We’re looking for businesses and individuals to become Big Give pledgers and help us unlock vital funding for families across Cornwall.
At Home-Start Kernow, we believe that every family deserves the opportunity to thrive. But for some parents, the early years can be incredibly challenging. Isolation, poor mental health, financial pressures and a lack of support can all affect family life. Our volunteers are there to help families through difficult times. They offer practical and emotional support, build trusted relationships and help parents feel more confident, connected and able to cope. But providing this support relies on more than good intentions. Fundraising is vital to the sustainability of a charity like Home-Start Kernow.
Why fundraising matters
Like many charities, we work hard to secure funding from a range of sources. Grants and commissioned services enable us to deliver much of our work, but fundraising gives us the flexibility to respond to the needs of families, invest in our volunteers and develop the services that communities need.
Individual and business supporters can make a particularly important difference.
Every donation can help us recruit and train volunteers, provide support to another family and reach parents who might otherwise be isolated.
And this year, we have an opportunity to make those donations go even further.
Become a Big Give pledger
We are taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2026, the UK’s biggest match-funding campaign. During the campaign, donations made to our appeal can be matched, meaning supporters have the opportunity to double their impact for families in Cornwall. The Big Give’s 2025 Christmas Challenge raised £57.4 million for more than 1,500 charities, demonstrating the incredible difference match funding can make. With the help of last year’s pledgers, we raised an incredible £4,405 for Home-Start Kernow, this year we’re aiming even higher. But before the public campaign begins, we need to build our match-funding pot through pledges from supporters.
That’s where you could help.
We’re looking for businesses, organisations and individuals who would consider making a pledge to Home-Start Kernow. A pledge is a commitment to support our Big Give appeal. It helps us create the match-funding pot that allows donations made during the campaign itself to go further. For businesses, becoming a pledger is an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to supporting families and communities in Cornwall, while making a tangible contribution to a cause that has a lasting impact. For individuals, it’s a chance to make a meaningful difference to local families, and to help other people make their donations go further too.
Help us build a stronger future for families
We know that fundraising can sometimes feel like we are simply asking you for money. But for us, it’s about being there for families when they need us most.
By becoming a Big Give pledger, you can help that possible.
The deadline for pledges for the 2026 Christmas Challenge is 28 August, ahead of the campaign running from 1–8 December 2026. If you, your business or someone you know would like to become a Home-Start Kernow pledger, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can help more families feel connected, supported and able to thrive. Interested in becoming a pledger? Get in touch for a chat, info@homestartkernow.org.uk or call 01209-214490. Already know that you would like to pledge your support – you can register here.