DEARNE Valley families will continue to get valuable support thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery. Kites, formerly Dearne Valley Home Start, of Station Road, Bolton-upon-Dearne would have been forced to lock the doors for the last time at the end of March when their funding ran out. But thanks to a £300,000 grant from the lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund they will be able to continue their work for another two years. The organisation became Kites last year so that it could support families with children up to 13 years old. As Dearne Valley Home Start it could only work with families with children under five which limited their chances of applying for funding.

Their application for lottery funding last summer was unsuccessful and grants from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and South Yorkshire Key Fund has kept them going. There are currently three full-time staff and the cash will enable them to expand to another four. Kites relies on its team of 37 volunteers to support families across the Dearne Valley, from Conisbrough to Rawmarsh, the whole of the Dearne and Brampton. Most of them have cared for children of their own and understand the pressures on families. They give a few hours each week to a particular family which might involve chatting over a cup of tea, accompanying them to the shops or helping with more serious problems.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer (training is given) or would like help from Kites should telephone 01709 888989