A charity says it’s “blown away by the support” after raising £10,295.18 to support young homeless families in Dorset.
Home-Start Wessex was taking part in the Big Give Challenge – the UK’s biggest match-funded campaign – for the first time.
Every donation in the qualifying week is doubled through match funding.
Kathy Fryatt-Banks, CEO of Home-Start Wessex, said: “We were blown away by the support we received.
“It was a huge ask to reach the £10,000 fundraising target when we know many families are struggling to support themselves, let alone other families.”
Funding was needed to keep the charity’s weekly support group for homeless families open.
Home-Start Wessex offers friendship, practical support and emotional advice to parents in Dorset with at least one child under five when they are in crisis.
Alongside running specialist support groups, one-to-one home support, and school readiness workshops, the charity runs two weekly support groups in temporary hostels, which house mainly single mothers aged 18-25 and their children.
Over the last year, the charity has helped a record 501 families in an area which stretches from Bridport in the west and New Milton in the east including the whole of the BCP area.