Families with young children are among those set to benefit from the fifth round of Ørsted's Hornsea 3 Community Fund, with more than £289,000 awarded to 18 projects across Norfolk and Suffolk.
The funding will support a range of initiatives tackling isolation and hardship, improving mental health and wellbeing, creating opportunities for young people and helping community organisations become more sustainable.
Home-Start Norfolk and Home-Start Suffolk have been awarded a combined £72,177 to help families with young children access practical and emotional support within their own homes and communities.
Home-Start Norfolk has received £32,450 to continue providing vital support to families with children under five living in coastal and rural communities. Through weekly home visits for up to six months, trained volunteers help parents build confidence, develop parenting skills and overcome challenges such as isolation, financial pressures and difficulties accessing local services.
The project will support families across coastal North and West Norfolk, Great Yarmouth, rural South Norfolk, Broadland and Greater Norwich within the Hornsea 3 funding area.
Caz New, Head of Funding & Development at Home-Start Norfolk, said:
'The early years can be challenging for any family, but for parents living in rural and coastal communities, isolation and difficulty accessing support can make those challenges even harder. Sometimes having a trusted person come into the home, listen without judgement and offer practical support can make an enormous difference.
'We're incredibly grateful for this funding from the Hornsea 3 Community Fund. It will help us continue reaching families where they feel most comfortable, giving parents the confidence, skills and support they need to help their children thrive.'
In Suffolk, a £39,727 grant will strengthen Home-Start Suffolk's home-visiting family support in Lowestoft, where referrals have increased by 21% in just one year. The funding will enable the charity to support around 50 additional families, approximately 130 children and adults, who may be experiencing challenges including isolation, financial hardship and family stress.
Families are carefully matched with trained local volunteers who provide practical and emotional support in their own homes, helping parents regain confidence, strengthen family relationships and build greater stability.
Tara Spence, CEO at Home-Start Suffolk, said:
'We believe that everything begins with family. And that Suffolk should be a place where families never have to struggle in silence behind closed doors.
'Waveney continues to be one of the most challenging areas for us in terms of both the level and complexity of need we are seeing. Families are often facing several challenges all at once.
'At the same time, there are limited resources available locally to respond to that level and complexity of need. We are therefore incredibly pleased to have secured this funding, which will help us strengthen our presence in Waveney and ensure more families can access support when they need it.'
Imran Nawaz, Senior Advisor and Community Benefit Fund Manager at Ørsted, said:
"We're pleased that more than £72,000 from this round will support Home-Start's work across Norfolk and Suffolk, alongside 16 other projects addressing a wide range of local priorities. Together, these awards demonstrate the difference community organisations are making every day across the region we operate in.'
The Hornsea 3 Community Fund is part of Ørsted's commitment to supporting communities in the areas associated with the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm. The Fund is administered by GrantScape.
Applications for the next round of the Hornsea 3 Community Fund are now open, with a deadline of 2 December 2026.
For further information and to apply, visit: grantscape.org.uk/fund/hornsea-3-community-fund/
Source: Ørsted
