Charity bid for help to stave off cash crisis

Home-Start Fylde is looking for someone with financial experience to join its voluntary team of trustees, while it is also looking to build a community fund-raising team to help raise the profile of the organisation and generate vital funds.

The charity, based in St Annes, supports families across Fylde but is facing the prospect of a ‘black hole’ of several thousand pounds over the coming months following changes to the way such services are funded.

Lottery funding of £300,000 to help cover the next five years has been applied for, but officials are still waiting to hear if they have been successful and are looking to raise as much cash as possible as they stress that closure is not an option.

A sponsored walk around Fairhaven Lake last month raised more than £1,000 and the charity will host its first-ever fun day this weekend at Wesham Community Centre in a bid to generate more funds.

As it looks at the possibility of a High Street presence somewhere in Fylde, Home-Start has been offered the chance to occupy a shop in Lytham for a week next month and the charity’s senior co-ordinator Pat Naylor is eager to maintain and extend the fund-raising activity.

She said: “Under this national Government, more and more funding is based on payment by results which means there is a gap in funding.

“We have got through the first stage of the lottery funding application and are still waiting to hear if we have been successful. More than ever, we need the help of the community to help us make sure we can continue to provide the same level of service.”

Anyone interested in the roles should contact Pat on (01253) 728615 or [email protected].

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