For 35 years, Meg has been a dedicated volunteer with Home-Start Cambridgeshire, supporting families through some of life’s most challenging moments.
Meg first joined Home-Start in 1990 after seeing an article in the local paper about a volunteer recruitment course. As a single parent of three children, with extensive experience volunteering in the special needs sector and personal experience raising a son with Down syndrome, Meg felt drawn to the role and knew she could make a meaningful difference. That lived experience became the foundation of something special.
Over the years, Meg has supported families from a wide range of backgrounds, many of whom were facing the additional challenges of raising children with special needs. Week after week, she has shown up with warmth, empathy and a listening ear, offering practical help, emotional support, and, most importantly, reassurance that no parent must face difficult times alone.
For Meg, the relationships she builds are at the heart of everything. She speaks with deep affection about the families she has visited over the years, saying that she has loved spending time with the children she has met and will not forget them.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to get to know some amazing parents trying their very best in often difficult circumstances,” she says.
Meg says the reason she has continued volunteering for so long is simple, she has seen firsthand the lasting impact Home-Start can have on families’ lives and on children’s futures. That experience is what keeps her coming back, knowing that even small moments of support can help families feel more confident and less isolated.
Her message to anyone considering volunteering is clear, “Please give Home-Start volunteering a try as you will be greatly rewarded for your weekly commitment.”
Meg leaves us with a powerful reminder, “Never underestimate the difference your support and weekly visits make to a family’s life and a child’s future.” We would like to thank Meg for all that she has done, and continues to do, to support families in the county and for sharing these thoughts with us.
If Meg’s spotlight has inspired, you to find out more about volunteering for Home-Start Cambridgeshire you can do so here.
