South East Organisations

The aim of the organisation is to work with African families, especially women and children in order to give advice, information and support on a range of issues including education, health, domestic violence, immigration, housing, employment etc.

Allows estranged parents and children to meet in a safe environment. Separated parents (and extended family) can meet and have contact with their estranged children in a safe and secure environment.

This service is free. Contact times are the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month 10am - 12pm.

Provides information and support services for women experienceing domestic violence throughout Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham and West Berkshire. Provides a telephone helpline (0118 950 4003) which operates between 10am-5pm weekdays - a worker can be contacted on this number out of these hours in cases of emergency and has seven refuges across the Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and Newbury.  

Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project is run by the unemployed for the unemployed. The project provides practical support, education and recreation for people in poor housing, claimants, unwaged people and those on low incomes.

The Parent and Child service in Newhaven provides support and accomodation to young, single parents aged between 15 and 25, within the Lewes District Council area. The young people might be pregnant, on referral or already have a child up to the age of two. Meetings with young people take place weekly for one-to-one sessions.

Cherrydown Children's Centre is somewhere for parents/carers to bring their children for advice, support or just to join in with our fun, free activities. 

Join us for:

• Buggy & Toddler walks
• Baby Development
• Baby Massage
• Parent and Toddlers
• Messy Play
• Breast Feeding Support
• Mend

And more!

Get involved with our parent focus group and have the chance to input into sessions and activities.

For more information call 01268 532852

An Advocacy project for people with learning difficulties in Southampton and South West Hampshire, to help change things at home, school, college, work or at the daycentre and help understanding with things such as human rights and complaints procedures.

Colchester and Tendring Women's Refuge is committed to campaigning against all forms of domestic abuse and to repudiating totally any attempt to excuse or justify it. We regard the continuing incidence of domestic violence in this country as a source of profound social shame and are pledged to pressing the government to take action to eradicate it. Domestic violence is not just about being hit or punched and insulted. You might be:

Offers a range of services, information and support in the local community for all families with children under five.

Open 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday.

Hastings Furniture Service provides affordable re-used furniture, electrical appliances & light removals for people on low incomes. Unwanted but reusable furniture is collected from donors throughout Hastings & Rother free of charge. If you receive a means tested benefit (incl. working tax credit) you can register directly with HFS by bringing proof of benefit with you on your fist visit to the store.  The wooden furniture store is open to the general public and we offer a full house clearance service which helps fund the charity. 

Safe, women only environment, to provide support and information for
women of all ages. The Centre offers counselling, self development
courses, domestic abuse support, careers advice, legal advice, drop-ins
and one-to-one support.

Open mornings - The Centre has an open morning on a
Tuesday from 9.30am-12.30pm There is no need to make an appointment just
come along for a drink and a chat.

This rural children's and family centre provides services through local community centres and
village halls using a mobile centre. Visits are also made to child
health clinics, pre-schools and parent and toddler groups.

This mobile services covers the rural areas around Bolney and Balcombe. This
includes Ardingly, Handcross, Pease Pottage, Sharpthorne, Slaugham,
Staplefield, Turners Hill, Warninglid and Worth.

The centre's activity programme includes:

Home-start Thanet offers support, friendship and practical help to parents with young children. We offer a unique service, recruiting and training volunteers, who are usually parents themselves to visit families at home who have at least one child under five. Offering confidential, friendly but focused support to both parents and children where their individual and family needs can be met. We also offer support and guidance to young parents and now also provide additional support to women suffering or previously suffering from abusive relationships.

Necessary Furniture is a charitable organisation set up to provide furniture and household goods for the disadvantaged within the community.  In addition Necessary Furniture (in partnership with the relevant agencies) provides work experience for unemployed people.  A further benefit of our work is the reduction in the volume of useable furniture entering the waste-stream and ending up on landfill. 

As well as furniture, our product range includes soft furnishings, white goods, bicycles, paint, computers, bedding, cooking utensils and tableware.

Kidz Play who organise this holiday childcare, strives to provide good quality care for children, working parents/carers and all local communities. They run other play, and afterschool clubs in the area. Please see website.

All children are accepted for holiday care - you don't have to attend the Oakwood schools, children tend to be from Lordswood, Bassett areas. Fees are £19.00 full day or £10.50 for half day. Please call for further details. Children must bring a packed lunch. 

This group provides informal but structured meetings where people affected can talk to others in a friendly, non-judgmental way.

The Princess Royal Trust Carers Service is a local charity which supports unpaid carers of all ages in Reading, West Berkshire, Wokingham and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

This Children & Family Centre provides services through local community centres and village halls using a mobile centre.

The villages visited are : Bolnore Village, Cuckfield, Horsted Keynes, Lindfield & Scaynes Hill.

Please contact us for dates, times & locations of our services & activities.

The centre's programme includes:

Information on local services, childcare & opportunities for you as a parent:

For parents, carers and their children aged 0-2 ½

A small friendly group meeting once a week for fun, play, music and singing at the end of the session.

Cost - £1.50 per family

Wednesdays 9.30 am – 11.30 am, term time

This group is based in the Hassocks United Reformed Church which also holds other family friendly activities.

Services and activities include:

Single parent organisation run by volunteer single parents for single parents with sole or shared care of their children.  

Please email to apply for free membership and to be invited onto the internet group to receive regular information that can include free tickets and meetups at events. 

NB SPIN is planning to set up a charity shop/information centre in 2012.

The Sheerness Community Learning Centre helps members of the community to enhance their computer skills in a friendy, relaxed environment and where they can work at their own pace.

All computers are internet enabled and Members can use a variety of  programs, such as Mavis Beacon's Typing Tutor as well as other internet based packages.

Annual membership is just £4, computer use is 30p per hour, printing and photocopying is extra.

The Hills Children's Centre is somewhere for parents/carers to bring their children for advice, support or just to join in with our fun, free activities. 

Join us for:

• Buggy & Toddler walks
• Baby Development
• Baby Massage
• Parent and Toddlers
• Messy Play
• Breast Feeding Support

And more!

Get involved with our parent focus group and have the chance to input into sessions and activities.

For more information call 01268 532852

Tools For Self Reliance is a charity which collects and refurbishes tools, sending them out to communities in need. They are keen to recruit volunteer qualified electricians and tool sorters as well as well as volunteers to help organise events. Appropriate induction and training will be provided. Other volunteer opportunities available. Open Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm. Disabled access available.

Tree Tops Children's Centre is a virtual centre offering a variety of services for children and families.

The centre offers the opportunity to meet up with other parents and to access information on healthcare, local childcare and pre-schools, training and returning to work.

Provides family support, advice and guidance on a range of topics and will signpost you to other agencies who can support you if we are unable to.

Services include:

• Active play
• Baby massage
• Information, advice and guidance

Two Hands Plus is a single parent support and social network based in Chelmsford, Essex for anyone living in and around the area. Regular meetings, days out and evenings for parents.

Watford Women’s Centre is a women only space providing a wide range of activities and support for the women using it. The women are at its core, they inform both what is offered and how it is offered.

mhs homes  employs two fully trained Benefits Advisors, who can give specialist advice and help with benefit queries. They can also help customers to challenge decisions made about their benefits and assist with back dated requests.  There is a benefits drop-in session at mhs express every Wednesday between 8:30am-5:00pm.

The Benefits Advisors can help:

Our Self Help group provides a forum
where people who are affected by depression can meet to share
experiences and coping strategies with others in similar situations. We
aim to provide mutual support and understanding in a non-judgemental,
confidential environment. Our meetings are not the same as therapy
(although they do have therapeutic value) but many people find that they
gain much from the support and understanding of fellow members.