A CHARITY supporting military families in Tidworth for more than 30 years have seen a sudden increase in requests for help following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has resulted in an increase in British troops deployed to Estonia. Many military personnel who were due to return on completion of military exercises in region are now having to remain.

The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, told the House of Commons that the people of Wiltshire and the families of the deployed troops “should be enormously proud” – but he warned that they would not know when their loved ones would be coming home again.

Home-Start Kennet have been supporting military families in Tidworth have seen a sudden increase in the number of enquiries.

In response to this, the charity is opening a Friendship Café for supported families at Tidworth Leisure Centre. This will run every Friday, 10am -12pm from April 1 and will provide a warm, welcoming, relaxed atmosphere for Home-Start families to meet - with staff and volunteers on hand to listen, chat and play.

Other than support through the café, the charity provides trained volunteers to offer longer term, 1-2-1, home-visiting support to young families who are struggling with isolation, anxiety, and loneliness. These are just some of the challenges faced by families new to the military and new to Wiltshire.

There are still places available to train to become a Home-Start volunteer.

If this is something you are interested in, find out more by visiting home-start.org.uk/home-start-kennet or by calling the Home-Start office on 01672 569457.

If you are a family with at least one child under five and are finding it hard to cope, get in touch by texting FAMILY to 66777 or message the charity on Facebook.