Banburyshire schoolboy and his mum bake 500 gingerbread men to help families in difficulty

Hornton villager Laura Sharpe and her son George weighed out pounds of flour, butter and syrup to make the 500 gingerbread men for Home-Start Banbury and Chipping Norton - a charity helping children and families in the two areas.

After their marathon Christmassy bake-off, Mrs Sharpe and George handed out batches of the cookies to friends and neighbours.

Donations from family and friends – with efforts from a number of other Home-Start fundraisers in the district - have helped to raise a magnificent £11,187 against a £10,000 target.

Home-Start provides a home visiting service for families with children under five who are suffering difficulties. By intervening early, Home Start’s volunteers are able to dramatically improve family situations and create better environments for the children to develop and thrive, giving them the best 'home-start' in life and helping to sort out problems at an early stage.

Home-Start Banbury, Bicester and Chipping Norton provide a home-visiting service for families with children under 5. The volunteers offer non-judgemental, confidential, compassionate emotional support and practical help, assisting families through their toughest times - because childhood can't wait.

“Being a parent has never been easy. It can be lonely, frustrating, heart breaking and over-whelming. Many struggling families are often isolated with nowhere to turn to for support,” the charity says.

“Our core work is our home-visiting service. A volunteer visits a family on a weekly basis and this support continues for as long as it is needed. Our volunteers offer non-judgemental, confidential, compassionate emotional support and practical help.

“We also run three weekly term-time drop-in play sessions. By intervening early, we are able to dramatically improve family situations and create better environments for the children to develop and thrive, giving them the best 'home-start' in life.”

Home-Start says many struggling families are often isolated and feel they have nowhere to turn to for support. This could be because of rural or social isolation, poverty or financial difficulties, mental health issues including post-natal depression, domestic abuse, relationship problems or the pressures of being a single parent, substance abuse, feeling exhausted, overwhelmed or unhappy, disability or poor health or inadequate housing.

To contact the charity email [email protected]