bolton service, however, they have had to change their strategy due to lockdown. Volunteers will be trained online and parents will receive support over the phone. Face to face sessions will hopefully begin once the pandemic is over.

Tracey said:"Launching a service like this in the current situation is a completely new challenge for us.Really we're paving the way forward for something that has never been done before.

"We're working closely with health professionals in Bolton and we have already received referrals from families, who will be screened and triaged.

"The one thing we are looking for in the volunteers is those with experience of parenting. Because if you've been awake at 3am with a crying baby you can understand the stresses and strains these new parents are under.

"Never underestimate how precious your time is, the fact you are willing to give up your time for someone else means a lot."

Tracey will be working alongside Clinical Psychologist Dr Jennifer Atkinson and Specialist Public Health Nurse Julie Powell, both from Royal Bolton Hospital.

Home-Start is looking for Bolton-based volunteers with parenting experience and willingness to support parents remotely. To find out more visit homes-starthost.org.uk.