Earlier this month more than 70 people came together for a party in Prospect Park to celebrate our 40th birthday. 

Our manager, Kelly Dadd, said: “We were delighted to see so many faces from over the years, including people who helped to make Home-Start Reading the success it is today. How wonderful to have families joining staff, trustees and of course our amazing volunteers to celebrate together.

“It was especially touching to see Rachel, one of our longstanding volunteers, with a family she supported many years ago – the triplets are looking remarkably grown up now!

Children and the young at heart enjoyed dancing and hula hooping with Diddi Dance, learning circus skills with Storm in a Teacup and chasing a sea of bubbles across the park. To round off a picnic they tucked into delicious cake made by a volunteer from Free Cakes for Kids Reading.

Before cutting the cake, Kelly said: “There will have been many difficult periods of time over the last 40 years. I would say though, at the moment, Home-Start and families in Reading, the UK, and across the world are facing unprecedented challenges. It’s incredibly hard to run a charity and it’s incredibly hard to raise a family!

“It’s amazing that Home-Start Reading has been creating support and friendship for 40 years and this is down to lots of very special people.”

The party kicked off a year of celebrations and initiatives to mark this milestone. We hope to use this opportunity to raise our profile and funds to ensure we can continue our work with local families for many years to come. 

“I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this team who are so valued and much-needed in Reading,” said Kelly. “We must now focus on ensuring Home-Start Reading is around for another 40 years.”